In early December, NASA lost contact with its MAVEN spacecraft, which has been orbiting Mars since 2014. MAVEN was supposed to reestablish communications with NASA’s Deep Space Network on Dec. 6 after emerging from behind Mars during a routine blackout period when the spacecraft’s orbit takes it behind the red planet, blocking all communications to and from Earth. Teams have worked to regain contact, but all attempts have been unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, on the Martian surface, NASA’s Perseverance rover continues to drive toward its next target in Jezero Crater, searching for signs of ancient microbial life in various rocks and minerals along the way. The rover’s team is using the time to analyze the condition of Perseverance and its components, informing new estimates of how long the rover’s mission might last.