MAVEN is a man-made spacecraft represented in the Solar System, the region of space around the Sun, our star, within the universe. Its catalogue reference body is Mars. Explore its story and purpose, then find the spacecraft on the interactive 3D space map.

MAVEN — Investigated how Mars loses atmospheric gas to space.

Mission and scientific objectives
MAVEN is associated with NASA. Investigated how Mars loses atmospheric gas to space. The mission type is Mars atmospheric orbiter.

Mission chronology
2014: Entered Mars orbit.
2026: NASA declared the mission ended following loss of contact in December 2025.

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission was the first mission devoted to understanding the Martian upper atmosphere. The mission ended after more than 11 years in orbit — a decade beyond its primary, one-year mission — after it experienced an unexpected loss of signal Dec. 6, 2025, while passing behind the Red Planet.

NASA Says Farewell to MAVEN, Declares End of Mission

The first mission devoted to observing the Martian atmosphere and its evolution, NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution), has ended after more than 11 years in orbit at Mars and a decade beyond its primary, one-year mission. The spacecraft was heard last on Dec. 6, when it experienced an unexpected loss of signal after it passed behind the Red Planet. A review board NASA convened in February to evaluate recovery efforts and assess MAVEN’s probable current state, determined that the spacecraft is not recoverable, and is no longer capable of performing its science and data relay mission.

News and features about the mission.

Helping scientists determine what happened to the once-dense atmosphere of Mars.

Periodic updates from the mission.

Posters, 3D models, illustrations, images, graphics, selfies, and more.

Mission website from the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Using data collected from MAVEN's Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS), you can help answer questions about Mars' atmosphere and climate. Questions include:

Download the commemorative poster

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