A step closer to Martian habitability as lichens endure simulated surface conditions 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Apr 10, 2025
In a breakthrough experiment, scientists have demonstrated that some species of lichens can survive conditions that mimic those on Mars, including intense ionizing radiation, while continuing to function metabolically. The research, published in IMA Fungus, offers compelling evidence that lichens could potentially endure the extreme surface environment of Mars. This finding challenges long

How to engineer microbes to enable us to live on Mars 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Manchester UK (SPX) Apr 03, 2025
Associate Tutor and PhD Candidate in Philosophy of Science, Manchester Metropolitan University A field known as synthetic biology has become one of the most highly anticipated in science. Its outputs range from golden rice, which is genetically engineered to provide vitamin A, to advances stemming from the Human Genome Project, which successfully mapped the entire human genome. Prominent v

NASA and USGS join forces to advance space resource detection 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 19, 2025
NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently convened a diverse group of stakeholders from government, industry, and the international space community to focus on the technologies needed for future resource exploration, both on Earth and in space. The event, held in February at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, centered on tools and methods for locating and utili

A step closer to Martian survival as lichens endure harsh red planet conditions 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Apr 02, 2025
For the first time, scientists have confirmed that certain species of lichen can remain metabolically active while exposed to simulated Martian conditions, including levels of ionizing radiation equivalent to those expected during intense solar activity on Mars. The findings, published in the open-access journal IMA Fungus, point to the extraordinary resilience of lichens and their potenti

NASA's Curiosity Rover Detects Largest Organic Molecules Found on Mars 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Mar 25, 2025
Researchers analyzing pulverized rock onboard NASA's Curiosity rover have found the largest organic compounds on the Red Planet to date. The finding, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests prebiotic chemistry may have advanced further on Mars than previously observed. Scientists probed an existing rock sample inside Curiosity's Sample Analysis at

ExoMars rover to land on Mars aboard European-built platform 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Paris, France (SPX) Apr 01, 2025
The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded Airbus the contract to design and construct the landing platform for the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover, marking a major step forward for the mission targeting a 2028 launch. The European-led initiative will search for traces of life, past or present, on Mars. Airbus teams in the UK will handle development of the platform's mechanical systems, t

Mars Study Suggests Mid-Crust Water May Not Be Essential to Data Interpretation 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 14, 2025
More than 3 billion years ago, Mars had episodic liquid water on its surface. However, as the planet lost much of its atmosphere, surface water became unsustainable. The precise fate of this water-whether locked in ice, stored in deep aquifers, incorporated into minerals, or lost to space-remains a subject of ongoing scientific inquiry. This debate has drawn particular attention from Bruce Jakos

Martian dust may endanger astronaut health during surface missions 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 01, 2025
New research involving the University of Colorado Boulder warns that exposure to Martian dust could pose serious health threats to astronauts on future missions. According to the study, prolonged contact with this extraterrestrial dust may result in chronic lung damage, disruptions to thyroid function, and other harmful conditions. Published in the journal GeoHealth, the study is the first

NASA's rover Curiosity finds biggest known organic molecules on Mars 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Washington DC (UPI) Mar 25, 2025
The NASA rover "Curiosity" discovered what scientists say is the largest ever seen organic molecules on Mars, raising speculation about if life was created billions of years ago on the Red Planet. "Our study proves that, even today, by analyzing Mars samples we could detect chemical signatures of past life, if it ever existed on Mars," stated Caroline Freissinet, the study's lead author

Visiting Mars on the Way to the Outer Solar System 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 30, 2025
Recently Mars has had a few Earthly visitors. On March 1, NASA's Europa Clipper flew within 550 miles (884 kilometers) of the Red Planet's surface on its way out to Jupiter. On March 12, the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft flew within about 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) of Mars, and only 300 kilometers from its moon, Deimos. Hera is on its way to study the binary asteroid Didymos and it

Shocking Spherules! 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 24, 2025
Last week the Perseverance Science Team were astonished by a strange rock comprised of hundreds of millimeter-sized spheres... and the team are now working hard to understand their origin. It has now been two weeks since Perseverance arrived at Broom Point, situated at the lower slopes of the Witch Hazel Hill area, on the Jezero crater rim. Here, a series of light- and dark- toned bands were vi

Sols 4488-4490: Progress Through the Ankle-Breaking Terrain 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 26, 2025
Earth planning date: Friday, March 21, 2025: It's the start of spring here in the Northern Hemisphere on Earth, but in Gale Crater on Mars our rover is still heading into the depths of Martian winter. We're just a few weeks away from Mars' aphelion - the time when it's farthest from the Sun. The Mars-Sun distance varies more significantly than the Earth-Sun distance because of the greater eccent

Musk says Starship to depart for Mars at end of 2026 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Washington (AFP) Mar 15, 2025
SpaceX founder Elon Musk said Saturday its massive Starship rocket would leave for Mars at the end of 2026 with Tesla humanoid robot Optimus onboard, adding that human landings could follow "as soon as 2029." "Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus. If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely," Musk said

Mars climate contrast deepens with new atmospheric wave study 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Paris, France (SPX) Mar 26, 2025
Atmospheric waves, which resemble ripples that spread across water surfaces, have long intrigued scientists for their role in planetary climate systems. A new international study titled "Atmospheric Gravity Waves in Mars' Lower Atmosphere: Nadir Observations From OMEGA/Mars Express Data" takes a deep dive into these features on Mars, uncovering major distinctions from Earth. Leveraging dat

Navigating a Slanted River 1:38 AM (16 hours ago)

Pasadena CA (SPX) Mar 14, 2025
Perseverance is hard at work on Mars, overcoming obstacles for scientific exploration! Just a few sols after successfully sealing the challenging Green Gardens core, Perseverance roved on to the Broom Point workspace to collect another sample called Main River. Broom Point is situated a few hundred meters down-slope from where Green Gardens was collected, and the Science Team chose to explore th

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