NASA announced Wednesday that its Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) orbiter mission has officially ended after the space agency lost contact with the spacecraft late last year.

The $582 million orbiter went silent during a passage behind Mars in December, with all systems functioning normally prior to the loss of communication. NASA's Deep Space Network was unable to reestablish contact with the spacecraft despite efforts to locate and communicate with the orbiter.

MAVEN launched in 2013 with the primary mission of studying Mars' upper atmosphere and understanding how the planet lost much of its atmosphere over time. The spacecraft was designed to investigate the processes that led to the transformation of Mars' climate from one that could have supported liquid water to the cold, dry environment seen today.

NASA officials described the mission as extraordinarily successful, having far exceeded its planned duration and scientific objectives. The orbiter provided crucial data about Mars' atmospheric composition, solar wind interactions, and the planet's atmospheric escape processes.

The loss of MAVEN represents the end of nearly a decade of atmospheric research at Mars. The spacecraft had continued operating well beyond its initial mission timeline, providing valuable scientific data that enhanced understanding of planetary atmospheric evolution.