The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has lost contact with the MAVEN spacecraft, which studies Mars' atmosphere, and is attempting to re-establish contact, a NASA spokesperson said on Friday, according to LETA citing DPA.
Regular data from the spacecraft has not been received for about two weeks.
On Monday, NASA reported that a "small fragment of tracking data" received this month suggests that the spacecraft may be "spinning unexpectedly."
MAVEN, launched in November 2013, has been in orbit around Mars for about 10 years and has been sending important research information back to Earth, particularly about the Martian atmosphere.
Other NASA spacecraft are currently also involved in Mars research — the orbital satellites "Mars Odyssey" and "Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter," while the planet's surface is being studied by the rovers "Curiosity" and "Perseverance."
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