NASA to re-establish contact with silent MAVEN Mars orbiter after solar interference

NASA will attempt to re-contact MAVEN after a month of radio silence caused by the sun’s conjunction between Earth and Mars. MAVEN, launched in 2013 to study Mars’ upper atmosphere and to relay data for rovers, went silent after Dec. 6 as it emerged from behind Mars; the solar conjunction ended Jan. 16 and NASA’s Deep Space Network is attempting to resume communications. Recovery remains uncertain, though MAVEN has enough fuel to stay in orbit until about 2030 and the outcome would impact Mars science and related missions such as Mars Sample Return.