Keywords: Mars


NASA launches initiative to boost space economy and support Moon and Mars exploration

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched a new initiative in partnership with the US Small Business Administration (SBA) aimed at expanding private investment in the American space industry and accelerating the development of technologies needed for future missions to the Moon......

NASA names Artemis III crew for critical lunar mission test

NASA has unveiled the four astronauts selected for Artemis III, a mission that marks a major milestone in the agency’s effort to return humans to the Moon. Scheduled to launch no earlier than late 2027, the two-week mission will focus on testing key technologies and operational procedures required......

NASA releases Perseverance’s westernmost Mars panorama and new rover selfie

NASA has unveiled a new collection of images captured by the Mars rover Perseverance, including a sweeping panorama of a region known as Arbot and the rover’s sixth selfie since landing on the Red Planet in 2021. The visuals were taken during the rover’s farthest westward journey beyond the......

New statistical method could help identify extraterrestrial life signatures

Scientists searching for life beyond Earth have developed a new statistical approach that could improve the detection of biological activity on planets and icy moons such as Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Instead of focusing on identifying specific molecules linked to life, the method examines how those......

NASA releases six-year timelapse of Curiosity rover on Mars

NASA released a two-minute timelapse video on May 1 that compresses six years of the Curiosity rover's journey across Mars. The footage draws from images captured by the rover's right navigation camera between January 2, 2020, and March 8, 2026, spanning Martian sols 2,633 to 4,830. Originally......

China selects five international partners for Tianwen 3 Mars sample mission

China National Space Administration has chosen five international collaboration projects for its Tianwen 3 mission, a major step toward what could become the first successful return of Martian samples to Earth. The announcement was made during the opening of China’s Space Day in Chengdu, following......

Curiosity finds metal rich deposits pointing to ancient Martian lake

NASA’s Curiosity rover has identified the highest combined concentrations of iron, manganese, and zinc ever recorded in Mars’ Gale Crater, offering strong evidence that a shallow lake once existed on the slopes of Mount Sharp. Scientists say the findings provide the clearest indication yet......

Curiosity rover finds organic molecules tied to life’s origins on Mars

NASA said its Curiosity rover has detected more than 20 organic molecules in Martian clay-rich rocks, including compounds never before observed on the planet. The findings, published on April 21 in Nature Communications, add new evidence to the long-running search for signs of ancient life beyond Earth. The......

Fungus from NASA clean rooms survives simulated Mars journey conditions

A fungus discovered in ultra-clean assembly facilities used by NASA could withstand the extreme conditions of a journey to Mars and persist on the planet’s surface, according to new research that raises concerns about biological contamination beyond Earth. The findings, published in Applied and......