Cape Canaveral: After six months of radio silence, NASA's Maven spacecraft at Mars has been declared dead.The space agency confirmed Wednesday that the mission had ended after more than a decade of observations.Launched in 2013 to study the red planet's atmosphere from orbit, Maven mysteriously fell silent in early December after passing behind Mars. Data indicated the spacecraft went into a fast spin, which disrupted its orbit and drained the onboard batteries.A review board convened by NASA earlier this year concluded that the spacecraft is useless and unable to be recovered. An investigation continues into what caused the problem.Also Read: NASA plans to send a planet hunter to scan the Galaxy for 100,000 new alien worldsBesides studying Martian weather and observing a stray interstellar comet last year, Maven helped relay information from NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers on the surface.Maven's lead scientist, Shannon Curry of the University of Colorado Boulder, said the spacecraft made a number of "amazing discoveries."Maven "has truly advanced our understanding of the Martian atmosphere and evolution," she said in a statement.
NASA declares Mars Maven spacecraft dead after six months of silence
NASA's Maven spacecraft orbiting Mars has been declared lost. The mission ended after more than ten years of studying the red planet's atmosphere. The spacecraft went silent in December after entering a fast spin. This disrupted its orbit and depleted its batteries. A NASA review board found the spacecraft unrecoverable. Maven made significant discoveries about Mars' atmosphere and evolution.
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