Summary:
- NASA's MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) orbiter has been silent for over a month, and the agency will attempt to reestablish contact with the spacecraft today.
- MAVEN has been orbiting Mars since 2014 to study the planet's atmosphere and how it has changed over time, which is important for understanding the history of Mars and whether it could have supported life.
- If the attempt to contact MAVEN is unsuccessful, NASA will have to determine the next steps, which could include sending a command to the orbiter to switch to a backup system or even sending a rescue mission to investigate the issue.