MAVEN helped illuminate Martian weather, relayed data from surface rovers, and even captured a stray interstellar comet in recent years.

NASA has ended the MAVEN mission after losing contact with the Mars orbiter, ending over 11 years of studying the Martian atmosphere.

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NASA officials emphasized MAVEN’s data will continue to provide insights for decades, with a planned press briefing to discuss its legacy.

Beyond science, MAVEN handled about 8% of relay sessions and delivered roughly 18% of total data thanks to enhanced throughput from a new coding scheme.

The spacecraft relayed data from active rovers Curiosity and Perseverance through a relay network; NASA will investigate the failure to learn lessons for future missions.

Other orbiters like Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter remain active as communications relays for Mars rovers.

MAVEN’s data supported Perseverance and other rovers, and its results influence current and future Mars exploration concepts, including a 2030s Mars Telecommunications Network initiative with international and commercial partners.

Launched in November 2013 from Cape Canaveral on an Atlas V, MAVEN reached Mars after a ten-month journey and exceeded its original one-year goal by operating far longer.

NASA notes the Mars relay network still has four other operating spacecraft and has adjusted relay operations to stay resilient.

NASA indicates ongoing efforts to understand the incident and its broader implications for Mars science and relay networks.

MAVEN was one of five spacecraft serving as Mars rover communications relays; Odyssey, MRO, Europe’s Mars Express, and Trace Gas Orbiter continue to operate.