We lost communication with the Mars Global Satellite (MGS), sometime yesterday. MGS was launched in 1996, and has been orbiting Mars for nearly 10 years. This is 6 years beyond it's original design goal. MGS has returned data on surface contours, minerals, magnetic fields, gravity fields, and global weather. It provided landing site information for Pathfinder and MER. It has been a communications relay for the Mars Exploration Rovers. Efforts to regain communications are underway at this time.

Currently JPL still has two orbiters ( Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter) and two rovers (Spirit and Opportunity) that are working at Mars. The European Space Agency also has an orbiter at Mars.