The Trace Gas Orbiter's main engine burn should be complete by now, and the spacecraft should be in orbit around Mars.
The craft's guidance system was expected to turn off the engine once it sensed the burn had put the orbiter on the correct trajectory.
But the orbiter is on the opposite side of Mars as viewed from Earth, so it will take nearly an hour to verify the burn ended as planned.
The maneuver was going smoothly when ground controllers lost communications with the Trace Gas Orbiter as expected.
ESTRACK Madrid waiting for MEX signal confirmation:
![](http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CU2qCkZhyU0/WAeWbhs3LkI/AAAAAAACDCk/vjlHkYFPP7gw1KX-tWF_njfjS0vaymXywCL0B/w968-h726-no/DSN%2BMA2.jpg)