NASA has officially ended its Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission after losing contact with the spacecraft for six months. The orbiter, launched in 2014, exceeded its planned mission duration.

NASA said on Wednesday it will end its mission studying Mars' atmosphere and evolution after losing contact with its MAVEN spacecraft for six months. MAVEN, which entered Martian orbit in 2014, was designed for a one- to two-year mission but operated for more than a decade before falling silent in December 2025.