The American space agency NASA is investigating a major communications failure with one of its key spacecraft orbiting Mars, an incident that occurred shortly after it observed a mysterious interstellar visitor.
Probe Goes Silent After Close Encounter
NASA confirmed that the MAVEN spacecraft went silent on December 4, nearly two weeks after its close encounter with the interstellar object designated 3I/ATLAS. The probe, which has been orbiting the Red Planet since 2014 and acts as a vital communications relay for surface rovers, was tracking the object when it moved behind Mars. Upon re-emerging into Earth's view, it had stopped transmitting and was found to be rotating unusually.
According to NASA, the event on the far side of Mars appears to have altered MAVEN's orbit, though the exact nature of the change remains unknown until full communications are restored. The agency is currently piecing together the incident from fragments of tracking data.
Public Scrutiny and Conspiracy Theories
The incident has ignited a firestorm of speculation on social media, particularly as it coincides with 3I/ATLAS's closest approach to Earth on Friday, December 19. Many online commentators have falsely linked the probe's failure to the interstellar object, despite NASA confirming the two events are unrelated.
Public criticism has also been sharp over the quality of images MAVEN took of 3I/ATLAS in October, when it passed within 18 million miles of Mars. The blurry, low-detail photographs released by NASA have fuelled baseless claims of a cover-up, with some alleging the agency is hiding the 'real' images.
"Either NASA is lying... or whatever is piloting 3I/ATLAS knocked MAVEN offline," one user on X claimed, reflecting the unfounded theories circulating online.
Scientific Debate and Upcoming Observations
Prominent Harvard astronomer Professor Avi Loeb has highlighted the unique opportunity for independent observation. He noted that on December 19, the object will pass within 170 million miles of Earth, coinciding with a new moon for optimal viewing. "It's not up to NASA. There are hundreds of observatories around the globe that will observe it," Loeb stated, dismissing any possibility of a data blackout.
Loeb, who leads the Galileo Project searching for extraterrestrial life, has documented over a dozen anomalies in 3I/ATLAS's behaviour. These include an anti-tail facing away from the sun, which some suggest could be engine exhaust rather than a natural cometary feature. He argues the confluence of these strange traits makes it highly unlikely to be a typical comet.
However, both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) maintain that 3I/ATLAS is a comet from another star system, composed of a unique chemical mixture. Meanwhile, over 23 European nations are tracking the object as part of a major planetary defence drill.
While MAVEN remains offline—marking its first major disruption in a decade of service—astronomers worldwide are preparing to turn their telescopes skyward this Friday, promising a flood of new, unedited data on the enigmatic visitor.
