This month marks the 20th anniversary of Spirit and Opportunity's landing on Mars, part of a mission whose legacy will extend far into the future.
Planetary Sciences
Jan 17, 2024
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The surface of Mars is hostile and unforgiving. But put a few meters of regolith between you and the Martian sky, and the place becomes a little more habitable. Cave entrances from collapsed lava tubes could be some of the ...
Space Exploration
Jan 17, 2024
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Using impact craters as a dating tool, Planetary Science Institute Research Scientist Alexander Morgan has determined maximum timescales for the formation of Martian valley networks shaped by running water.
Astrobiology
Jan 15, 2024
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There are many different ways to get to Mars, but there are always tradeoffs. Chemical propulsion, proven the most popular, can quickly get a spacecraft to the red planet. But they come at a high cost of bringing their fuel, ...
Space Exploration
Jan 12, 2024
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When NASA's Curiosity Mars rover isn't on the move, it works pretty well as a sundial, as seen in two black-and-white videos recorded on Nov. 8, the 4,002nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The rover captured its own ...
Space Exploration
Dec 29, 2023
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Researchers at the University of Sussex have discovered the transformative potential of Martian nanomaterials, potentially opening the door to sustainable habitation on the red planet.
Nanomaterials
Dec 20, 2023
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On Aug. 18, 2023, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) captured ridged lines carved onto Mars' landscape by the gradual movement of ice. While surface ice deposits are mostly limited to Mars' polar caps, these patterns appear ...
Planetary Sciences
Dec 19, 2023
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In December 2022, NASA's MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission observed the dramatic and unexpected "disappearance" of a stream of charged particles constantly emanating off the sun, known as the solar wind. ...
Astronomy
Dec 11, 2023
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The two small moons of Mars, Phobos (about 22km in diameter) and Deimos (about 13km in diameter), have been puzzling scientists for decades, with their origin remaining a matter of debate. Some have proposed that they may ...
Space Exploration
Dec 9, 2023
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Preparations for a safe landing on Earth, such as finding the most even terrain and equipping the appropriate landing gear, are also crucial for Mars missions.
Planetary Sciences
Dec 4, 2023
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