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Maven

All articles tagged with #maven

Pentagon formalizes Palantir Maven as official military AI backbone
defense21 days ago

Pentagon formalizes Palantir Maven as official military AI backbone

The Pentagon says Palantir’s Maven AI system will become an official program of record, with funding and governance streamlined across the armed services, and oversight moved from the NGA to the Pentagon’s AI office; the system—already a primary battlefield AI tool for targeting—could be deployed widely by the end of the fiscal year, as the military expands AI use while addressing ethical and human-planning safeguards amid ongoing Palantir contracts.

NASA hunts for silent MAVEN as Mars relay duties shift
space-exploration21 days ago

NASA hunts for silent MAVEN as Mars relay duties shift

NASA has not declared MAVEN lost after losing contact with the Mars orbiter on Dec. 6, 2025, and recovery attempts have yielded no signal since a solar conjunction ended Jan. 16. Officials say MAVEN may have rotated unexpectedly as it emerged from behind Mars, so recovery efforts continue while other orbiters take on relay duties; NASA has deployed assets like Green Bank Observatory and even tried to image MAVEN with the Curiosity rover, but no trace has been found. If the spacecraft is declared lost, NASA is weighing replacements for Mars’ relay network, aided by a $700 million budget line for a high-performance Mars telecom orbiter and proposals such as Blue Origin’s Mars relay concept. MAVEN launched in 2013 and spent over a decade studying Mars’ atmosphere.

AI chatbots as war-planning tools: Palantir demos outline possibilities
technology28 days ago

AI chatbots as war-planning tools: Palantir demos outline possibilities

WIRED reports on Palantir demos showing Claude-powered AI chatbots integrated with Maven and the Pentagon’s AI Platform (AIP) to analyze intelligence, generate courses of action, and draft potential operations, illustrating how AI assistants could aid analysts in time-sensitive planning—while public details are limited and Anthropic’s clashes with the DoD over access and surveillance linger.

Mars Sparks Detected: MAVEN Discovers First Martian Lightning Whistler
space1 month ago

Mars Sparks Detected: MAVEN Discovers First Martian Lightning Whistler

NASA’s MAVEN orbiter has captured the first confirmed electrical signal consistent with lightning in Mars’ atmosphere—a low-frequency ‘lightning whistler’ likely produced inside dust storms. The discovery confirms Martian atmospheric electricity, though the discharges are weaker than Earth’s, and researchers will continue searching for clusters to map where such events occur and how they influence Martian chemistry.

Dust-Driven Lightning on Mars: NASA Data Hint at Electrical Sparks in Dust Storms
space1 month ago

Dust-Driven Lightning on Mars: NASA Data Hint at Electrical Sparks in Dust Storms

Two NASA missions—MAVEN in orbit and the Perseverance rover on the surface—have detected signals suggesting lightning or related electrical discharges in Mars' dusty atmosphere. MAVEN identified a rare whistler radio signal from a 2015 data set, while Perseverance recorded crackling sounds during dust storms likely from electrostatic discharges in charged dust clouds. Taken together, the findings strengthen the case that Mars experiences dust-driven electrical activity, with possible implications for atmospheric chemistry and the planet's environment, though large lightning bolts remain unlikely.

Martian Whistler Reveals First Lightning-like Discharge on Mars
science1 month ago

Martian Whistler Reveals First Lightning-like Discharge on Mars

NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft analyzed 108,418 plasma‑wave recordings and identified a single whistler—a descending-tone radio signal produced by a lightning-like discharge interacting with Mars’ crustal magnetic field on the night side at about 349 km altitude—showing that electrical discharges occur in Mars’ atmosphere and that the underlying plasma physics mirrors Earth’s lightning. The event was rare, but its energy at the source could be comparable to strong Earth lightning, with potential implications for prebiotic chemistry on Mars.

NASA to re-establish contact with silent MAVEN Mars orbiter after solar interference
space2 months ago

NASA to re-establish contact with silent MAVEN Mars orbiter after solar interference

NASA will attempt to re-contact MAVEN after a month of radio silence caused by the sun’s conjunction between Earth and Mars. MAVEN, launched in 2013 to study Mars’ upper atmosphere and to relay data for rovers, went silent after Dec. 6 as it emerged from behind Mars; the solar conjunction ended Jan. 16 and NASA’s Deep Space Network is attempting to resume communications. Recovery remains uncertain, though MAVEN has enough fuel to stay in orbit until about 2030 and the outcome would impact Mars science and related missions such as Mars Sample Return.

NASA's MAVEN Goes Silent: Is Mars' Orbiter Lost?
science2 months ago

NASA's MAVEN Goes Silent: Is Mars' Orbiter Lost?

NASA's MAVEN orbiter, studying Mars' upper atmosphere, went offline on December 6 and NASA now says recovery is very unlikely as it appears to be rotating unexpectedly; a Martian solar-conjunction window ending around January 16 could offer one last chance to reestablish contact, though the agency notes that other Mars spacecraft can still relay communications to Earth.

NASA’s MAVEN Mars Orbiter Goes Silent, Likely Lost to Contact
space2 months ago

NASA’s MAVEN Mars Orbiter Goes Silent, Likely Lost to Contact

NASA’s MAVEN orbiter, which has studied Mars’ upper atmosphere for over a decade, went offline in December. NASA later acknowledged MAVEN was rotating unexpectedly and is very unlikely to be recovered, though Mars’s solar conjunction could offer another contact window. In the meantime, three other spacecraft can relay data to Earth, and NASA continues root-cause analyses while exploring future options such as a revived Mars Telecommunications Orbiter.

NASA's MAVEN Goes Silent as Recovery Hopes Fade, With a Window Still Open
space2 months ago

NASA's MAVEN Goes Silent as Recovery Hopes Fade, With a Window Still Open

NASA’s MAVEN orbiter went offline in December and appears to be spinning after coming out from behind Mars, making recovery unlikely; a solar conjunction through January 16 could still offer a last chance to recontact, while NASA analyzes tracking data and attempts to reestablish contact. Other Mars assets can relay signals, and a revived Mars Telecommunications Orbiter is in development but has no launch date.

NASA Mars Orbiter Possibly Out of Commission
space3 months ago

NASA Mars Orbiter Possibly Out of Commission

NASA's MAVEN spacecraft orbiting Mars has been unresponsive since December 6, with recent data suggesting it was spinning unexpectedly, and efforts to re-establish contact are ongoing, but prospects seem uncertain as the spacecraft has been operational for over a decade studying Mars' atmosphere.

NASA's Mars and Interstellar Missions Face Communication Blackouts During Solar Conjunction
science3 months ago

NASA's Mars and Interstellar Missions Face Communication Blackouts During Solar Conjunction

NASA's MAVEN spacecraft orbiting Mars has been unresponsive since December 6, with efforts to re-establish contact ongoing. The spacecraft, which has been studying Mars' atmosphere for over a decade, appears to have experienced an unexpected spin, and communication attempts are delayed until mid-January due to planetary alignment. The mission's status remains uncertain, raising concerns about its future.

NASA's MAVEN Mission Faces Communication Challenges Amid Mars Operations
space3 months ago

NASA's MAVEN Mission Faces Communication Challenges Amid Mars Operations

NASA's MAVEN orbiter has lost contact and is tumbling, with its exact location unknown, as the agency prepares for a solar conjunction period during which communication with Mars missions will be impossible until January 16, 2026. Despite attempts using the Curiosity rover's Mastcam, MAVEN was not detected, and the cause of the issue remains unclear, though it may involve guidance or control system problems. NASA plans to resume contact efforts after the conjunction.

NASA's MAVEN Mars Probe Remains Silent Amid Orbit and Spin Changes
space3 months ago

NASA's MAVEN Mars Probe Remains Silent Amid Orbit and Spin Changes

NASA is attempting to reestablish contact with the MAVEN Mars orbiter after it lost response, with indications that it may be tumbling and off its expected trajectory, complicating recovery efforts especially with upcoming solar conjunction blocking communication. The spacecraft's status remains uncertain, and its potential loss could reduce NASA's active Mars orbiters to two aging spacecraft.

NASA's MAVEN Mission at Mars Faces Communication and Spin Challenges
space3 months ago

NASA's MAVEN Mission at Mars Faces Communication and Spin Challenges

NASA's MAVEN spacecraft has been silent since December 4, and efforts to contact it have been unsuccessful, raising concerns about its status. Despite this, other Mars orbiters continue their missions, and NASA is adjusting its operations to maintain communication with its surface rovers. MAVEN, launched in 2013, has significantly contributed to understanding Mars' atmosphere and its history.