NASA’s ‘Nuclear Option’ May Be Crucial for Getting Humans to Mars
After decades of false starts, a new push for nuclear-powered rocketry could make or break the space agency’s plans to send astronauts to the Red Planet
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Chokes on Mars Pebbles while Collecting a Rock Sample
The rover’s latest sample collection—an effort to gather material for eventual return to Earth—is off to a rocky start
Life Is Complicated—Literally, Astrobiologists Say
A new theory suggests that searches for molecular complexity could uncover convincing evidence of extraterrestrial life—and do so soon
How Scientists Could Tell the World if They Find Alien Life
Sparked by major advances in their field, astrobiologists are grappling with how best to discuss possible breakthrough discoveries with the public
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Finds Signs of Epic Ancient Floods on Mars
New results from the mission reveal that its landing site of Jezero Crater has a surprisingly dynamic and complex hydrologic history
Mars on the Cheap: Scientists Are Working to Revolutionize Access to the Red Planet
The concepts include souped-up Mars helicopters and inexpensive orbiters and landers
Success! Perseverance Mars Rover Finally Collects Its First Rock Core
The mission is living up to its name, drilling and storing a Martian rock after a misstep in August
Crumbly Mars Rock, Not Hardware Flaws, Scuttled Perseverance’s First Sample Attempt
After an alarming failure, the rover is set to continue its mission to retrieve specimens for eventual return to Earth
NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Foiled in First Attempt to Grab Rock for Return to Earth
Seeking to collect its inaugural core sample, the mission hopes to begin what could be humanity’s boldest search for extraterrestrial life
Future Space Travel Might Require Mushrooms
Mycologist Paul Stamets discusses the potential extraterrestrial uses of fungi, including terraforming planets, building human habitats—and providing psilocybin therapy to astronauts
Buried ‘Lakes’ on Mars May Just Be Frozen Clay
Mineral deposits, not salty water, are the most likely cause of radar reflections spotted beneath the planet’s south pole, a new study finds
Unbinding Life, Unbounded
The blog’s author reflects as nine years of writing undergo an evolutionary change