This image was captured by Curiosity’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), a camera on the end of its robotic arm, on June 4, 2024, the 4,205th Martian day, or sol, […]
Mars
Posted inAnalog Studies, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering
Microbial Diversity and Metabolic Adaptations in Mars‐Analog Lava Tubes
Lunar and Martian lava tubes will offer stable temperatures and radiation protection, making them potential habitats for extraterrestrial life. The Martian atmosphere, containing gases like H2, CO, and CH4, could […]
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Moon, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return
NASA JPL Unveils Rover Operations Center For Future Missions
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California has inaugurated its Rover Operations Center (ROC), a center of excellence for current and future surface missions to the Moon and Mars. During […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Radiation, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
Recent Production Rates Of Cosmogenic Nuclides In The Igneous Rocks of Jezero Crater Floor, Mars
The Perseverance rover has collected rock samples from the floor of Jezero crater, Mars, set to be returned to Earth through the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. These surface rocks […]
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Life Support Systems, Mars, Moon, Status Report
Lava Tubes On Earth, the Moon, And Mars: Detection, Evolution, And Exploration Potential
Lava tubes, or subsurface conduits formed by volcanic activity, have emerged as critical geological features for understanding planetary evolution and for supporting future human space exploration.
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report
Curiosity Mars Rover Views A Rock Made Of Sulfur At Snow Lake
NASA’s Curiosity captured this close-up image of a rock nicknamed “Snow Lake” on June 8, 2024, the 4,209th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Press Release
Mesa Erosion At Mars’ South Pole
The South Polar residual cap (the part that lasts through the summer) is composed of carbon dioxide ice.
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Status Report
Mars Orbital Recon: Possible Sulfate Deposits In West Melas Chasma
Melas Chasma is the widest segment of Valles Marineris, the largest canyon in the Solar System. In this region, hydrated sulfate salts have been detected, and are found extensively throughout […]
Posted inExploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs
Droid Tech: ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Rover Ramps
Rosalind’s lander has two sets of ramps that the rover will use to drive down and start scouting the once water-rich terrain of Oxia Planum in the search for signs […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
A Slash Across Layered Deposits At Mars’ North Pole
Here, a straight-line feature cuts across many layers, seemingly changing their brightness and presumably indicating a major change in the layer properties.