The first astronauts to set foot on Mars should hunt for signs of past or present Red Planet life. That's the overarching conclusion of an in-depth report about human Mars exploration from the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine ...

Planetary exploration may be about to get a major speed boost. Researchers tested a semi-autonomous robot that can move from rock to rock, analyzing each without waiting for human instructions. The system completed missions up to three times faster than traditional methods while still accurately identifying important geological targets.

Rees and Goldsmith have taken to the United Kingdom-based Guardian to express their disdain for human spaceflight. Their contention is that human space exploration, which they admit has enormous benefits,

Following a December 2025 executive order prioritizing “American space superiority,” NASA is advancing nuclear

Mars exploration is heating up. NASA eyes sample returns and crewed landings by the 2030s, but its current relay satellites — some decades past design life — struggle with data traffic from rovers, orbiters and future habitats.

After a picture-perfect launch of twin Escapade spacecraft bound for Mars, Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket aced landing on a recovery vessel floating in the Atlantic, helping power a revolution in reusable rockets. (Photo by Manuel Mazzanti/NurPhoto via ...

Mars occupies a unique position in planetary science as the most accessible natural laboratory for investigating the origin and evolution of terrestrial planets and the potential for life beyond Earth. As the only rocky planet known to have hosted long ...

As one of four panels that will provide input to the steering committee of "A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars;" the Panel on Astrobiology will identify the highest priority science objectives among the astrobiology disciplines to be ...

China's Tianwen-3 planetary exploration mission is scheduled to launch around 2028 and bring samples from Mars back to Earth around 2031, with five international and Hong Kong and Macao cooperation projects selected to join the mission,