Approximately every two years, TGO takes a break for a couple of weeks as Mars passes behind the Sun, making communication between Earth and Mars unreliable. The latest conjunction started on 8th November 2023 and ends on the 29th November; during this time TGO will remain in a stable orbit with all non-essential systems switched off, waiting for a signal to be received from Earth.

This affects all spacecraft and rovers at Mars. Find out more information here: https://mars.nasa.gov/all-about-mars/night-sky/solar-conjunction/