Aug 21, 2003 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
New Findings Could Dash Hopes for Past Oceans on Mars
(NASA/JPL) - Scientists have found the presence of water-related carbonate minerals on the surface of Mars.
Dec 12, 2002 | SCIENCE
Goldmine yields clues for life on Mars
(Nature) - Bacteria that live on radiation exist deep within the Earth—and maybe elsewhere.
Oct 21, 2002 | SCIENCE
What's Living in the World's Highest Lake?
(Astrobiology Magazine) - Astrobiologists have begun an expedition to a pond at the tip of a volcano.
Oct 17, 2002 | SCIENCE
Looking for Carbonates in Dry Places
(Astrobiology Magazine) - A recent discovery may challenge the idea that carbonates could be a sign of past water on other planets.
Sep 10, 2002 | MISSIONS
No Drought of Mars Landing Sites
(Astrobiology Magazine) - Proposed landing sites for the Mars Exploration Rovers may yield evidence of liquid water on ancient Mars.
Sep 05, 2002 | MISSIONS
No Place for Life to Hide from Mars Express
(ESA) - ESA's first mission to Mars will also be the first in 26 years to search for life on the Red Planet.
Aug 23, 2002 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Rehearsal Readies Scientists for NASA's Next Mars Landing
(NASA) - Scientists have spent the last few weeks in the desert, rehearsing their roles
for Mars Exploration Rover mission.
Aug 20, 2002 | SCIENCE
Microorganisms Grow at Low Pressures, Implying Possible Life on Mars
(Univ. of Arkansas) - Researchers have shown that microorganisms can grow at
pressures similar to those found at the Martian surface.
Jul 30, 2002 | MISSIONS
NASA's Mars 'Czar' Gives a Status Report on Red Planet Plans
(Space.com) - Orlando Figueroa discusses bringing back a piece of Mars and other long-term missions.
Jul 11, 2002 | SCIENCE
Antarctic Microbes Colonize under Mars-like Conditions
(Astrobiology Magazine) - In Antarctica's Dry Valleys, microbes and fungi survive in extremely cold, arid soils.
Jun 26, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Large Former Lake, Catastrophic Flood Identified on Mars
(Spaceflight Now) - The lake once covered an area the size of Texas and New Mexico combined.
May 29, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Found it! Ice on Mars
(NASA) - Data from the Mars Odyssey orbiter reveal vast quantities of water ice in the Martian soil.
May 21, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars Odyssey Image: Hadriaca Patera
(ASU) - A recently released photo adds evidence that liquid water flowed over in
Mars' ancient past.
May 03, 2002 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Sending RATs to Mars
(NASA) - The Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) will drill for signs of water in Mars' distant past.
Apr 02, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
New Image of Nigral Vallis on Mars
(ASU) - A meandering valley shows signs it was eroded by water.
Mar 26, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Will the Real Mars Stand Up?
(Discovery) - Scientists debate whether Mars' surface was eroded by liquid water or by carbon dioxide.
Mar 25, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Why it Snows at Mars' North Pole
(Space.com) - A computer simulation may explain why more water ice collects at Mars' north pole than at its south pole.
Mar 21, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Ancient Martian Lakes? Perhaps Not
(Sky and Telescope) - A researcher argues that layers of rock of Mars were deposited not by water but by volcanoes.
Mar 15, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars Rover Landing Site Sweet Spots Not So Sweet
(Space.com) - Spacecraft orbiting Mars have revealed problems with proposed landing sites for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers.
Mar 04, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Vast Ice Fields Suggest Life on Mars Possible
(L.A. Times) - Scientists say they are 'blown away' by the Odyssey spacecraft's findings.
Feb 22, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars Floods May Be Recent
(Univ. of Arizona) - New images suggest that water may have flowed over Mars just 10 million years ago.
Feb 12, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Mars Global Surveyor Begins Second Year of Extended Mission
(Malin Space Science Systems) - A new 3-D image from the probe shows layers perhaps deposited by wind or water.
Feb 07, 2002 | SCIENCE
More Pieces of Mars Found
(Discovery) - Scientists have discovered five new Martian meteorites in recent weeks, bringing the number of known meteorites from Mars to 24.
Feb 06, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Four Sites Considered for Landers
(Florida Today) - Isidis Planitia has replaced Athabasca Vallis as one of the candidate landing sites for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers.
Dec 19, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
All-Terrain Rovers May Scale Mars' Cliffs
(NASA) - The robots may search for signs of past or present life by exploring water seepage or exposed geologic layers
Dec 13, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Where to Land on Mars? It's Not an Easy Choice
(NASA) - Scientists have selected four candidate landing sites for the twin Mars Exploration Rovers.
Dec 12, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars Global Surveyor Sees Possible Climate Change
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Photos indicate that Mars' climate is changing even now.
Dec 11, 2001 | SCIENCE
Café Methane
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Scientists have found life thriving at methane seeps on the cold, dark ocean floor. Similar environments on other planets might also provide a home for life.
Dec 03, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
New Evidence That Water Once Covered Mars
(AP) - Hydrogen gas in Mars' upper atmosphere suggests that large amounts of water once flowed over Mars.
Nov 15, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Selects Investigations for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
(NASA) - The 10 science investigations include searching for water on Mars.
Nov 09, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Spectacular View of Layers on Mars
(NASA) - A recent image of the Martian surface reveals layer upon layer of sediment, left either by wind or by liquid water.
Oct 31, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Mars Odyssey's First Look at Mars Is All Treat, No Trick
(NASA) - NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey has given mission managers a real treat this Halloween with its first look at the Red Planet.
Oct 30, 2001 | TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Bulldozer Rovers Could Get the Scoop on Mars
(NASA) - Tiny bulldozer rovers may some day dish up the dirt and pack it in on Mars.
Oct 23, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Mars within Neutron Spectrometer's Reach
(Los Alamos National Laboratory) - A neutron spectrometer designed to look for water is closing in on Mars aboard NASAÂs 2001 Mars Odyssey.
Oct 19, 2001 | MISSIONS
NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey Spacecraft Poised to Arrive at Mars
(NASA) - On Tuesday, October 23, the spacecraft reaches the critical moment of its mission as it enters orbit around Mars.
Oct 10, 2001 | SCIENCE
Bacteria with a 'Nose' for Water
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Researchers have discovered that bacterial communities in extreme environments are able to follow water.
Oct 09, 2001 | MISSIONS
Lockheed Selected to Build Mars Orbiter
(NASA) - NASA has recently selected Lockheed Martin to build the Mars Reconaissance Orbiter, scheduled for launch in August of 2005.
Aug 28, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Future Missions to Identify Underground Water on Mars
(ESA) - The European Space Agency's Mars Express mission, scheduled to fly in 2003,
will use radar to search for water below the surface of Mars.
Aug 24, 2001 | TECHNOLOGIES
Having a Ball on Mars
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - A two-story high beach ball, powered only by the wind, may one day explore vast stretches of the Red Planet.
Aug 22, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars Enigma: One Scientist's Contentious Theory about Planet May Hold Water
(San Francisco Chronicle) - A geoscientist argues that erosion features on Mars were carved not by water but by liquid carbon dioxide.
Aug 21, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Mars Airplane Prototype Completes Test Flight
(NASA) - A test version of an airplane that someday may fly over Mars successfully completed a high-altitude flight.
Aug 14, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars Watering Hole Found, Scientists Say
(Space.com) - Researchers claim to have found evidence of underground water on Mars.
Aug 07, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Scientists Find Largest Flood Channels in the Solar System
(University of Arizona) - Catastrophic flooding in Mars' past may have formed the northwestern slope valleys (NSVs).
Aug 03, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars Orbiter Finds Traces of Past Ice Age
(AP) - Images taken by NASAÂs Mars Global Surveyor indicate evidence of a Martian ice age 100,000 years ago.
Aug 01, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Looking for Life at the Poles of Mars
(Space.com) - While most liquid water on Mars may lie deep underground, life might exist close to the surface of the polar ice caps.
Jul 17, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Zooming in on Mars
(Space.com) - Set for launch in 2005, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) will be essential to selecting landing sites for future missions.
Jun 19, 2001 | SCIENCE
Martian Meteorite May Contain Water
(BBC) - Scientists debate whether meteorite NWA 817 was exposed to water on Mars or after it fell to Earth
Jun 14, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Selects Mars Scout Concepts for Further Study
(NASA) - The mission concepts include gliders, satellites flying in formation, and sample return.
Jun 13, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Swept Away: Evidence of Erosion on Mars
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Flowing water may have eroded a broad swath of the surface of Mars roughly 3.5 to 3.8 billion years ago.
Jun 11, 2001 | MISSIONS
Mars Odyssey on Track and 'Working Very, Very Well'
(Space.com) - The spacecraft is roughly one-third of the way to Mars.
Mar 28, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
The Lure of Hematite
(Science@NASA) - On rusty-red Mars, a curious deposit of gray-colored hematite (a mineral cousin of common household rust) could hold the key to the mystery of elusive Martian water.
Mar 19, 2001 | MISSIONS
2001 Mars Odyssey to find out what Mars is made of
(NASA) - NASA's next mission to Mars is set to launch on April 7.
Mar 16, 2001 | TECHNOLOGIES
Ice probe reveals images deep within Antarctic ice
(NASA) - The technology may one day be used to explore other planets.
Mar 12, 2001 | SCIENCE
Mars' Volcanoes May Have Melted Ice, Producing Water Necessary for Life on Red Planet
(University at Buffalo) - The heat and energy from the volcanoes together with the liquid water may have made conditions ideal for the evolution of life.
Mar 02, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Two Rovers in Search of a Landing Site
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - In 2003, NASA will send two rovers to Mars to search for signs of water in the planet's ancient past. But where exactly on Mars should they look for it?
Feb 21, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, EDUCATION
Students uncover baffling Martian boulders
(NASA) - A group of students working with a NASA spacecraft camera have stumbled upon a surprising cluster of dark boulders in the middle of light-colored terrain.
Feb 16, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Probe finds sedimentary rock in unlikely place on Mars
(Spaceflight Now/NASA) - New photos of the Martian surface reveal sedimentary layers at higher latitudes than expected.
Feb 14, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Carbonated Mars
(NASA) - Here on Earth the only way to make carbonate rocks is with the aid of liquid water. Finding such rocks on Mars might prove, once and for all, that the barren Red Planet was once warm and wet.
Jan 30, 2001 | SCIENCE
Clues to sources of Martian water
(NY Times [registration required]) - Evidence from a Martian meteorite suggests that water on the surface of ancient Mars originally came from within the planet.
Jan 26, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars ocean hypothesis hits the shore
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Photographs of the Martian surface find no sign of a sea cliff along a possible ancient shoreline.
Dec 22, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Scientists to begin selecting landing sites for Mars rovers
(Space.com) - The two rovers will search for evidence of liquid water in Mars' ancient past.
Dec 13, 2000 | SCIENCE
New report offers evidence of primitive life on Mars
(NASA) - Tiny magnetite crystals, identical to those used by bacteria on Earth, have been found in the Martian meteorite ALH84001.
Dec 11, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
The case of the missing water
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Images from the Mars Global Surveyor may point to ancient floods and an ocean on Mars.
Dec 04, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Evidence of ancient lakes on Mars
(NASA) - If life once existed on Mars, sedimentary layers in the lake beds might be the place to look for fossils.
Nov 20, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
More evidence found suggesting water on Mars
(Spaceflight Now/NASA) - Photos from the Mars Global Surveyor reveal gullies possibly carved by flowing water.
Nov 01, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Sharper, clearer 3D map of Mars
(NASA) - The map, released last year, reveals evidence of water on ancient Mars. An update adds crisp detail.
Oct 26, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
NASA outlines Mars exploration program for next two decades
(NASA) - Missions will include advanced robotic rovers and the return to Earth of samples of Martian soil.
Sep 12, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Dust Storms on Earth and Mars
(NASA) - NASA images compare a recent dust storm on Mars with one that occurred earlier this year on Earth
Aug 31, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Life thrives at edge of glaciers
(space.com) - The findings indicate that polar ice caps of Mars may be a prime location to look for life.
Aug 21, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Liquid water on the surface of Mars?
(space.com) - A group of scientists disputes the consensus that liquid water can't exist on the Martian surface.
Aug 19, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Cosmic clouds yield puzzling concentrations of water
(Spaceflight Now/NASA) - Data from the SWAS satellite reveals that water vapor may be highly concentrated in regions where stars and planets form. SWAS has also measured water vapor in the atmospheres of Mars and Jupiter.
Aug 10, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
NASA plans to send twin rovers to Mars in 2003
(Spaceflight Now/NASA) - The two rovers will study the history of water on Mars and search for evidence of life.
Jun 22, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Evidence of liquid water on Mars
(NASA) - Images show signs of water seeping from an underground aquifer. Where there is liquid water, there might be life.
May 04, 2000 | TECHNOLOGIES
"Snakebots" in development at NASA
(space.com) - Serpent-like robots may one day wriggle through Martian crevices, looking for life.
Apr 10, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
New Global Surveyor images reveal exotic Martian landscape
(NASA) - Two new photo mosaics may help determine the composition of the southern polar caps of Mars.
Mar 14, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Evidence of buried water channels on Mars
(NY Times [free registration req'd]) - The findings add to the evidence that an ocean of water existed on ancient Mars.
Dec 10, 1999 | SCIENCE
Researchers suspect Mars had ocean
(Yahoo!/AP) - Scientists say they have found geologic features on Mars that resemble an ancient coastline.
Oct 19, 1999 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Selecting a landing site for Mars 2001 mission
(SpaceDaily) - The site, a basin that may have been covered by water long ago, is a promising place to look for sedimentary rocks that might contain microfossils.
Oct 01, 1999 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
New Mars images: no evidence of ancient shorelines
(NASA) - According to a team of researchers, new photos show no sign of past oceans on Mars.
Sep 19, 1999 | SCIENCE
Water: an astrobiologist's pointing dog
(space.com) - Scientists generally believe that the limitations of the laws of chemistry mean that liquid water is necessary for life.
Sep 17, 1999 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Spacecraft search for solar system's oases
(space.com) - A variety of missions are planned to search for water elsewhere in the solar system. Liquid water is believed to be necessary for life.
Sep 10, 1999 | SCIENCE
Like Mars, Earth's oceans may dry up as water seeps into cracks
(New Scientist) - According to scientists in Japan, our planet could be as dry and barren as Mars within a billion years.
