AUSTIN (KXAN) — For more than a decade, the Curiosity rover has explored the surface of Mars. In just a few days, it will go dark as NASA loses contact with the Martian explorer. From Dec. 27 to Jan.

NASA's MAVEN spacecraft is continuing to evade attempts by engineers to make contact as the solar conjunction nears, halting contact with any Mars missions until January 16, 2026.… The agency last ...