How do you test a machine that’s designed to operate on another planet? A team from the University of Arizona is using the lava flow fields of Iceland to test out new concepts for drones and rovers which could be used to explore Mars.
The RAVEN project…
Enlarge / A selfie taken by the InSight Lander.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Today, NASA announced that it was giving up on its attempts to place a temperature sensor several meters under the Martian surface. Part of the agency’s InSight lander, the hardware was s…
This concept depicts astronauts and human habitats on Mars. NASA’s Mars 2020 rover will carry a number of technologies that could make Mars safer and easier to explore for humans. NASAOne of the biggest limitations to space missions is weight. The more…
NASA is starting to build the excitement for the Mars landing of its most advanced rover to date.
This week the space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is overseeing the mission, posted a movie-like trailer depicting the arrival of its Pe…
Genevieve Poblano/Digital Trends GraphicsWhen you imagine the challenges of putting humans on Mars, you likely think of the big issues: Designing a rocket to carry astronauts through the solar system, building a habitat to keep them safe, and making su…
In this illustration, NASA’s Mars 2020 rover uses its drill to core a rock sample on Mars. NASA/JPL-CaltechNASA’s rover Perseverance is due to land on Mars in February next year, where it will join its sibling Curiosity in exploring the red planet and …
Enlarge / The Pathfinder rover took this photo. It didn’t need oxygen, unlike the weak, fleshy humans that would like to follow its path.
NASA
If humans are ever going to visit Mars, they may well need to make some crucial resources while they are ther…
In just 100 days from now, NASA’s Perseverance rover is set to land on Mars.
According to the latest information from the space agency, the touchdown will take place at 12:43 p.m. PT (3:43 p.m. ET) on February 18, 2021. For any folks who’ve puzzled o…
When it comes to searching for evidence of life on Mars, there’s one material that is particularly important: Clay. Clay minerals are formed in the presence of water, and could once have been home to microscopic life on Mars. That means they are a key …
If you’ve ever wanted to get a close-up look at Mars, the European Space Agency (ESA) has just released a treasure trove of images. Captured by the Visual Monitoring Camera (VMC) instrument onboard the Mars Express orbiter, these images come from data …