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Mars

Lettuce growing aboard the International Space Station.

Cool Finds

NASA Wants to Build a Greenhouse on Mars

A small greenhouse growing thale cress may be on its way to Mars by 2021

New Research

Long-Haul Space Flights Might Damage Astronauts’ Brains

This warning is based on a study involving rats, but researchers think it could apply to humans as well

New Research

Mars’ Super-Thin Atmosphere May Mean that Flowing Water Was the Exception, Not the Rule

A new analysis suggests that Mars’ atmosphere was often too thin to support liquid water

An artist's rendition of the ExoMars rover and its drill.

Cool Finds

The Mars Curiosity Rover Is Getting a Buddy

The European Space Agency’s ExoMars rover should launch in 2018

Jupiter's moon Europa, potentially home to a liquid water ocean, is considered one of the likeliest locales for extraterrestrial life.

Life in the Cosmos

Where in the Solar System Are We Most Likely to Find Life?

A number of interplanetary destinations could harbor extraterrestrial life—finding it could be just a space mission away

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Cool Finds

This Documentary Explores the Lives of Five People Willing to Go on a One-Way Trip to Mars

What drives a person to give it all up and set off into the unknown?

Surface of Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Pathfinder

Trending Today

Islamic Authorities Issue Fatwa on One-Way Trips to Mars

A group of imams in the UAE (the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment or GAIAE) have issued a fatwa prohibiting muslims from going to Mars

Cool Finds

Mars Got Hit By a Meteorite, And Now There’s a Picture

Follow up with NASA’s high-resolution HiRISE camera captured this dramatic impact crater

The immense emptiness of Mars' Meridiani Plains, taken by the Opportunity Rover during the month it was stuck in a sand rippled dubbed Purgatory. Full size version.

After Ten Years on Mars, Here Are the Most Beautiful Photos Taken by the Rovers

Over the last decade, Spirit and Opportunity captured stunning photos of rocks, dunes and vistas

This Cold Snap Is Making It Colder Than the Surface of Mars

There’s a pocket of cold air hanging over the eastern states, and it is very cold indeed

A closeup of one of the rocks, with a patch of dust brushed away by Curiosity's instruments, that provides evidence of an ancient lake.

Curiosity Found Evidence of An Ancient Freshwater Lake on Mars

Drilling into Martian rock revealed that it formed at the bottom of a calm lake that may have had the right conditions for sustaining life

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The Brilliance Behind the Plan to Land Curiosity on Mars

Adam Steltzner’s ingenious ideas were crucial to the most spectacular space mission of our time

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Explore Mars’ Mountains and Canyons from a Probe’s-Eye View

Using ten years of data from their probe, the European Space has created a lifelike flyover simulation of the red planet

Analysis of Jake_M, the first rock Curiosity tested, shows that it’s unlike any rocks previously found on Mars, and probably formed after hot magma came into contact with water.

Curiosity Discovers a New Type of Martian Rock That Likely Formed Near Water

The rock closely resembles mugearites, which form after molten rock encounters liquid water

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Buzz Aldrin on Why We Should Go to Mars

The Apollo 11 astronaut who walked on the moon dreams of a future where Americans are the first to walk on Mars

The Mars24 App’s listing of times of various locations on Mars, including the Curiosity and Opportunity Rovers.

How Do You Tell Time on Mars? There’s an App for That

NASA has produced an app that helps scientists and amateurs alike keep track of time on the Red Planet

Visitors from Mars Day 2008 get a 3-D look at the surface of Mars.

Mars Day Preview with Geologist Dr. John Grant

Get ready for Air and Space Museum’s Mars Day July 13 with geologist Dr. John Grant discussing findings, The Martian Chronicles and why he loves Mars Day

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Scientists Discover That Mars is Full of Water

Looking closely at a pair of meteorites originating from Mars, researchers now believe the planet likely holds vast reservoirs of water deep underground

No one is going to Mars until scientists figure out how to shield travelers from deadly radiation.

Mission to Mars: The Radiation Problem

NASA wouldn’t opt to expose astronauts to a 19 percent increased risk of cancer, but there’s no telling what a reality TV show would do

Mars

The List: Seeing Red? Celebrate Mars Day at Air and Space

Celebrate Mars Day this Friday at the National Air and Space Museum

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