Mars

The first color photo of the Martian surface, taken in 1976 by the Viking 1 probe. To survive on Mars' surface, astronauts will need oxygen, which only exists in trace amounts in the Martian atmosphere.

A Robotic 'A.I. Chemist' Could Make Oxygen on Mars

In a lab on Earth, the machine created a catalyst from Martian materials that can extract oxygen from water, for astronauts to breathe or use as fuel

Previous analyses of seismic activity on Mars suggested its core was surprisingly large, with a low density. Two new studies suggest the opposite.

Mars' Core May Be Smaller Than Thought, Wrapped in a Sea of Molten Rock

Based on seismic waves from a meteorite impact, two teams of scientists suggest the Red Planet has another layer deep beneath its surface

NASA's InSight lander peers down at the Martian surface. The mission recorded more than 1,300 quakes during its four years of operation.

Mars' Most Powerful Quake Likely Triggered by Tectonic Forces

Researchers searched for signs of a meteorite impact that caused the quake but were unable to find any

In 1980, the Viking Orbiter took 102 individual images of Mars that scientists eventually assembled into this stunning composite photo. The dark gash across the planet’s face is the Valles Marineris, a canyon that’s up to 6 miles deep and over 2,500 miles long.

The Seven Most Amazing Discoveries We’ve Made by Exploring Mars

Scientists have learned a lot since they started sending crafts and rovers to our red neighbor

The surface of Mars’ Pontours rock contains a network of hexagonal mud cracks that hints at historical seasons of flooding and drying.

Mud Cracks on Mars Hint at Conditions That Could Have Formed Life Long Ago

Hexagonal ridges on the Red Planet's surface suggest an ancient cycle of wet and dry periods, ideal for creating molecules necessary for cells

Research on creating food in space will help future missions to Mars and beyond. The Deep Space Food Challenge, co-sponsored by NASA, encourages development of novel space foods.

Move Over, Freeze-Dried Fruitcake—Here's the Latest in Astronaut Food

Eight companies developing next-generation space meals have advanced to the final round of competition in a contest co-sponsored by NASA

An image of Mars' surface captured by China's Zhurong rover, which landed in May 2021 and studied sand dunes near its landing site for nine months.

Sand Dune Features Hint at 'Recent' Water Flow on Mars

Between 1.4 million and 400,000 years ago, liquid salt water may have made cracks and crusts near the Martian equator, per data from China's Zhurong rover

Artist’s rendition of the Rosalind Franklin rover.

The Mission That Could Transform Our Understanding of Mars

A next-generation instrument on a delayed Martian rover may be the key to answering the question of life on the Red Planet

Mars and Deimos in a high-resolution composite image captured by the United Arab Emirates' Hope probe

See the First Detailed Close-Ups of Mars' Moon Deimos

A United Arab Emirates spacecraft took a high-resolution look at the mysterious moon and uncovered new evidence about its origin

From left to right: astronauts Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Hammock Koch during a news conference following Monday's announcement.

NASA Announces Crew for Artemis 2 Moon Flyby Mission

These four astronauts are poised to travel farther than any humans have been from Earth since 1972

Skywatchers can see five planets this week.

How to Watch Five Planets Align in the Night Sky This Week

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will appear as if in a parade in the Western sky on Tuesday

Artist's concept of a spacecraft that will test a nuclear thermal rocket engine.

Nuclear-Powered Rockets Might One Day Carry Astronauts to Mars

NASA and DARPA are building a nuclear thermal rocket engine that could slash the time it would take to reach the Red Planet

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover took this selfie with some of the sample tubes it left on the Red Planet's surface using the camera at the end of its robotic arm.

Perseverance Rover Completes Depot of Mars Rock Samples

The collection is a failsafe for the Mars Sample Return project, which aims to deliver Martian rocks to Earth

Frost-capped sand dunes near Mars's north pole, captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter two days after the planet's winter solstice

See the Chilling Beauty of Winter on Mars

NASA images reveal frost, geysers and intricate frozen patterns on the Red Planet

An artistic rendering of InSight on Mars

What NASA's Retired InSight Lander Taught Us About Mars

The Red Planet robot was officially decommissioned after dust on its solar panels robbed it of power

Giving a nod to previous human flight and exploration is a tradition of space travel.

Ten Strange and Amazing Historical Artifacts We’ve Launched to Space

As spaceflight catapults us into a high-tech future, several missions have made sure to honor the past

NASA's Perseverance rover takes a selfie on September 10, 2021.

Listen to the Sound of a Dust Devil Swirling Around on Mars

For the first time, scientists have recorded the noise of a Martian dust storm using a microphone on NASA's Perseverance rover

Winchcombe meteorite

Meteorites May Have Brought Water to Earth and Mars

Rare, carbon-containing rocks could have created conditions suitable for life on both planets, two new studies suggest

An illustration of NASA's Perseverance rover approaching Mars

‘Conan the Bacterium’ Has What It Takes to Survive on Mars

After experiments here on Earth, researchers say some hardy microbes could endure hundreds of millions of years on the Red Planet

James Webb Space Telescope's first images of Mars, captured by its Near-Infrared Camera (right), and a reference map (left)

James Webb Captures Its First Images of Mars

With some adjustments, the highly sensitive telescope could successfully observe the bright Red Planet

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