NASA’s Perseverance Rover Captures 200-Foot-Wide Dust Devil Tearing Across Mars
The six-wheeled geologist spotted the twister as part of an atmospheric exploration of Jezero Crater. The lower portion of a Martian dust devil was captured…
Mars News
As humanity’s most promising destination beyond Earth, Mars has become a central focus for space exploration and research. Our Mars category provides the latest news, discoveries, and insights from the red planet, including updates on current and upcoming Mars missions, as well as analysis of the latest data and images returned by Mars rovers, landers, and orbiters. Our coverage spans the breadth of Mars science and technology, including the search for evidence of past and present life, the study of Martian geology and mineralogy, and the development of new technologies for exploring and colonizing the planet. From the latest discoveries of water and organic molecules to the latest advances in Mars habitats and transportation, our Mars category has everything you need to stay informed and engaged in the ongoing quest to unlock the secrets of the red planet. Whether you’re a space enthusiast, a Mars researcher, or just someone fascinated by the mysteries of our neighboring planet, our Mars category has everything you need to stay informed and engaged.
Blast from the Past: Historic Wind Tunnel Tests NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle Rocket
The Mars Ascent Vehicle team completed crucial wind tunnel tests at NASA’s facility, paving the way for the first rocket launch from Mars. This joint…
Red Planet Report Card: How NASA’s Ambitious Mars Sample Return Mission Fared in Its Review
NASA established the board in May 2023 to evaluate the technical, cost, and schedule plans prior to confirmation of the mission’s design. NASA’s mission to…
AutoNav’s Triumph on Mars: Perseverance Rover’s Record Speed on the Martian Terrain
A computer pilot helps NASA’s six-wheeled geologist as it searches for rock samples that could be brought to Earth for deeper investigation. In about a…
Watch NASA’s Perseverance Rover Use AutoNav To Avoid a Boulder on Mars
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover, on its 854th Martian day, demonstrated its autonomous navigation capabilities by skillfully avoiding a rock during its drive. This animation is…
Within the Margin: NASA’s Perseverance Rover Kicks Off New Campaign on Mars
Perseverance begins the Margin Campaign on Mars, exploring the origins and significance of Jezero Crater’s marginal carbonates over the next 230 sols. This week on…
3-Billion-Year-Old Secrets: NASA’s Curiosity Rover Reaches Mars Ridge Where Water Left Debris Pileup
Believed to be a remnant of powerful ancient debris flows, Gediz Vallis Ridge is a destination long sought by the rover’s science team. Three billion…
Generating Oxygen on Mars: The Triumph of NASA’s MOXIE
Riding with the Perseverance rover, the instrument has proved to be a viable technology for astronauts on Mars to produce oxygen for fuel and breathing….
Mars’ Gullies: How Axial Tilt and Ice Sculpted the Martian Landscape
Using climate simulations, researchers suggest Mars’ gullies could have formed from melting water ice during periods of high axial tilt, offering a fresh perspective on…
From Drop Tests to Martian Dust: Crafting Legs for NASA’s Heaviest Mars Lander
Sturdy legs are needed to absorb the impact of the heaviest spacecraft to ever touch down on the Red Planet. NASA’s Perseverance rover continues to…
In Australia’s Ancient Stromatolites, NASA Finds a Blueprint for Mars Exploration
NASA is working with its international partners to study the ancient Earth as it relates to Mars. In June 2023, NASA’s Mars Exploration Program leaders…
Mars’ Muddy Mystery: Did the Red Planet Once Have Seasonal Weather?
NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover finds evidence of high-frequency wet-dry cycling in the Gale Crater. New observations of mud cracks made by NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover…
NASA Surprised by Cracks in Ancient Martian Mud Discovered by Mars Curiosity Rover
New research suggests the same conditions that created the cracks could have been favorable to the emergence of microscopic life. Scientists aren’t entirely sure how…
Melting Mysteries on Mars: Gullies May Have Formed by Recent Periods of Liquid Meltwater
In a new study, scientists how gullies on the slopes of Martian craters could have formed by on-and-off periods of meltwater from ice on and…
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Flies Again After Premature Landing
The helicopter performed a short hop to help the team better understand why its previous flight was interrupted. NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter successfully completed its…
Hexagons on Mars: New Evidence of an Environment Conducive to the Emergence of Life
Scientists have discovered fossil evidence of a cyclical climate on Mars, with wet and dry seasons like those on Earth. This environment, in which simple…
Are We Alone? – The Hunt for Life on Mars and Elsewhere in the Solar System
NASA’s search for life on Mars, driven by the Perseverance rover, may soon yield promising results. Past endeavors, while not definitively proving life, have informed…
Mars Is Spinning Faster: NASA’s InSight Uncovers Surprising Acceleration
Data sent by the spacecraft before it retired last December has provided new details about how fast the planet rotates and how much it wobbles….
