China’s Zhurong rover sends back its first photos of the Martian surface 

The China National Space Administration has released the first photos of the Martian surface taken by its Zhurong rover. The front view of the rover, captured in black and white, shows the flat landscape of Utopia Planitia, which appears slightly curved in the horizon. The second shot, showing the rear of the spacecraft, is in … Read more

Mars’ ‘missing’ water could be lurking in the Martian crust, study reveals

How important is the presence of liquid water? It is now widely believed that Mars holds a reasonably large volume of water. However, the surface of the planet is so cold, this water exists only as ice. In order for life to exist on a planet, many scientists believe it is essential for the world … Read more

Phobos and Deimos are the remnants of a much larger Martian moon blown apart one billion years ago

The moons of Mars — Phobos and Deimos — are two fragments of what was once a much larger Martian satellite that was blown apart by a huge collision, a study finds.  It is thought the collision between the moon and a stray rock, potentially an asteroid, occurred between one and 2.7 billion years ago … Read more

Meteorite found in the Sahara confirms ancient Martian water

Analysis of a meteorite found in the Sahara Desert reveals the existence of water on Mars 4.4 billion years ago, scientists report.  The mineral composition of Martian meteorite NWA 7533, found in 2012, reveals chemical signatures of oxidation – which would have occurred as water formed.  The 84 gram meteorite, named partly after its landing … Read more

UK scientists will help NASA’s Perseverance rover select Martian rock and soil

Rock and soil taken from Mars by NASA’s Perseverance rover in the search for ancient microbial Martian life will be selected by UK researchers.  Scientists at Imperial College London and the Natural History Museum will help Perseverance select the Martian samples, which will eventually be brought back to Earth for scientific study.  Perseverance blasts off from Florida … Read more

Mudflows on Mars may be clues to finding signs of Martian life 

How important is the presence of liquid water? It is now widely believed that Mars holds a reasonably large volume of water. However, the surface of the planet is so cold, this water exists only as ice. In order for life to exist on a planet, many scientists believe it is essential for the world … Read more

‘Marsquakes’ lead scientists to recreate conditions thought to exist in the Martian core

‘Marsquakes’ measured by NASA’s InSight rover and an experiment to recreate the conditions thought to exist in the Martian core could reveal how the planet formed.  Researchers from the University of Tokyo have been studying the seismic properties of iron-sulphur – thought to be the substance at the core of Mars. It’s not known exactly … Read more

NASA and ESA reveal ambitious plan to bring Martian rock samples back to Earth by 2031

NASA and the European Space Agency are teaming up on a $14 billion project to bring a piece of Mars back to Earth. The agencies outlined the ambitious plan in a virtual meeting this week that involves sending up three different spacecraft – two of which will rendezvous in Mars orbit. The first step in … Read more