NASA Declares MAVEN Mars Probe Lost After Encounter with Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS
NASA declares Mars probe officially lost months after close encounter with interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS

Image: Mail Online
NASA has officially declared its MAVEN spacecraft near Mars as 'unrecoverable' after it ceased operations six months ago following a close encounter with the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. The probe, which had been in orbit since 2014, experienced a loss of signal after passing behind Mars, and its scientific functions have not resumed.
- 01MAVEN, which cost $583 million, was last heard from on December 6, 2025, after it began spinning uncontrollably.
- 02The spacecraft had been studying Mars' atmosphere and served as a communications relay for rovers before its malfunction.
- 03The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS was identified as a comet, but its close pass raised public speculation about potential alien connections.
- 04Harvard Professor Avi Loeb suggested that methane emissions from 3I/ATLAS could indicate the presence of life, a theory known as panspermia.
- 05Despite MAVEN's loss, NASA highlighted its significant contributions to understanding Mars' atmosphere and evolution.
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NASA has announced that its MAVEN spacecraft, which has been orbiting Mars since 2014, is now considered 'unrecoverable' after it mysteriously stopped transmitting data six months ago. The probe experienced a loss of signal on December 6, 2025, following its close encounter with the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. MAVEN's unexpected spinning and subsequent communication failure have raised questions, although NASA stated that the issues are not believed to be related to 3I/ATLAS. This object, identified as a comet, attracted significant public interest, particularly due to its unusual characteristics and the blurred images captured by MAVEN. Theories about 3I/ATLAS include the possibility of it carrying signs of life, as suggested by Harvard Professor Avi Loeb, who noted its methane emissions. Despite MAVEN's operational loss, NASA praised its contributions to Martian science, particularly in understanding how solar winds strip away Mars' atmosphere. The data gathered by MAVEN is expected to continue benefiting planetary science for years to come.
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