Mars News - SciTechDaily

Mars in a Flash: How Pulsed Plasma Rockets Are Revolutionizing Space Travel

Brianna Clements, Howe Industries — Tue, 21 May 2024 05:30:28 +0000

Howe Industries’ Pulsed Plasma Rocket could transform space exploration with its high thrust and specific impulse, enabling faster Mars missions and safe transport through enhanced...

Isotopic Analysis Reveals Origins of Organic Matter in Martian Sediments

Tokyo Institute of Technology — Thu, 16 May 2024 23:09:40 +0000

Mars’ ancient geological features suggest the presence of water in the past, and recent studies of sediments from Gale Crater reveal organic matter with unique...

NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Reached the South Side of Pinnacle Ridge… What’s Next?

Abigail Fraeman, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory — Mon, 13 May 2024 13:46:40 +0000

The Curiosity team successfully navigated a complex terrain to position the rover on the south side of Pinnacle Ridge, facing a decision to either explore...

Will SpaceX’s Innovation Save NASA’s Mars Mission?

Chris Impey, University of Arizona — Thu, 09 May 2024 00:14:06 +0000

NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission is grappling with escalating costs and a postponed timeline, prompting a search for more efficient methods from the private sector...

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Uncovers Signs of an Earth-Like Environment on Ancient Mars

Los Alamos National Laboratory — Sat, 04 May 2024 08:16:52 +0000

Manganese-rich sandstones discovered by NASA’s Curiosity rover indicate there were once habitable conditions in the Gale Crater on Mars. A research team using the ChemCam...

NASA on Alert: Scientists Gear Up for Solar Storms at Mars

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center — Wed, 01 May 2024 12:35:27 +0000

The Sun will be at peak activity this year, providing a rare opportunity to study how solar storms and radiation could affect future astronauts on...

Mars Express Discovers Mysterious Martian “Spiders”

European Space Agency (ESA) — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 09:41:28 +0000

The European Space Agency’s Mars Express has snapped the telltale traces of ‘spiders’ scattered across the southern polar region of Mars. Rather than being actual...

Martian Methane Baffles Scientists: Curiosity Rover’s Surprising Discovery

Lonnie Shekhtman, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 08:13:44 +0000

A recent paper may help explain why a portable chemistry lab on NASA’s Curiosity rover has continually sniffed out traces of the gas near the...

Comet Geyser Biosignature Bonanza: NASA Perseverance Mars Rover’s 21st Rock Core

Adrian Broz, Purdue University/University of Oregon — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 17:47:04 +0000

The recent acquisition of Perseverance’s 21st core sample, Comet Geyser, from Bunsen Peak reveals significant geological interest due to its composition of carbonate and silica—key...

Chasing Martian Mysteries: Perseverance Pays Off When Studying the Red Planet’s Atmosphere

Claire Newman, Aeolis Research — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 00:26:09 +0000

On Mars, the Perseverance rover faces challenges in studying the atmosphere, such as capturing transient phenomena like clouds and dust devils. Studying the atmosphere with...

Ingenuity’s Final Transmission: NASA’s Mars Helicopter Team Says Goodbye … for Now

Jet Propulsion Laboratory — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:38:37 +0000

The final downlink shift by the Ingenuity team was a time to reflect on a highly successful mission — and to prepare the first aircraft...

Mars Express Marks 25,000 Orbits With a Spectacular Martian Showcase

European Space Agency (ESA) — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 20:37:54 +0000

Mars Express marks 25,000 orbits with a new image of Mars, showcasing volcanoes and the moon Phobos, highlighting the mission’s ongoing contributions to Martian science....

New Theory May Have Solved the Fascinating Mystery of Sand Ripples on Mars

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 03:28:23 +0000

Common causes have the potential to overturn previous understandings. Sand ripples are fascinating. They are symmetrical yet wind, which causes them, is very much not....

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Hits the Mark – “This Is the Kind of Rock We Had Hoped To Find”

Jet Propulsion Laboratory — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 12:35:39 +0000

The 24th sample taken by the six-wheeled scientist offers new clues about Jezero Crater and the lake it may have once held. Analysis by instruments...

Three Years Later, the Search for Life on Mars Continues

University of Cincinnati — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 04:30:56 +0000

In the three years since NASA’s Perseverance rover touched down on Mars, the NASA science team has made the daily task of investigating the red...

From Earth to Phobos: MEGANE’s Journey To Decipher Martian Moons

NASA — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 02:29:12 +0000

NASA’s MEGANE, developed for the MMX mission to study Mars’ moons, has been delivered to JAXA for integration, representing a milestone in space collaboration and...

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Unearths Mars’ Ancient Water Secrets

Jet Propulsion Laboratory — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 01:48:20 +0000

The rover has arrived at an area that may show evidence liquid water flowed on this part of Mars for much longer than previously thought....

Redefining Martian Hydrology: Surprising Insights About Debris Flows on Mars

Utrecht University — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 01:28:44 +0000

Research pushes the presence of water on Mars further into the past. The period that liquid water was present on the surface of Mars may...

Mars Unmasked: Giant Volcano and Hidden Ice Challenge Old Theories

SETI Institute — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 08:38:35 +0000

A deeply eroded giant volcano, active from ancient through recent times and with possible remnants of glacier ice near its base, had been hiding near...

Spark of Life: Unlocking the Secrets of Ancient Mars Through Formaldehyde

Tohoku University — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 20:17:51 +0000

New findings indicate Mars’ ancient atmosphere, rich in formaldehyde, could have supported the creation of organic materials essential for life, shedding light on the planet’s...

Martian Rock Orientations Deciphered – Crucial Step in Understanding Mars’ Geological History and Potential for Ancient Life

Jennifer Chu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 17:18:51 +0000

MIT geologists unlock the orientation of Martian rocks collected by NASA’s Perseverance rover. The “oriented” samples, the first of their kind from any planet, could...

Mars Water Mystery Deepens With Latest Groundwater Findings

University of Texas at Austin — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 02:32:05 +0000

Research indicates ancient Mars had minimal groundwater recharge, vastly differing from Earth’s water dynamics, affecting our understanding of its climate and aiding future Mars missions....

NASA Invites You to Live the Martian Experience Without Leaving Earth

NASA — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 15:24:20 +0000

NASA is seeking applicants to participate in its next simulated one-year Mars surface mission to help inform the agency’s plans for human exploration of the...

How Ancient Volcanoes on Mars Are Rewriting the Story of Earth

The University of Hong Kong — Sat, 24 Feb 2024 09:24:37 +0000

Mars’s complex volcanism, driven by vertical tectonics, provides insights into ancient crustal recycling, offering new perspectives on both Martian and Earth geology. Volcanoes are a...