NASA’s Curiosity rover has detected 21 carbon-containing organic molecules in a single drilled rock sample from Mars, and seven of those molecules have never been identified on the planet before. The detections came from the first use of a wet-chemistry technique on the rover’s Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument,

Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.

No single agency — not even NASA — can develop all the technologies and systems needed for sustained Mars settlement.

NASA's Curiosity rover found pure sulfur crystals inside a rock after backing over and accidentally crushing it on May 30, 2024. This is a zoomed-in photo of the crystals. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS Scientists are closing in on an explanation for how mysterious pure sulfur rocks ended up on the surface of Mars.

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took this photo as Perseverance crossed the 42-kilometer finish line—or is it a starting line? (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) NASA has announced yet another milestone for the Perseverance rover: It's officially traversed the length of a marathon on Mars.

The new space race is accelerating, but debris, failures, and crowded orbits are raising new risks around Earth.

The organic molecules could come from life or from ordinary chemistry — only samples returned to Earth can settle it.

After more than 70 successful flights, a broken rotor ended the remarkable and groundbreaking Ingenuity helicopter mission on Mars. Now, NASA is considering how a larger, more capable helicopter could be an airborne geologist on the Red Planet. For the ...

When astronauts set foot on Mars, it will be one of humanity’s greatest milestones. These first steps will be the result of decades of research, engineering, and imagination coming together, marking the beginning of a new era of discovery on another planet.

Viking 1 kicked off the search for Martian life 50 years ago. Now NASA’s shifting priorities are putting the quest in limbo.

One of the great unsolved problems in modern planetary science is written on the surface of Mars. Mars has canyons that were carved by rivers, so it was once warm enough for liquid water. How—and why—did it become a barren desert today? A study led by ...