Mars

An Algerian scientist splits his gaze between microbes and Mars

3:28pm March 04, 2025

Searching for small fossils in big rocks requires specialized tools --tools that scientists could also use to look for evidence of life on Mars in rocks that may be similar on both planets.

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NASA's Perseverance rover took this picture next to a rock where it drilled for samples. NASA wants to bring samples collected by this rover back to Earth.

NASA hedges its bets on costly Mars rock mission

2:20pm January 07, 2025

NASA has announced it is moving forward with several plans to return rock samples from Mars.

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The SpaceX Starship is seen as it stands on the launch pad ahead of its third flight test from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas on March 12, 2024.

Elon Musk's giant Starship rocket is launching again. Here's what to expect

8:34pm March 13, 2024

by Geoff Brumfiel

The rocket is the largest ever built. It has yet to complete a full test flight, but the third time might be the charm.

Inside a simulated Mars exterior portion of the CHAPEA's Mars Dune Alpha at the Johnson Space center in Houston, Texas in April 2023.

Science

Why NASA wants human guinea pigs to test out Martian living

5:00am March 12, 2024

Mars is seen as the next frontier in space exploration. But given the hostile environment on the red planet, is there a good reason why?

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In this April 30, 2021, file image taken by the Mars Perseverance rover and made available by NASA, the Mars Ingenuity helicopter, right, flies over the surface of the planet.

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NASA is looking for people to test out its Mars simulator for a year

12:16am February 21, 2024

by Ayana Archie

The agency is accepting applicants for the second cohort of its Mars simulator mission. Participants will live and work from a 3D-printed, 1,700-square-foot facility at NASA's Houston space center.

Mendoza hopes his experiment contributes to further research on the topic.

Science

Can we grow veggies on Mars? Fly larvae and synthetic soil may hold the answer

10:18am November 22, 2023

by Mallory Yu

A Texas undergrad is investigating how to grow vegetables on Mars — and has cultivated test samples of English peas in simulated Martian soil, with fertilizer from fly larvae.

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NASA's InSight Mars lander is covered in dust in its final selfie, taken on April 24. The following month its robotic arm was put into resting position, aka "retirement pose."

Goodnight, sweet spacecraft: NASA's InSight lander may have just signed off from Mars

1:54pm December 20, 2022

by Rachel Treisman

InSight's end has long been in sight, with NASA warning that it would likely be inoperative by the end of the year. The lander went quiet this weekend and shared a tweet it said might be its last.

Iceland is like Mars — "if Mars had hot tubs," according to a new ad campaign from Visit Iceland.

Iceland tells tourists it's like an alien planet. A NASA scientist agrees

10:01am November 18, 2022

by Bill Chappell

"Iceland. Better than space." That's the new tagline from Iceland's tourism board. We asked the head of Visit Iceland why her country might have an edge over space — and consulted NASA as well.

A self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover on Vera Rubin Ridge.

Science

What a decade of Curiosity has taught us about life on Mars

5:00am August 06, 2022

Ten years ago today, NASA's Curiosity Mars rover successfully commenced its mission to explore the possibility of life on mars. Here's what it has discovered.

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Science

COMIC: How living on Mars time taught me to slow down

5:01am July 22, 2022

NASA engineer Nagin Cox lives on Earth but works on Mars time, where days are longer and time works differently. Her work with the rovers has entirely changed the way she thinks about time on Earth.

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