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NASA has declared its Mars Maven spacecraft dead after six months of radio silence. Maven was launched in 2013 to study the Martian atmosphere and went silent in December after passing behind Mars. NASA confirmed Wednesday that the mission is over. Data indicated the craft went into a fast spin, disrupting its orbit and draining its onboard batteries. A NASA review board earlier this year concluded the spacecraft is useless and unable to be recovered. Besides studying Martian weather, Maven helped relay data from the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers on the surface. In addition to studying the climate, Maven aided rover communications.