China Wants to Retrieve a Sample of Mars by 2028
In preparation for their sample-return mission to Mars (Tianwen-3), Chinese scientists have created an atmospheric model that accurately simulates Martian weather
Helicopters Could Map the Magnetic Fields on Mars
A recent study published in The Planetary Science Journal examines how helicopters equipped with a magnetometer could be used to conduct magnetic field investigations within the crust of Mars, providing important insights into the present characteristics and early evolution of the Red Planet. This study comes as NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter continues breaking records and making …
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This Mess of Boulders Was Deposited by an Ancient River on Mars
NASA’s Perseverance rover took its 20th sample from “Emerald Lake,” an area filled by rocks that were deposited by an ancient river.
Wind Direction on Mars Changed Abruptly About 400,000 Years Ago
China’s Zhurong rover landed in the Utopia Planitia region of Mars, a vast plain in the northern hemisphere. Dunes surround the landing site, piled up by winds over eons. Images from the rover show that the landing area went through two main climatic stages, where the predominant wind changed direction by 70 degrees. Scientists think this change happened around 400,000 years ago and could have been due to a change in the planet’s rotation axis, causing a global climate change that affected wind patterns.
Three New Astronauts Arrive at the Chinese Space Station, Including the Country's First Civilian
China’s Shenzou-16 mission just delivered three taikonauts to the Tiangong space station, performing the most complicated docking maneuver ever attempted
China’s Rover Found Evidence of an Ancient Ocean on Mars
In a recent study published in National Science Review, a team of researchers led by the China University of Geosciences discuss direct evidence of an ancient ocean and its shoreline that existed in the northern hemisphere of Mars during the Hesperian Period, or more than 3 billion years ago. This finding is based on data …
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China Has its Own Secret Space Plane, and it Just Landed
China’s mysterious experimental spaceplane (Shenlong) just returned to Earth after spending 276 days in orbit.
China's Mars Rover Finds Recent Evidence of Water Near the Equator
Before going into hibernation, China’s Zhurong rover found evidence that water recently existed in small patches on Mars (and might still!)
Is This Nearby Asteroid a Chunk of the Moon?
The Moon dominates our view of the night sky. But it’s not the only thing orbiting Earth. A small number of what scientists call quasi-satellites also orbit Earth. One of them is called Kamo’oalewa, and it’s a near-Earth asteroid. It’s similar to the Moon in some respects. Could it be a chunk of the Moon?
China Finally Tells us What's Going on With its Mars Rover
The Zhurong Rover has sat unmoving and unresponsive on Mars since May 20th, 2022, when one of the planet’s infamous dust storms forced the science team to switch the rover to hibernation mode. It was expected to wake in late December, but has yet to show any signs of activity. Last week, the Rover’s chief …
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