Erratic rotation detected as MAVEN Mars probe remains silent

NASA’s MAVEN continues to show no activity after going silent on December 4, 2025. In a recent update by NASA on Monday, December 15, 2025, NASA officials revealed that the Mars probe showed erratic rotation and added that its trajectory might also have changed. 

Ever since MAVEN, which stands for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, went silent in early December, experts have tried to make contact with it, in an attempt to restore communication, but, as per the latest update, all their efforts have been in vain. 

A disruption of communication of this sort is not uncommon and was expected by NASA’s tracking systems when orbiters get blocked by other planetary bodies. 

However, when MAVEN emerged from behind Mars, the Deep Space Network faced an unforeseen “anomaly” as they failed to rekindle that signal. 

Despite consistent efforts, NASA, on Monday, revealed that they still could not make any progress. 

To add to the concerns, based on some tracking data that they had, the experts discovered that MAVEN had been rotating in an “unexpected manner” since its emergence from the far side of the Red Planet. 

More details on NASA’s latest update on MAVEN’s silence

In an update posted on NASA’s official website, officials shared that the MAVEN mission team in joint efforts with the Deep Space Network were consistently trying to restore contact with the Mars orbiter. 

“To date, attempts to reestablish contact with the spacecraft have not been successful,” they wrote. 

That said, they continued that although they have received “no spacecraft telemetry” since MAVEN went silent on December 4, their team found out “a brief fragment of tracking data” from December 6. 

“Analysis of that signal suggests that the MAVEN spacecraft was rotating in an unexpected manner when it emerged from behind Mars. Further, the frequency of the tracking signal suggests MAVEN’s orbit trajectory may have changed,” the statement said. 

In November 2013, MAVEN was sent to space for the first time, and it reached the Red Planet ten months later.

The purpose of the probe was for experts to receive information about Mars which would help them study the planet’s atmosphere and understand its composition. 

It was also tasked with collecting data on how the planet behaved when in contact with the solar wind, which is the stream of charged particles from the sun. 

MAVEN managed to collect and deliver key data about Earth’s neighbor during its one-year prime mission. 

Using the data provided by MAVEN, researchers were able to understand the science behind the dissipation of the thick atmosphere around MAVEN, which allowed liquid water to flow on the planet many years ago. 

Even after its prime mission on Mars, MAVEN continued to serve NASA, providing additional information on the planet’s dust storms, winds, and even its auroras. 

However, since December 4, NASA has been unable to make contact with their precious asset. 

“The team continues to analyze tracking data to understand the most likely scenarios leading to the loss of signal. Efforts to reestablish contact with MAVEN also continue,” they said in their official statement. 

The statement further stated that NASA has been working to dilute the impact of the issue with MAVEN on NASA’s Perseverance and Curiosity rover operations. 

While MAVEN has gone silent, the other missions, like the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey, and ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, “all remain operational.”

Harvard physicist Avi Loeb, who has been active with the studies on interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, also commented on the condition of MAVEN, noting that it became quiet after 3I/ATLAS passed by it. 

Although he did not establish a causal link between the two, he implied that it contributed to the mysterious occurrences surrounding the interstellar object, which is set to make its closest approach to Earth on December 19. 

Stay tuned for more updates.