Can life grow on the moon or Mars? New experiments offer surprising clues

As scientists plan future missions to the Moon and Mars, one major question remains: could humans grow food or even support life on these...

Mars Express reveals a landscape filled with ancient craters on the red planet

A new image captured by the Mars Express orbiter offers a striking view of one of the most heavily cratered regions on Mars. The image...

Scientists discover super-tough microbe that could survive a journey from Mars to Earth

Life on Earth may not be as isolated as we once thought. New research from Johns Hopkins University suggests that tiny life forms could...

Can Martian soil kill Earth microbes? Water bears reveal surprising clues

Scientists are using one of Earth’s toughest microscopic creatures to explore an important question for future space travel: Could the soil on Mars naturally...

Early Mars was warm and wet not icy

A recent study showed that Mars was warm and wet billions of years ago. The finding contrasts with another theory that this era was mainly...

Mars’ “young” volcanoes tell a story of long, hidden activity

Volcanoes may look like simple mountains that erupted once and then fell silent, but in reality they are often the surface expression of complex...

How a single Martian storm triggered massive water loss

Mars’ water disappeared somewhere, but scientists have been disagreeing for years about where exactly it went. Data from rovers like Perseverance and Curiosity, along with...

A strange Martian dust storm offers new clues to how Mars lost its water

Mars today is a cold, dry desert, but its surface tells a very different story. Ancient river channels, lake basins, and minerals formed in water...

NASA rover finds 3.5-billion-year-old Martian shoreline in Jezero crater

Scientists exploring Mars have uncovered strong new evidence that the Red Planet once had wave-washed beaches and long-lasting water activity, making it an even...

Perseverance Rover discovers an ancient Martian beach, complete with waves

When the rover now named Perseverance landed in Jezero crater in early 2021, scientists already knew they had picked an interesting place to scope...