Billions of years ago, environmental conditions on Mars were significantly more hospitable than they are today. Our neighbouring planet was likely warm, humid, and surrounded by a dense atmosphere.
Mars
Posted inExploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Moon, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return
NASA Testing Advanced Capabilities For Moon And Mars Rovers
A prototype rover built with a new design for tackling rugged terrain is helping teams refine capabilities that could one day be used on future lunar and Red Planet missions.
Posted inMars, Missions & Hardware, Policy, Press Release
NASA Announces Public-Private Partnership to Advance Mars Science
NASA Wednesday announced a new public‑private partnership to advance Mars science by combining the agency’s scientific leadership with commercial innovation. Under this model, NASA will provide the Aeolus atmospheric‑science instrument […]
Posted inMars, Missions & Hardware, Policy, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Status Report
Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) Memo On NASA’s Mars Exploration Program Budget
Members of the MEPAG (Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group) community, There have been deeply concerning developments in the NASA MEP budget and proposed federal R&A funding policy in the last […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrogeology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Impact events, Mars, Press Release
Shocked Soil Discovered: Rare On Earth, But Abundant On Mars?
When a meteoroid strikes, it generates a wave of energy that moves faster than the speed of sound. When all that energy propagates through material in seconds or less before […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Desert Worlds, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Status Report
The Spring Awakening of Martian Polar Dunes
During the Martian winter, carbon dioxide ice (dry ice) blankets various landforms, including dunes, in the northern high latitudes. As spring arrives, the ice sublimates, causing unique changes on the […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Mars, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
Pathogens Survive Conditions On Extraterrestrial Locations
Micro organisms from our planet could survive on celestial bodies where water is present, such as Mars. That is the conclusion of PhD candidate Tommaso Zaccaria after experiments with simulated […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report
Bipolar Investigation Of Near-surface Glacial Ice Reveals An Active Microbial Ecosystem Driven By Photosynthesis And Chemolithoautotrophy
Despite extreme conditions including freezing temperatures, low water activity, and few nutrients, active microorganisms are thought to inhabit glacial ice, yet little is known about their identities and methods of […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Desert Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Status Report
Dunes Along The Western Margin Of Hellas Planitia, Mars
This beautiful dune field is located along the western margin of Hellas Planitia, the floor of a giant depression in the Southern Hemisphere of Mars.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mars, Status Report
Coupling Dynamical Accretion And Chemical Differentiation: A Unified Framework For Earth-Mars Diversity
The distinct physical and geochemical differences between Earth and Mars provide fundamental constraints on terrestrial planet formation, yet a self-consistent framework linking dynamical and chemical aspects remains elusive.