The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft undergoes final preparations in September 2013 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After more than 11 years in space, NASA declared the MAVEN spacecraft and mission dead Wednesday. File photo by Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell/UPI | License Photo
June 3 (UPI) -- Almost six months after NASA lost contact with the spacecraft, the agency has declared the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Environment satellite unrecoverable and its mission concluded.
NASA's Deep Space Network (radio antennas that connect Earth with spacecraft) last received a transmission from the MAVEN satellite on Dec. 6, just before its orbit passed behind Mars. When it emerged, communications did not resume, NASA said. The cause of this lapse was under investigation, but the agency said the satellite was rotating at an usually high rate, leading to drained batteries.
The MAVEN mission was the first successful one dedicated to observing Mars' atmosphere and its evolution. It orbited the planet for more than 11 years, far longer than its planned one-year lifespan.
NASA hosted a media teleconference Wednesday about the end of the mission and issued a statement.
