Mars
New Worlds 2022
New Worlds is the campfire, debate, and knowledge-sharing forum for Spacers and those who either want to go, want to make it happen or want to understand what is about to happen as we open the High Frontier. Our renaissance lineup of speakers incl…
Impulse and Relativity announce proposal for joint Mars landing mission
Two startups, each yet to fly their first missions, said July 19 they are collaborating on a Mars lander mission they claim could launch as soon as 2024.
China aims to bring Mars samples to Earth 2 years before NASA, ESA mission
China’s Mars sample return mission aims to collect samples from the Red Planet and deliver them to Earth in 2031, or two years ahead of a NASA and ESA joint mission.
Ingenuity “hunkering down” during Martian dust storms and winter
Dust storms and changing seasons will limit the ability of NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter to fly for the next several months, a project engineer said May 27.
Ice giants and icy moons: The planetary science decadal survey looks beyond Mars to the outer solar system
What the latest decadal survey portends for NASA's planetary science program.
NASA confirms impending end for InSight
NASA’s InSight Mars lander mission will likely conclude by the end of the year as power levels for the spacecraft continue to decline, project officials confirmed May 17.
NASA to repurpose OSIRIS-REx for second asteroid encounter
A NASA mission to return samples from one near Earth asteroid will get an extended mission to visit a second asteroid under a plan approved by the agency April 25.
Mars scientists look to less expensive missions
On the eve of the release of the planetary science decadal survey likely to place a decreased emphasis on Mars, scientists and NASA officials are planning how to continue exploration of the planet with less expensive missions.
Mars on the Cheap? New ways to probe the Red Planet
Mars scientists and technologists are blueprinting inexpensive and novel ways to deepen the investigation of the multifaceted planet.
Foust Forward | Maintaining Mars madness
Compared to 2020, this will be a quiet year for launching Mars missions. At Mars itself, though, this year will be busy.
InSight recovers from dust storm as lander’s power continues to wane
NASA’s InSight Mars lander has recovered from a safe mode caused by a dust storm in January, but the project’s leader says the mission is still likely to end within a year because of declining power levels.
China is planning a complex Mars sample return mission
China is working on a complex mission to collect Mars rock samples and deliver them to Earth by building on the successes of recent moon and Mars missions.
Report offers way to ease Mars mission planetary protection requirements
Future Mars lander missions could adopt less stringent planetary protection requirements by landing in regions of the planet unlikely to allow any terrestrial contamination to propagate, a study concludes.
China is developing its own Mars helicopter
China is looking at ways of expanding its space exploration capabilities including through a vehicle similar in appearance to NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter.
NASA Mars smallsat mission passes review
A smallsat Mars mission that had to revise its plans after it lost its initial ride has won NASA approval to move into full-scale development.
China’s Zhurong rover returns landing footage and sounds from Mars
China has released landing process footage from its Zhurong rover as well as video and sounds of the vehicle roving on Mars.
Dropping power levels threaten InSight mission
Dust accumulation on the solar panels of NASA’s InSight Mars lander is reducing the power to the spacecraft and could force the mission to end within a year.
Mars smallsat mission gets second chance with Rocket Lab
A NASA-funded smallsat mission to Mars that lost its ride last year may get new life through a partnership with Rocket Lab.
