Mars

  Promising signs for Perseverance rover in its quest for past Martian life New research indicates river delta deposits within Mars’ Jezero crater – the destination of NASA’s Perseverance rover on the Red Planet – formed over time scales that promoted habitability and enhanced preservation of evidence. Source: earth.stanford.edu/news/promising-signs-perseverance-rover-its-quest-past-martian-life

  Unlike Earth, Maybe Mars Didn’t Form With a Subsurface Magma Ocean Researchers thought Mars formed — and potentially created a life-supporting atmosphere — like Earth did. Source: www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/unlike-earth-maybe-mars-didnt-form-with-a-subsurface-magma-ocean

  SwRI models hint at longer timescale for Mars formation The early solar system was a chaotic place, with evidence indicating that Mars was likely struck by planetesimals, small protoplanets up to 1,200 miles in diameter, early in its history. Southwest Research Institute scientists modeled the mixing of materials associated Continue Reading

  New Insight into How Much Atmosphere Mars Lost A key tracer used to estimate how much atmosphere Mars lost can change depending on the time of day and the surface temperature on the Red Planet. Previous measurements of this tracer – isotopes of oxygen – have disagreed significantly. Getting Continue Reading

  NASA Rover on Mars Detects Puff of Gas That Hints at Possibility of Life The Curiosity mission’s scientists picked up the signal this week, and are seeking additional readings from the red planet. Source: www.nytimes.com/2019/06/22/science/nasa-mars-rover-life.html

  Mysterious Clouds on Mars Formed by ‘Meteoric Smoke,’ Study Says Scientists have identified a kind of cloud on Mars that has been neglected in past climate models. Source: www.vice.com/en_us/article/vb9q8d/mysterious-clouds-on-mars-formed-by-meteoric-smoke-study-says

  How the Webb Telescope Will Explore Mars When NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, launching in 2021, reaches its destination a million miles from Earth, it will be able to see the whole disk of Mars every two years. If a global dust storm envelops the Red Planet at a Continue Reading

  NASA’s Mars Helicopter completes flight testing While multiple space agencies have landed spacecraft on other celestial bodies, none have flown in the skies above those worlds—but that may soon change. Source: www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/solar-system/nasas-mars-helicopter-completes-flight-testing/

  First evidence of planet-wide groundwater system on Mars Paris (ESA) Mar 01, 2019 – Mars Express has revealed the first geological evidence of a system of ancient interconnected lakes that once lay deep beneath the Red Planet’s surface, five of which may contain minerals crucial to Source: www.marsdaily.com/m/reports/First_evidence_of_planet_wide_groundwater_system_on_Mars_999.html  

  Did microbes build stromatolites on Mars? When Nasa’s next rover gets to Mars in 2021 it will seek evidence of ancient life. Source: www.bbc.com/news/av/science-environment-46563155/did-microbes-build-stromatolites-on-mars

  Will SpaceX Really Be Flying People To Mars In 10 Years? SpaceX’s President Gwynne Shotwell has said she is confident that the company will be launching people regularly to Mars in a decade. Source: www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanocallaghan/2018/12/14/will-spacex-really-be-flying-people-to-mars-in-10-years/

Martian methane—spotted in 2004—has mysteriously vanished The European Space Agency’s Trace Gas Orbiter deepens planet’s carbon mystery Source: www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/12/martian-methane-spotted-2004-has-mysteriously-vanished