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

The moon seen from the Artemis 1 Orion capsule on Dec. 5, 2022, near the end of the mission.

NASA gets $27.2 billion in White House's 2024 budget request

By Mike Wall published

President Joe Biden's 2024 federal budget request allocates $27.2 billion to NASA, a 7% increase over the amount the agency got this year.

a variety of rovers, rocket launchers, and helicopters on the Martian surface

The big reveal: What's ahead in returning samples from Mars?

By Leonard David published

The Mars Sample Return mission is an ambitious endeavor that could see Martian geological specimens returned to Earth to search for signs of life on the Red Planet.

astronaut floating beside lockers in space with his arm stretched out

UAE's 1st long-duration astronaut sets sights on moon and Mars

By Elizabeth Howell published

Sultan Al Neyadi blasted off March 2 as part of the SpaceX Crew-6 mission, and says his International Space Station mission will get the UAE ready for the moon and Mars.

beams of light can be seen stretched across a cloudy sky over mars

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity sees dazzling 'sun rays' over Red Planet

By Robert Lea published

NASA's Curiosity Rover has caught its first image of the sunset on Mars as it began a new campaign observing clouds over the Red Planet at twilight.

an illustration of Jupiter's icy moon Europa. it is an orangeish orb covered in deep cracks

Melting ice cores on frozen worlds could speed up the search for alien life

By Laurence Tognetti published

The Melter-Sublimator for Ice Science (MSIS) instrument offers a unique opportunity to help scientists process ice deposits on other worlds in a much more efficient way.

shadow of helicopter on ground of mars in black and white

Mars helicopter Ingenuity soars between Red Planet airfields on 46th flight

By Elizabeth Howell published

The helicopter flew a third of a mile on the surface on Feb. 25, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced yesterday (March 1).

A 'selfie' taken by China's Zhurong Mars rover during the Tianwen 1 mission.

China's Zhurong rover reveals complex layers beneath the surface of Mars

By Andrew Jones published

China's Zhurong rover has provided one of the few peeks into what lies below the surface of Mars.

An illustration of the night sky on Feb. 27 showing the moon and Mars in close proximity.

See the half moon pass by Mars in the sky tonight

By Joe Rao published

The moon and Mars will make a close approach high in the sky tonight (Feb. 27), making for a great skywatching spectacle.

An illustration of the night sky on Feb. 27 showing the moon and Mars in close proximity in the Taurus constellation.

Watch the moon visit Mars for a close encounter on Feb. 27

By Robert Lea published

The moon makes a close approach to Mars on Monday (Feb. 27) with the pair of celestial objects also sharing the same right ascension in the night sky in an arrangement known as a conjunction.

A three-panel image consisting of photographs of the surface of Mars. China's Zhurong rover can be seen in the same location in each panel.

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter confirms that China's Zhurong rover has been stationary for months

By Stefanie Waldek published

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter photographed China's Zhurong rover in the same location for five months, indicating the rover has not yet awoken from hibernation.

The bumpy texture of these rocks is the clearest evidence yet from Mount Sharp of an ancient Martian lake. Billions of years ago, wind playing across the surface of a shallow lake disturbed the lake-bottom sediments, which eventually became these rocks.

NASA rover snaps photos of ancient 'waves' carved into Mars mountainside

By Stephanie Pappas published

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has photographed clear signs of ripples locked into a Martian rock, a sign of an ancient lake on the Red Planet's surface.

A photograph taken by the Perseverance rover of the Ingenuity helicopter on the surface of Mars in April 2021, just after the rover deployed the chopper.

Mars helicopter Ingenuity's historic 1st flights shed light on Martian dust dynamics

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Scientists analyzing videos of Ingenuity's historic first flights on Mars are learning more about dust behavior on the Red Planet.

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover took this selfie looking down at one of 10 sample tubes deposited at the sample depot it created in an area nicknamed Three Forks. This image was taken by the WATSON camera on the rover’s robotic arm on Jan. 20, 2023, the 684th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.

Signs of Mars life may be too elusive for rovers to detect

By Charles Q. Choi published

The robots currently exploring Mars may not be capable of detecting potential traces of life on the Red Planet, a new study finds.

A 'selfie' taken by China's Zhurong Mars rover during the Tianwen 1 mission.

China silent on fate of Zhurong Mars rover on 2nd anniversary of Tianwen 1 mission

By Andrew Jones published

China's Zhurong Mars rover remains silent despite being expected to wake up in December — but there's still hope that the vehicle could rise from its extended slumber.

illustration of person standing on mars in a spacesuit looking at cranes and a canyon in the background

Deliver Us Mars: Are we there yet? Red Planet game takes patience and dexterity

By Elizabeth Howell published

You won't arrive at your destination for several hours after beginning Deliver Us Mars, but the world-building makes it worth the wait.

This image of the floor of Jezero Crater was taken by one of the Navcam imagers aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover on Feb. 5, 2023, the 698th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.

Happy anniversary, Perseverance! NASA rover marks 2 years on Mars

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has accomplished a great deal during its first two years on the Red Planet, and the mission team has big plans for the future as well.

A photograph taken by the Perseverance rover of the Ingenuity helicopter on the surface of Mars in April 2021, just after the rover deployed the chopper.

Ingenuity helicopter aces 43rd Mars flight, its longest in 10 months

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter conducted its 43rd Mars flight on Thursday (Feb. 16), covering 1,280 feet (390 meters) of Red Planet ground.

a small mars settlement in virtual reality including a collection of cabins, astronauts, rovers and landers

NASA, HeroX need your help to simulate astronaut Mars missions

By Elizabeth Howell published

A new virtual reality challenge will help NASA prepare for human missions to Mars, perhaps as soon as the late 2030s.

NASA's Perseverance rover captured this portrait of its recently completed 10-sample depot using its Mastcam-Z camera on Jan. 31, 2023, the 693rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission.

Task complete! Perseverance Mars rover snaps photo of filled sample depot

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover recently snapped a photo of the Three Forks sample depot, which contains 10 samples for possible future return to Earth.

An artist's depiction of the Enceladus Orbilander mission concept.

Mini astrobiology laser could join hunt for life on Mars and beyond

By Keith Cooper published

A mass spectrometer called the Orbitrap has been scaled down to fit on astrobiology missions to planets and moons of the solar system.