NASA's Mars missions are about to go dark (but don't worry)

Technology Dec 21, 2025

From late December 2025 to mid-January 2026, NASA won't be able to talk to its Mars rovers and orbiters.
It's all because of a solar conjunction—when Earth and Mars end up on opposite sides of the Sun, making radio signals too scrambled by solar interference for safe communication.
This blackout happens every two years, so it's nothing new for the team.

Mars robots will keep working on their own

NASA has already set up smart instructions so the Perseverance rover and other spacecraft can keep collecting data and monitoring Martian weather without help from Earth.
The blackout peaks around January 9, but thanks to careful planning, science on Mars keeps rolling—even when mission control can't check in.