US, India Prep for Unmanned Missions to Mars
Both the United States and India are gearing up for unmanned missions to Mars. India will launch its first interplanetary spacecraft when the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) sends its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) to the Red Planet on Nov. 5. The spacecraft will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre located in Sriharikota, […]
Curiosity Rover Finds Water on Mars
The first scoop of Martian soil analyzed by Curiosity Rover’s built-in laboratory has revealed a high amount of water in the soil, according to NASA. “One of the most exciting results from this very first solid sample ingested by Curiosity is the high percentage of water in the soil,” said Curiosity researcher Laurie Leshin, of […]
Evidence of Water Found on Mars
The Curiosity rover has discovered an ancient stream bed that suggests water, possibly lots of it, once flowed on Mars. In a new study, scientists say their findings represent the first on-site evidence of sustained water flow on the Martian landscape. The discovery also supports the theory Mars would have once been able to host […]
NASA Wants to Speed Journey to Mars
NASA wants to shorten the journey to Mars. It took about eight months for its Mars rover, Curiosity, to reach the red planet. And now, the US space agency is looking for ways to cut the travel time for future manned missions there. Researchers in Washington State say that might be possible through a unique […]
Mars Meteorite Sparks New Questions About Red Planet
Scientists have determined a meteorite discovered in the Sahara Desert in 2011 is about 2.1 billion years old and could be the first meteorite to come from the surface of Mars. The meteorite, designated NWA (North West Africa) 7034 and nicknamed “Black Beauty,” weighs about 320 grams and is loaded with Martian water. It is […]
Curiosity Beams Back Stunning Mars Images, Human Voice
NASA’s Curiosity rover has beamed back spectacular HD photos of the Martian surface. Captured by a 100-millimeter telephoto lens and 34-milllimeter wide angle lens, the images show the dark dunes, layered rock and canyons of Mount Sharp, a mountain inside Gale Crater, where the rover landed. NASA also released photos of Curiosity at work as […]
NASA Plans Another Mission to Mars
NASA just can’t get enough of Mars. Two weeks after successfully landing the much-ballyhooed rover Curiosity on the red planet, officials at the U.S. space agency announced that yet another mission to Mars is set for 2016. The InSight mission, which stands for “Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport,” will investigate deep […]