Greenbelt MD (SPX) Apr 30, 2024 The Sun will be at peak activity this year, providing a rare opportunity to study how solar storms and radiation could affect future astronauts on the Red Planet. In the months ahead, two of NASA's Mars spacecraft will have an unprecedented opportunity to study how solar flares - giant explosions on the Sun's surface - could affect robots and future astronauts on the Red Planet. That ..read more

Paris, France (SPX) Apr 26, 2024 ESA's Hera mission, aimed at planetary defense, will utilize a Mars flyby in March next year to gain velocity as it heads towards the Didymos binary asteroid system. During this maneuver, Hera will approach Mars within 6,000 km-closer than Mars' moons' orbits-and adjust its trajectory to closely observe Mars' moon Deimos and the Martian surface itself. The flyby details were discussed at t ..read more

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 16, 2024 NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced new strategies for the Mars Sample Return program, highlighting the agency's initiative to incorporate innovative designs to ensure the successful return of Martian samples to Earth. These samples are expected to deepen our understanding of the solar system's formation and evolution, provide insights for future human missions, and assist in the search for ..read more

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 17, 2024 The final transmission at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory marked the end of active operations for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter but the beginning of its new role as a stationary data collector. On April 16, engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory bid farewell to active missions of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, a pioneering aircraft on Mars. Although the formal mission concluded on ..read more

Pasadena CA (JPL) Apr 17, 2024 After investigating the high-standing bedrock at the Bunsen Peak workspace deep within the Margin Unit, the unique nature and composition of this rock was deemed worthy for collection of Perseverance's 24th rock core sample, Comet Geyser! Bunsen Peak is named after a prominent peak in Yellowstone National, Park, Wyoming, USA, and the namesake for Comet Geyser is the silica-sintered cone ge ..read more

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 16, 2024 In an effort to further humanity's journey to Mars, NASA has carefully selected a diverse group of four volunteers to undergo an intensive 45-day simulated mission to the Red Planet. This simulation will take place at the Johnson Space Center's Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA), a facility meticulously designed to mimic the conditions of space travel and planetary exploration. Parti ..read more

Paris, France (SPX) Apr 10, 2024 Thales Alenia Space has finalized a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA), valued at euro 522m, to progress the ExoMars 2028 mission. The contract encompasses the Mars Entry, Descent and Landing Module (EDLM) development and sustaining activities for vehicles from the 2022 mission. Scheduled for an October to December 2028 launch at Kennedy Space Center, the mission aims to uncove ..read more

Pasadena CA (JPL) Apr 02, 2024 Earth planning date: Friday, March 29, 2024: Curiosity is approaching an intriguing pile of rocks called "Hinman Col" - a poorly sorted collection of clasts located along the margin of Gediz Vallis ridge. We're hoping to get closer to this deposit over the weekend, to set up for contact science on the different rock types next week. In doing so, we hope to investigate where the different clasts ..read more

Pasadena CA (JPL) Apr 02, 2024 Earth planning date: Wednesday, March 27, 2024: As someone who studies planetary atmospheres, the geology of Curiosity's mission often flies straight over my head. I like to think that I've picked up some of the basics just through exposure, but sitting in with the geology team at the start of planning each day can sometimes still leave me feeling like I've forgotten how to swim seconds before b ..read more

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 04, 2024 In a significant move to enhance lunar exploration, NASA has enlisted Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab to develop a lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) aimed at expanding the Artemis astronauts' mobility on the Moon. These vehicles are crucial for conducting extensive scientific research and laying groundwork for future manned missions to Mars as part of the agency's Artemis initi ..read more