Mars Goes Dark: NASA Loses Contact During Rare Celestial Event

NASA, along with other space agencies, has temporarily lost contact with its fleet of spacecraft at Mars due to the solar conjunction, where Mars is on the opposite side of the sun from Earth. This blackout period, lasting for about a week, hampers communication due to the interference of radio signals by the sun's corona. However, the spacecraft will continue to operate autonomously, and essential health check messages can be exchanged after the closest pass of the sun and Mars. The blackout is expected to end by November 25, allowing direct radio communications to be re-established.