NASA Decommissions MAVEN Spacecraft After 11-Year Mars Mission
By
Katrina Miller
A good honest bake. Not flashy, but you'll finish the whole bagel.
Summary
NASA is decommissioning its MAVEN spacecraft after more than 11 years of orbiting Mars. The mission, which began in 2014, was designed to study the Martian atmosphere and understand what happened to the air that once made the planet potentially habitable. NASA last received a signal from MAVEN on December 6, after which the spacecraft stopped responding. A review board found that MAVEN began unexpectedly rotating, causing its batteries to drain too quickly and resulting in a loss of power to the communications system.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledNASA announced the end of a more than 11-year mission aimed at solving a key mystery about Mars: What happened to the air that once made the planet habitable?
NASA last received a signal from MAVEN on Dec. 6, shortly before the spacecraft passed behind Mars.
A review board found that MAVEN began unexpectedly rotating, causing its batteries to drain too quickly and resulting in a loss of power to the communications system.
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