Mars

InSight is Losing Power, it Probably Will be Shut Down in a Few Months

The InSight Mars lander will cease science operations sometime in the next few months due to a decreasing power supply,…

3 years ago

Martian Dust is Starting to Darken Ingenuity’s Solar Panels

Like every solar-panel-powered vehicle on Mars, maintaining electrical power always becomes an issue at some point in the mission. Last…

3 years ago

Amazing! Ingenuity Helicopter Flies to the Perseverance Backshell and Parachute to See Them Close Up

You may recall we reported earlier this month that the Perseverance rover finally spotted its parachute and backshell off in…

3 years ago

Explorers Could Build Bricks on Mars with Bacteria and Pee

The famous Russian rocket scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky once said, “Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot remain in…

3 years ago

Here’s Something Rare: a Martian Crater That isn’t a Circle. What Happened?

Most impact craters are usually circular and fairly symmetric, but not all. This odd-shaped crater on Mars is obviously an…

3 years ago

Perseverance Begins the Next Phase of its Mission, Studying an Ancient River Bed on Mars

On February 18, 2021, NASA’s Perseverance (Percy) Rover successfully landed in the dried-up lakebed known as Jezero Crater on Mars,…

3 years ago

Wow! Perseverance Sees a Solar Eclipse on Mars

Imagine standing on Mars, and seeing this with your own eyes. (more…)

3 years ago

Curiosity is Going to Find a new Route Around This Tricky Patch Called “Gator-Back Terrain”

Curiosity rover recently encountered "gator-back terrain," the sharp rocks that caused the first breaks in its wheels back in 2017.

3 years ago

Perseverance’s Software Lets it Move Swiftly Across the Surface of Mars

Mars rovers are not known for being particularly speedy.  Spirit and Opportunity managed a max speed of a whopping 5…

3 years ago

Marsquakes are Caused by Shifting Magma

Before the InSight Lander arrived on Mars, scientists could only estimate what the planet's internal structure might be. Its size,…

3 years ago