Mars
The Polaris Dawn Crew is Back on Earth
On September 15th, 2024, the Polaris Dawn crew returned to Earth after spending five days in orbit. The mission was…
China Will Launch its Mars Sample Return Mission in 2028
While NASA's Mars Sample Return mission has experienced a setback, China is still moving forward with their plans to bring…
There are Important Differences Between the Ice Caps on Mars
In the 17th century, astronomers Giovanni Domenica Cassini and Christian Huygens noted the presence of hazy white caps while studying the…
A Global Color Map of Mars, Courtesy of China’s Tianwen-1 Mission
In July 2020, China's Tianwen-1 mission arrived in orbit around Mars, consisting of six robotic elements: an orbiter, a lander,…
New Study Shows Mars Could be Terraformed Using Resources that are Already There
The idea of terraforming Mars, making its atmosphere and environment more Earth-like for human settlement, goes back decades. During that…
Dune-Inspired Stillsuits Could Allow Astronauts to Recycle Their Urine Into Water
If history has taught us one thing, it is that science fiction often gives way to science fact. Consider the…
NASA's Skyrocketing Need for Cargo Deliveries to the Moon
NASA has big plans for the Moon. Through the Artemis Program, NASA plans to create a program of "sustained exploration…
Don't Get Your Hopes Up for Finding Liquid Water on Mars
In the coming decades, NASA and China intend to send the first crewed missions to Mars. Given the distance involved…
NASA is Considering Other Ways of Getting its Mars Samples Home
In 2021, NASA's Perseverance rover landed in the Jezero Crater on Mars. For the next three years, this astrobiology mission…
Highlights from the 10th Achieving Mars Workshop
Back in December, NASA officials, space industry experts, members of the academic community, and science communicators descended on Washington, D.C.,…