Mars

Mars, the Red Planet, is the fourth planet from the sun.

Related Topics: Curiosity Mars Rover Mission, ExoMars, India Mars Orbiter Mission, Mars Rover Opportunity, Maven Mars Mission 

Latest Updates

NASA's Perseverance rover, now busy at work on Mars, carries a microphone mounted onto the robot's SuperCam mast unit.

Microphones in space: Why scientists want to listen in on alien worlds

By Leonard David published

Based on the valuable scientific contributions microphones have made aboard the Perseverance Mars rover, it's time to turn up the volume on microphones for extra-planetary exploration.

NASA's Perseverance rover captured this image of a Mars dust devil on Aug. 30, 2023.

Watch a dust devil swirl across Mars in this video from NASA's Perseverance rover

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Perseverance rover captured video of a dust devil moving along the western rim of Mars' Jezero Crater on Aug. 30, 2023.

a person looks at the night sky through a telescope

The brightest planets in October's night sky: How to see them (and when)

By Joe Rao last updated

Reference The only planet that continues 'out of the loop' in October is Mars, which will remain out of sight, too near the vicinity of the sun to be seen right through the end of the year.

Artist's conception of the vehicles that would participate in a Mars sample return by NASA and the European Space Agency.

NASA to address concerns about Mars Sample Return mission's 'unrealistic budget'

By John Loeffler published

NASA is forming a response team after an independent review board examined the agency’s ongoing plans and objectives for its upcoming mission to retrieve samples from Mars.

A robotic arm is seen in the foreground. In the background is the barren land of Mars with manually drawn lines to denote different areas.

New AI algorithm can detect signs of life with 90% accuracy. Scientists want to send it to Mars

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

A new AI method can distinguish between biotic and abiotic samples with 90% accuracy.

a panoramic view of the surface of Mars from the top of a ridge, littered with rocks and hills

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover reaches perilous ridge on Red Planet after 3 failed attempts

By Monisha Ravisetti published

This spot on Mars has preserved information about ancient landslides and evidence of Red Planet water.

a shadow of a small drone is seen on sandy ground in a black-and-white photo.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter breaks altitude record on 59th Mars flight

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter soared higher than ever before over the weekend, getting 66 feet (20 meters) above the ground on its 59th Red Planet flight.

people in spacesuits on the surface of mars surrounded by metal buildings

Mars Society proposes institute to develop tech needed for Red Planet settlement

By Robert Lea published

A new initiative from the Mars Society suggests a new institute be established that could help develop the technologies needed for humans to settle on the Red Planet.

A SpaceX Starship enters Mars' atmosphere and decelerates aerodynamically.

When SpaceX's Starship is ready to settle Mars, will we be? (op-ed)

By Volodymyr Usov published

The challenges of settling Mars stretch beyond the boundaries of rocket technology, impacting our biology and fundamentally questioning our identity as a species.

a large rock that looks a lot like an avocado split into halves.

Perseverance rover spies 'avocado' rock on Mars (photo)

By Samantha Mathewson published

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover just snapped a new photo of a Red Planet rock that looks a lot like an avocado.

Mars, the Red Planet, is seen in this view from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, taken in 2003.

NASA may have unknowingly found and killed alien life on Mars 50 years ago, scientist claims

By Harry Baker published

One researcher hypothesizes that experiments carried out by NASA's Viking landers in 1976 could have inadvertently killed microbes living in Martian rocks. Other experts are skeptical.

NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity captured this image of its shadow during its 57th Red Planet flight, on Sept. 3, 2023.

How helicopters on Mars could find hidden magnetism in planet's crust

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Originally designed for a simple technology demonstration, Ingenuity has far exceeded its initial one-month, five-flight mission.

People in clean room white suits lowering a golden box into Perserverance.

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover wraps up MOXIE oxygen-making experiment

By Monisha Ravisetti published

The Perseverance rover's MOXIE experiment produced a total of 122 grams of oxygen on Mars. At its most efficient, it generated 12 grams of the life-sustaining element every hour.

a black-and-white image showing a small helicopter's shadow on sandy, boulder-studded ground.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter soars past 100 minutes of total Mars flight time

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter flew for the 57th time on Sept. 3, a sortie that pushed the robot's total Red Planet air time over 100 minutes.

(left) a shark fin shaped rock on Mars (right) an accompanying crab claw shaped boulder (inser) NASA's Perserverance Rover

Perseverance Mars rover spots 'shark fin' and 'crab claw' rocks on Red Planet (photo)

By Robert Lea published

Is something fishy happening on the Red Planet, or is it all in our minds again?

black-and-white photo showing the shadow of a small helicopter flying over sandy ground.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter flies on Mars for the 56th time

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter flew for the 56th time last week, staying aloft for nearly 2.5 minutes on a sortie that covered 1,344 feet (410 meters) of ground.

Mars with the sun in the distance SAVE

Sun launches surprise blob of plasma at Mars, could trigger eerie Martian auroras

By Harry Baker published

The sun has launched a surprise coronal mass ejection directly at Mars, which could spark auroras on the Red Planet and potentially erode part of Mars' remaining atmosphere when it hits on Sept. 1.

Members of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, the European Space Agency, the Australian Space Agency, and the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization are in Western Australia's Pilbara region to investigate "stromatolites," the oldest confirmed fossilized lifeforms on Earth. They discuss the importance of geological context when choosing sampling sites and ensuring the integrity of a sample's biological origin while considering plans for future missions to bring Mars samples to Earth.

Clues to spotting life on Mars are right here on Earth

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Search for life on Mars could be aided by investigating ancient fossils here on Earth.

A view of sandy-colored striations on Mars' surface. Toward the top left looks to be a deep crater.

Landslides on Mars suggest water once surrounded Olympus Mons, tallest volcano in the solar system

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

A wrinkled patch of land near the volcano's northern region likely formed when blisteringly hot lava oozed out of the summit millions of years ago, hitting water ice at the mountain's base.

people in spacesuits on the surface of mars surrounded by metal buildings

We could start a settlement on Mars with just 22 people, scientists say

By Robert Lea published

Mars settlements could operate with much fewer people than previously thought, a new study found, while also demonstrating the type of person best suited to a stay up to 28 years on the Red Planet.