Mars: News & Features
NASA Scientists Re-Create Mars ‘Spiders’ in a Lab for First Time
Tests on Earth appear to confirm how the Red Planet’s spider-shaped geologic formations are carved by carbon dioxide. Since discovering them in 2003 via images from orbiters, scientists have marveled at spider-like shapes sprawled across the southern hemisphere of Mars.…
NASA’s Hubble, MAVEN Help Solve the Mystery of Mars’ Escaping Water
Mars was once a very wet planet as is evident in its surface geological features. Scientists know that over the last 3 billion years, at least some water went deep underground, but what happened to the rest? Now, NASA’s Hubble…
NASA’s Perseverance Rover to Begin Long Climb Up Martian Crater Rim
Editor’s note: This story was updated Aug. 16, 2024, to correct the length of time that NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has been exploring Jezero Crater. After 3½ years exploring Jezero Crater’s floor and river delta, the rover will ascend to an…
Here’s How Curiosity’s Sky Crane Changed the Way NASA Explores Mars
Twelve years ago, NASA landed its six-wheeled science lab using a daring new technology that lowers the rover using a robotic jetpack. NASA’s Curiosity rover mission is celebrating a dozen years on the Red Planet, where the six-wheeled scientist continues…
NASA Trains Machine Learning Algorithm for Mars Sample Analysis
When a robotic rover lands on another world, scientists have a limited amount of time to collect data from the troves of explorable material, because of short mission durations and the length of time to complete complex experiments. That’s why…
NASA Invites Media, Public to Attend Deep Space Food Challenge Finale
NASA invites the media and public to explore the nexus of space and food innovation at the agency’s Deep Space Food Challenge symposium and winners’ announcement at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday,…
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Scientists Find Intriguing Mars Rock
The six-wheeled geologist found a fascinating rock that has some indications it may have hosted microbial life billions of years ago, but further research is needed. A vein-filled rock is catching the eye of the science team of NASA’s Perseverance…
UPDATED: 10 Things for Mars 10
Scientists from around the world are gathering this week in California to take stock of the state of science from Mars and discuss goals for the next steps in exploration of the Red Planet. In the spirit of Mars 10,…
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Discovers a Surprise in a Martian Rock
Among several recent findings, the rover has found rocks made of pure sulfur — a first on the Red Planet. Scientists were stunned on May 30 when a rock that NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover drove over cracked open to reveal…
Here’s How AI Is Changing NASA’s Mars Rover Science
Artificial intelligence is helping scientists to identify minerals within rocks studied by the Perseverance rover. Some scientists dream of exploring planets with “smart” spacecraft that know exactly what data to look for, where to find it, and how to analyze…
