Scientists studied Martian atmospheric water vapor using ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter data, finding seasonal changes were the dominant regulator. The study suggests that warm seasons can lead to increased water loss into space, impacting Mars' continued desiccation.
Joanna Clark is developing a technique to study past Martian climate conditions using silica minerals. She plans to create silica minerals in the laboratory and analyze them for oxygen isotopes.
Researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University present findings that a type of Martian aurora is the most common on the Red Planet, offering insights into water loss and climate change. The study uses data from NASA's MAVEN spacecraft to track hydrogen escape and understand how Mars' atmosphere has changed over time.
A new study using MAVEN data reveals that the proton aurora on Mars occurs more than 14% of dayside observations, increasing to over 80% during southern summer. This correlation suggests that changes in solar activity and Martian atmospheric conditions lead to increased water loss.
Researchers successfully collect wind data on Mars, revealing circulation patterns that bear the signature of mountains and valleys hundreds of kilometers below. The study's findings provide valuable insights into Martian climate and potentially inform studies on Earth's upper atmosphere.
Researchers used MAVEN data to map global circulation of Mars' upper atmosphere, providing insights into the planet's climate stability and atmospheric waves. The study reveals simpler circulation patterns than Earth's, with stable winds over Martian seasons.
A study suggests that ancient rock structures on Earth may be mistaken for fossils, which could aid future Mars missions. Research by University of Edinburgh scientist Sean McMahon created synthetic iron-rich formations in the lab, mimicking those found on Mars.
New research finds that bacteria launch exploration when thriving in their current environment, using a mechanism to optimize population movement. The study also shows that slower bacteria have advantages at smaller distances, contradicting traditional wisdom that faster is always better.
Véronique Dehant's research aims to understand Mars' core, which is essential for determining the planet's habitability and potential for life. The ExoMars mission will collect Martian radio science data and analyze the planet's rotation to gain insights into its innards.
Kathy Benison, a WVU geologist, has been chosen as part of the Return Sample Selection Participating Scientist team for NASA's Mars 2020 expedition. She will help select promising rocks and sediments for the rover to cache or study on Mars.
A team of scientists, including Texas A&M University researcher Marion Nachon, found that Mars' Gale Crater lake underwent drying episodes, potentially linked to the planet's global drying. The study reveals signs of liquid water and salt ponds similar to those on Earth, particularly in South America's Altiplano region.
Researchers successfully grew ten crops in Mars and Moon soil simulant, including garden cress, tomato, and radish. The study found that nine out of ten crops produced edible parts, with the exception of spinach.
A study published in New Space: The Journal of Space Entrepreneurship and Innovation models population growth, caloric needs, land use, and potential food sources to determine Mars' food self-sufficiency. A diet composed of plants, insects, and cellular agriculture can meet human nutritional requirements.
A study in the Atacama Desert found that microbial life can be transported across the hyperarid environment using wind-driven dust particles. This suggests that potential microbial life on Mars may spread similarly, with implications for future research and exploration.
A new study suggests that ancient Mars experienced warm periods with flowing water, followed by cold periods where water froze. This finding is significant as it increases the chances of simple life developing on Mars around the same time as it did on Earth.
Researchers at Newcastle University have found that wind erosion is unlikely to be the primary cause of methane gas release on Mars. The team used high-resolution imagery and data to rule out wind erosion as a viable mechanism for producing detectable levels of methane in the Martian atmosphere.
The three Mars rovers, including NASA's Perseverance rover, ExoMars rover, and China's HX-1 rover, will analyze rocks and soil for evidence of life on the Red Planet. The missions aim to determine whether life could have existed on Mars in the past.
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center found that resveratrol supplementation preserved muscle function and mitigated muscle atrophy under Martian gravity. The study suggests that resveratrol could be a key dietary supplement to maintain musculoskeletal health on long-term Mars missions.
A Harvard study suggests that resveratrol can preserve muscle mass and strength in rats exposed to simulated Mars gravity, with almost complete rescue of front and rear paw grip. The compound's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects may help conserve muscle and bone in astronauts on long missions to Mars.
Silica aerogel could warm the Martian surface, increasing atmospheric pressure and temperatures similar to Earth's greenhouse effect. This regional approach to making Mars habitable offers a more achievable solution than global atmospheric modification.
Aarhus University researchers suggest a previously overlooked process explains methane's consumption on Mars, leading to doubts about its presence and potential biosignature. The new mechanism involves erosion and chemistry, affecting the possibility of life on or near Martian surface.
Researchers have discovered rocks in Santorini cove similar to Martian basaltic material, with properties comparable to those of the Spirit and Curiosity rovers and Martian meteorites. The findings suggest that Santorini can serve as a low-cost resource for experiments and characterization of geological processes on Mars.
Experiments with salt-tolerant bacteria in brine have shown that microbes can survive and grow in conditions similar to those on Mars. The research has significant implications for the search for life beyond Earth, as well as the risk of contaminating other planetary bodies.
Researchers have identified a bacterium, Sulfurihydrogenibium yellowstonense, as a potential sign of life on Mars. The bacterium can thrive in harsh environments with low oxygen levels and forms unique rock formations that resemble pasta, making it an easy target for detection.
A team of planetary scientists found that processes on Mars differ significantly from those on Earth, with large-scale features and differences in landform surface temperature playing key roles. The study reveals that active sand dunes are concentrated in three distinct regions, including Syrtis Major and North Polar Erg.
A new study suggests that a strange mineral deposit near the landing site of NASA's next Mars rover is likely sourced from ancient volcanic explosions. The research provides tangible evidence for the importance of explosive volcanism on early Mars, shedding light on the water budget, groundwater abundance, and atmospheric thickness.
Newly discovered layers of ice on Mars reveal a record of past climate and could hold the key to understanding if the planet was ever habitable. The ice reserves are estimated to be as much as 90% water, equivalent to a global layer 1.5 meters deep.
A study presents the results of clinical and nonclinical Metal Artifact Reduction Sequence (MARS) MRI protocols at 3 Tesla on different hip arthroplasty implants. The findings show that only a minimal risk of thermal injury occurs with these protocols, especially when considering perfusion effects.
The Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute will survey an estimated 3 billion acres of US ocean territory over five years, utilizing next-generation instruments like ROVs and AUVs. The institute's telepresence technology will allow the public to interact with scientists in real-time, improving the efficiency of ocean exploration.
UTSA joins NASA's Resilient ExtraTerrestrial Habitats institute (RETHi) to advance space smart habitat designs for deep space habitats, leveraging expertise in civil infrastructure with advanced technology fields.
Researchers have discovered embedded organic material in a Martian meteorite, suggesting that life could have existed on the Red Planet. The study proposes the presence of active bacteria on Mars and may indicate that there was once life beyond Earth.
A new publication outlines objectives for Mars Sample Return campaign, providing a blueprint for answering key questions about Mars. The University of Alberta is home to a vast collection of meteorites and experts like Chris Herd emphasize the importance of returning samples from Mars with context.
Researchers from USC Arid Climate and Water Research Center discovered that deep groundwater likely exists in a broader geographical area than previously thought, with an active system as deep as 750 meters. Groundwater is believed to originate surface streams in near-equatorial areas on Mars.
Researchers found that Mars' rivers were twice as wide as those on Earth and had intense flow persisting until one billion years ago. This suggests a global, long-lived phenomenon of climate-driven precipitation during low-atmosphere conditions on Mars.
A new study by UChicago scientists found significant river runoff persisted on Mars later into its history than previously thought. The intense runoff, which was wider than those on Earth today, occurred at hundreds of locations and suggests a complex climate with strong greenhouse effects.
Researchers are investigating ways to conduct meaningful science and send valuable information back to Earth in the harsh Martian environment. Scientists have simulated mission conditions using basalt samples from Idaho and Hawaii, seeking clues to the ongoing search for life on Mars.
A new paper proposes specific scientific objectives for a Mars Sample Return campaign to address fundamental questions about the planet. The study identifies critical measurements that would need to be done on returned samples to maximize their scientific value.
The study focused on the design and results of the second field deployment of BASALT, identifying critical capabilities needed for science-driven EVAs. Researchers presented recommendations for future directions and subsequent research objectives.
A NASA rover mission in the Mars-like Atacama Desert has recovered subsurface soil samples containing unusual microbes that are distributed in patches, related to limited water availability and scarce nutrients. The findings will aid the search for evidence of signs of life during future planned missions to Mars.
A new study argues that recent magmatic activity must have occurred underneath the surface of Mars for liquid water to exist beneath the kilometer-and-a-half thick ice cap. The research suggests that volcanic activity in the planet's subsurface could be providing heat to generate liquid water today.
Researchers have developed a new flight strategy to land heavier vehicles on Mars by eliminating parachutes and using larger rocket engines. The approach optimizes the lift vector to minimize propellant usage, enabling vehicles to carry more payload while reducing costs.
NASA's MAVEN mission is shrinking its Mars orbit to prepare for the upcoming Mars 2020 rover launch. The spacecraft will tighten its orbit from 3,850 to 2,800 miles above the surface, allowing it to circle Mars more frequently and communicate with rovers more often.
Scientists have made the first surface gravity measurements on a planet other than Earth using NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars. The rover's accelerometers, used for navigation, were calibrated to measure subtle changes in gravitational acceleration, providing new information about the subsurface of Mars.
New research found that overflowing crater lakes on Mars carved canyons rapidly, possibly in weeks, using high-resolution satellite images. This process likely played a major role in shaping Mars' surface without plate tectonics.
Researchers transformed a Martian sunrise photo into a two-minute piece of music, with quiet harmonies and brighter sounds created by the sun disk. The work showcases image sonification's potential in analyzing planet surfaces and atmospheres, as well as health science applications.
Scientists analyzed three Martian meteorites to find electrochemical reactions between briny liquids and volcanic minerals created the organic carbon. This process has implications for understanding habitability and could occur elsewhere in the solar system.
Researchers at UCF developed a scientifically based method for creating Martian and asteroid soil simulants. The team published their findings in the journal Icarus and is now selling the simulant, which can be used for experiments on Earth.
Researchers at MIT have developed a software tool that automatically generates maps of favorable landing sites on Mars, taking into account scientific priorities and engineering constraints. The program uses fuzzy logic to deal with imprecision in the data and can explore different landing and exploratory scenarios.
The presence of methane on Mars presents novel challenges to explain its formation and implications for potential life on the planet. Researchers recommend further studies to clarify geochemical processes and sources of methane.
A new study reveals that ancient Mars likely had an ample supply of chemical energy for microbes to thrive underground. The researchers estimate that hydrogen concentrations in the crust around 4 billion years ago would have been sufficient to support microbial life.
A 20-kilometer-wide lake of liquid water has been detected beneath Mars' southern ice cap using the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding instrument. The presence of dissolved salts could lower the melting point, allowing the lake to remain liquid
Scientists have discovered that Mars' massive dust storms originate from a single geological formation near the equator. This vast deposit, called the Medusae Fossae Formation, has been eroding over time and polluting the planet with fine, powdery dust particles.
The MAVEN spacecraft has found a new type of Martian aurora that occurs over much of the day side, where auroras are hard to see. Protons 'steal' electrons from Mars' outer atmosphere, creating ultraviolet light and depositing energy.
New Zealand scientists have developed a revolutionary 3D colour medical scanner that provides far greater detail of the body's chemical components. The MARS spectral x-ray scanner will revolutionise medical imaging globally, enabling more accurate diagnosis and personalisation of treatment for diseases like cancer and heart disease.
A recent study suggests that Mars' river networks were shaped by superficial run-off of rainwater, contradicting previous hypotheses about groundwater seepage. The researchers found similarities in the branching angles of Martian valleys with those in arid landscapes on Earth.
The Black Beauty meteorite contains rare zircon with high hafnium levels, providing a temporal framework for Martian crust formation. This study suggests that Mars had a solid crust within 20 million years of solar system formation, potentially hosting oceans and life.
Researchers used Mars-inspired tools to map the Himalayas, revealing details about rock types and fault systems. The study used thermal infrared spectrum analysis to create colorful images of different rock types, providing new insights into the region's geology.
A massive Martian dust storm has engulfed the planet, prompting NASA's Opportunity rover to suspend science operations. However, Curiosity remains largely unaffected due to its nuclear-powered battery. The storm has grown to a 'planet-encircling' size, with atmospheric haze blocking sunlight at Gale Crater.
The discovery of ancient organic molecules in Martian sedimentary rocks increases the chances of finding evidence of habitability and potential life on Mars. The findings suggest that NASA's Curiosity rover may have discovered record-breaking amounts of organic carbon, comparable to those found in meteoritic samples.
New research published in Icarus suggests Mars had a cold and icy ancient climate, with evidence of volcanism interacting with ice sheets. The findings identify three distinct mineral combinations associated with glaciers, providing insight into the planet's past.