NASA’s Psyche Mission Aces Mars Flyby, Targets Metal-Rich Asteroid
5 min read
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft completed its close approach of Mars on May 15, coming within 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) of the planet’s surface. This flyby used a gravity assist from Mars to provide a critical boost in speed and to adjust…
NASA’s MAVEN Makes 1st Discovery of Atmospheric Effect at Mars
5 min read
In December 2023, scientists looking at Mars data stumbled across something completely unexpected — observations of an atmospheric effect never before seen in the Red Planet’s atmosphere. Using instruments aboard NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission, scientists identified…
NASA Draws on Industry for Mars Telecommunications Network
2 min read
On Thursday, NASA issued a Request for Proposal (RFP), seeking industry collaboration for the Mars Telecommunications Network. Reliable, high bandwidth communications is necessary to relay science data, high-definition imagery, and critical information during Mars missions. The network will use high-performance…
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Snaps Selfie in Mars’ Western Frontier
6 min read
Editor’s note: The text was updated on March 13, 2026, to correct the spelling of the outcrop nicknamed “Arathusa.” NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover recently took a self-portrait against a sweeping backdrop of ancient Martian terrain at a location the science…
NASA Pushes Next-Gen Mars Helicopter Rotor Blades Past Mach 1
6 min read
The rotor blades that will carry NASA’s next-generation helicopters to new Martian heights broke the sound barrier during March tests at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Data from the tests, which took place in a special chamber that…
New NASA HEAT Coloring Book Blends Art, Science, and Cultural Perspectives
3 min read
A new Sun-centered and science-focused coloring book produced by NASA in partnership with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) is now available for people to learn while showing their artistic side.
NASA’s STORIE Mission to Tell Tale of Earth’s Ring Current
5 min read
Earth’s magnetic field is like a powerful trap. It lures electrically charged particles in space, near our planet, and snares them in an invisible, doughnut-shaped pen around Earth known as the ring current. This captive swarm of charged particles plays…
What’s Up: May 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA
3 min read
Shooting stars before dawn, a brilliant meetup between the Moon and Venus and a rare blue moon to end the month.
NASA’s Perseverance, Curiosity Panoramas Capture Two Sides of Mars
5 min read
NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers have captured two 360-degree landscapes that highlight how the missions are revealing details of the Red Planet’s formation, watery past, and potential for life. Located 2,345 miles (3,775 kilometers) apart from each other on Mars…
NASA’s Curiosity Finds Organic Molecules Never Seen Before on Mars
5 min read
After years of lab work, the results are in: A rock that NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover drilled and analyzed in 2020 includes the most diverse collection of organic molecules ever found on the Red Planet. Of the 21 carbon-containing molecules…