Category: Mars

4 Volunteers Begin 378-Day Stay in NASA Structure Simulating Mars

Four volunteers have been sealed into an isolated 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed structure made by NASA and will spend the next year living like astronauts on Mars. Research scientist Kelly Haston, structural engineer Ross Brockwell, emergency medicine physician Nathan Jones, and U.S. Navy microbiologist Anca Selariu were chosen by NASA to be part of the Crew Health…


1st-of-Its-Kind Mars Livestream by ESA Spacecraft Interrupted at Times by Rain on Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—A European spacecraft around Mars sent its first livestream from the red planet to Earth on Friday to mark the 20th anniversary of its launch, but rain in Spain interfered at times. The European Space Agency broadcast the livestream with views courtesy of its Mars Express, launched by a Russian rocket from Kazakhstan…


First-of-Its-Kind Mars Livestream by ESA Spacecraft Interrupted at Times by Rain on Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—A European spacecraft around Mars sent its first livestream from the red planet to Earth on Friday to mark the 20th anniversary of its launch, but rain in Spain interfered at times. The European Space Agency broadcast the livestream with views courtesy of its Mars Express, launched by a Russian rocket from Kazakhstan…


Legal Nonprofit Files Complaint Against Chocolate Company Mars, Alleging Discrimination Against Race and Sex

A legal nonprofit filed a federal civil rights complaint against Mars Inc. on Wednesday, alleging that the chocolate company blatantly discriminates against race, sex, and national origin in its hiring, promotion, and training practices. America First Legal (AFL), a Washington-based nonprofit, filed the complaint (pdf) with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), asking the…


Scientist Says China’s Mars Rover Could Remain Dormant

China’s first interplanetary rover, Zhurong, will likely stay dormant on Mars, a Chinese scientist said on state media CCTV on April 25. Zhang Rongqiao, the chief scientist of China’s Mars mission, said that Zhurong has not moved due to a lack of solar power caused by a pile-up of sand and dust since it went…


UAE Spacecraft Takes Close-Up Photos of Mars’ Little Moon

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—A spacecraft around Mars has sent back the most detailed photos yet of the red planet’s little moon. The United Arab Emirates’ Amal spacecraft flew within 62 miles (100 kilometers) of Deimos last month and the close-up shots were released Monday. Amal—Arabic for Hope—got a two-for-one when Mars photobombed some of the images….


US to Test Nuclear-Powered Spacecraft That Could Eventually Fly People to Mars

A top NASA official revealed this week that the agency is teaming up with the Department of Defense (DOD) to test a spacecraft engine powered with nuclear fission by 2027, an effort that is part of a long-term NASA plan to send crewed missions to Mars. In a press release on Tuesday, NASA administrator Bill…


Comet Set to Graze by Earth for First Time in 50,000 Years—Might Be Seen With The Naked Eye

An icy visitor from the far reaches of the solar system is expected to shoot past Earth and the sun in the coming weeks and it might be visible with the unaided human eye. This visitor from afar is a comet believed to have brushed by Earth before—some 50,000 years ago. Discovered in March 2022, the comet…


8 Celestial Bodies Line Up to Form ‘Planetary Parade’—For the Second and Final Time in 2022

You could call it a cosmic encore. It so happens last June’s planetary alignment—which included eight planets in our solar system lining up—is seeing a repeat performance this December, leading into the new year. So, if circumstances prevented you from taking in the last “planet parade,” you’ll have a few days to catch this one…


NASA Retires InSight Mars Mission After Lander Falls Silent

NASA says it is retiring its InSight Mars lander mission, after over four years of collecting data on the red planet. InSight recently fell silent for the first time since arriving on Mars, its power levels had been dwindling for months because of dust coating its solar panels. InSight landed on Mars in 2018 and…