Like 'the loss of a loved one': NASA's Mars orbiter MAVEN is officially dead after months of radio silence

An illustration of a spacecraft with solar panels floating in front of a red planet.

NASA is saying goodbye to one of its most accomplished Mars orbiters.

After months of repeated attempts to reestablish contact with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) satellite, NASA has declared the Red Planet probe dead. MAVEN's last transmission was received on Dec. 6, by NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), before the solar-powered spacecraft's orbit took it behind Mars. When it emerged on the other side, telemetry data showed the satellite had switched to safe mode and was tumbling in an uncontrollable spin that led to a loss of power, according to a NASA review board in February.