The Chinese rover identified hydrated minerals—likely associated with groundwater—in sediments dating to the Red Planet’s most recent geologic period.
spacecraft
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Solar Wind a Major Driver of Atmospheric Sodium at Mercury
MESSENGER observations show a 50% rise in atmospheric sodium-group ions during periods of high solar wind activity.
Posted inNews
Chinese-Led Solar Research Is Looking Bright
With new missions underway and planned, China is stepping up to observe our nearest stellar neighbor.
Posted inNews
Pluto’s Surface Was Recently Sculpted by Icy Volcanism
Geologically young regions of Pluto’s southern hemisphere were likely resurfaced by cryovolcanism, data from the New Horizons spacecraft reveal.
Posted inNews
Saturn’s Powerful Winds Explain Changes in the Length of Its Day
Atmospheric winds moving at more than 7,000 kilometers per hour distort Saturn’s magnetic field, revealing why spacecraft have measured changes in the length of a day on the ringed world.
Posted inNews
Lipids from Europa’s Ocean Could Be Detectable on the Surface
A super salty spring in the Canadian Arctic provides insights key to detecting life on a distant ocean world.
Posted inScience Updates
A New Journey Around (and Around) the Sun
The Solar Orbiter just completed its commissioning phase while en route to the Sun. It has already provided valuable looks at solar campfires and Venus’s magnetic fields, and it promises much more.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Machine Learning Algorithms Help Scientists Explore Mars
Researchers applied machine learning algorithms to several distinct chemical compositions of Mars and suggest that these algorithms could be a powerful tool to map the planet’s surface on a large scale.
Posted inNews
NASA Prepares Its Artemis Gateway to Orbit the Moon
Throughout its anticipated 15-year tour of duty, the Gateway will serve as a station for astronauts and lunar landers—and enable new scientific discovery.
Posted inNews
Scientists Plan a Home Away from Home for Mars Samples
The core tubes being collected by the Perseverance rover won’t arrive for years, but NASA and the European Space Agency are outlining needs for a facility to assess their safety and store and distribute them.