MAVEN's Enduring Legacy

Although MAVEN's mission has ended, its scientific contributions will continue to unlock the mysteries of Mars and shape future exploration for years to come.

Artist’s concept of NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft at Mars. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Colorado/Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.

Today, NASA reflects on the achievements of MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) following the conclusion of its mission after nearly twelve years orbiting the Red Planet. Launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in 2014, MAVEN was the first mission dedicated to studying Mars’ upper atmosphere and how it has evolved over time.

In December 2025, the spacecraft passed behind Mars as expected during a routine orbit. However, when it emerged, MAVEN failed to reestablish contact with Earth. Investigators determined that the spacecraft had somehow been displaced from its nominal orbit, depleting its power and leaving it in an unrecoverable state. In February 2026, NASA concluded that MAVEN was no longer capable of carrying out its scientific observations or serving as a communications relay for other Mars missions.

During its mission, MAVEN helped scientists understand how Mars lost much of its atmosphere and provided valuable insights into whether similar processes could affect Earth over geological timescales. The spacecraft also collected critical data on the Martian radiation environment, helping researchers assess the protections future astronauts will need for missions to Mars.

MAVEN made many significant discoveries including how quickly the atmospheric gasses were being stripped away from the planet by solar winds. In 2014, MAVEN even detected a different type of aurora, which allowed science teams to coordinate to further study and image these amazing solar events.

Beyond the scientific community, MAVEN’s data also supported public participation in research through NASA’s Citizen Science project, Cloudspotting on Mars. Using images captured by MAVEN’s ultraviolet spectrograph, volunteers helped identify and study atmospheric clouds on the planet, contributing directly to ongoing scientific investigations.

Mike Moreau, Project Manager for MAVEN at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, describes feeling this mission’s conclusion as “the loss of a loved one.” The Goddard team successfully delivered this first-of-its-kind mission on time and under budget, and they remain justifiably proud of its achievements and the ongoing scientific impact enabled by the data it provided.

Although MAVEN’s mission has come to an end, its discoveries will continue to shape our understanding of Mars and support future exploration for years to come.