The scientific strategy of NASA's Mars exploration can be summarized as "Follow the water." The habitability of Mars, past or present, is intimately tied to the presence of liquid water. Since the first orbiting spacecraft, Mariner 9, surveyed the planet in the early 1970s, we have known that the Mars polar caps are composed in part of ice, and we have seen large channels cut by water that flowed on the surface billions of years ago. Two of the most important recent discoveries on Mars were "gullies" that indicate much more recent surface flows, less than a million years old, and the evidence from rovers on the surface that shallow ponds or seas of salty water must have once existed, although they may have been transient. However, all these indications of surface water are old - whether the age is measured in millions or billions of years. Now, in what looks to be one of the most important recent discoveries about Mars, we have photographic evidence that flows of liquid water have taken place in the past seven years! The change of perspective from billions or millions of years to something that happened in the twenty-first century could be profound.
Jun 14, 2007 | SCIENCE
Evidence for Ancient Ocean on Mars
(NASA) - Scientists from NAI's University of California, Berkeley Team have a new paper out in Nature outlining evidence for the presence of an ancient ocean on Mars. The study points to a large body of liquid water at the pole which could have shifted Mars' spin axis. This shift would have in turn deformed the shoreline of this ocean relative to the rest of the surface topography, in accordance with observations.
Sep 07, 2006 | MISSIONS
NASA Rover Nears Martian Bowl Goal
(NASA - JPL) - Opportunity is nearing what may be the richest science trove of its mission.
Jul 13, 2006 | TECHNOLOGIES
NASA to Test Automated Drilling Rig in Mars Analog Mission
(NASA - ARC) - Scientists are testing an automated drilling rig that may one day aid in the search for water and signs of life on Mars.
Mar 15, 2006 | MISSIONS
Years of Observing Combined Into Best-Yet Look at Mars Canyon
(NASA - JPL) - By merging photos from Mars Odyssey, scientists now have a new view of Mars' giant canyon.
Dec 13, 2005 | MISSIONS
Opportunity Celebrates One Martian Year
(NASA - JPL) - Opportunity celebrated its 'One Martian Year' Anniversary on December 12.
Dec 01, 2005 | MISSIONS
Glimpses of Mars Subsurface
(University of Iowa) - A scientific instrument on Mars Express identifies hidden craters and thick layers of ice beneath the surface of Mars.
Oct 26, 2005 | MISSIONS
Ice Beneath Mars Is Asking, ' Can you hear me now?'
(NASA - JPL) - A small amount of radio noise received in a test of the UHF radio system on Mars Odyssey in 2003 may be a signal reflected off of subsurface ice on Mars.
Aug 26, 2005 | MISSIONS
Briefing Will Present News from a Martian Hilltop
(NASA) - Spirit has reached the summit of Husband Hill.
Aug 01, 2005 | MISSIONS
ELV Status Report
(NASA) - The MRO spacecraft has been mated with the Atlas V for the last phase of launch preparations.
Jul 28, 2005 | MISSIONS
Water Ice in Crater at Martian North Pole
(ESA) - Mars Express has identified a patch of water ice in an unnamed crater at Mars' north pole.
Jul 22, 2005 | MISSIONS
New Mars Orbiter Will Sharpen Vision of Exploration
(NASA) - Launch opportunities begin Aug. 10 for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Jul 15, 2005 | MISSIONS
Briefing Previews Next Step for Exploring Mars
(NASA) - NASA announced launch opportunities start Aug. 10, 2005, for the agency's next mission to Mars.
Jun 16, 2005 | MISSIONS
Smooth Deployment for Second MARSIS Antenna Boom
(ESA) - The second 20-meter antennae boom of the MARSIS instrument onboard ESA's Mars Express has been successfully deployed.
May 24, 2005 | MISSIONS
Rovers Continue Martian Missions
(NASA - JPL) - Mars rover Opportunity tries to escape from a sand trap, while its twin, Spirit, is busy finding new clues to a wet and violent early Martian history.
Apr 08, 2005 | MISSIONS
Europe Goes Back to Mars
(ESA) - Scientists in Europe have recommended that ESA's next mission to Mars include a rover for surface exploration.
Mar 18, 2005 | MISSIONS
'Hourglass' Shaped Craters Filled with Traces of Glacier
(ESA) - A new image from Mars Express shows flow features most likely formed by glaciers or 'block' glaciers.
Feb 24, 2005 | MISSIONS
ESA's Mars Express Sees Signs of a 'Frozen Sea'
(ESA) - Mars Express has imaged what appears to be a dust-covered sea of frozen ice near the equator of Mars.
Feb 04, 2005 | TECHNOLOGIES
The Sands of Mars
(NASA) - Our understanding of granular physics will play an important role in digging, driving, and mining on Mars.
Jan 25, 2005 | MISSIONS
Opportunity Tracks Seen from Orbit
(NASA - JPL) - NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity landed on the red planet a year ago.
Jan 20, 2005 | MISSIONS
Opportunity Rover Finds an Iron Meteorite on Mars
(NASA - JPL) - Opportunity has found an iron meteorite, the first meteorite of any type ever identified on another planet.
Jan 04, 2005 | MISSIONS
NASA Rovers' Adventures on Mars Continue
(NASA) - The Spirit rover begins its second year on Mars investigating puzzling rocks unlike any found earlier.
Dec 30, 2004 | MISSIONS
NASA Events Commemorate Rover Anniversary on Mars
(NASA) - Events are to be held at JPL on January 3rd to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Mars Exploration Rovers mission.
Dec 21, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Rovers Earn Journal's 'Best Science' Title
(NASA - JPL) - NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers' discovery of evidence of past water on Mars is named scientific "Breakthrough of the Year".
Dec 13, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Rovers Spot Water-Clue Mineral, Frost, Clouds
(NASA - JPL) - Scientists have identified a water-signature mineral in bedrock examined by Spirit in the "Colombia Hills."
Dec 06, 2004 | MISSIONS
Reports Detail Rover Discoveries of Wet Martian History
(NASA - JPL) - Major research journal publishes findings from the Mars Exploration rovers.
Nov 11, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Exploration Rover Mission Status
(NASA - JPL) - Operators for the Opportunity rover are choosing a path for exiting Endurance Crater.
Nov 05, 2004 | MISSIONS
Spirit Adds Clues about History of Rocks in Martian Hills
(NASA - JPL) - Ten months after Spirit's dramatic landing, all of the instruments on both of the Mars Exploration Rovers are still working well.
Oct 20, 2004 | MISSIONS
Rim of Crater Huygens on Mars
(ESA) - Mars Express returns images of the Huygens impact crater on Mars.
Oct 08, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Rovers Probing Water History at Two Sites
(NASA - JPL) - Mars Exploration Rover team members report new findings about the history of water on Mars.
Sep 28, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Express Latest Findings Give Hints about Water Loss in the Martian Atmosphere
(ESA) - New data from the ASPERA-3 instrument supports the idea that the solar wind may be responsible for water loss on Mars.
Sep 22, 2004 | MISSIONS
Rover Missions Renewed as Mars Emerges from Behind Sun
(NASA - JPL) - The Mars Exploration Rovers are now active again, and NASA has decided to extend their mission for another six months.
Sep 20, 2004 | MISSIONS
Water and Methane Maps Overlap on Mars: a New Clue?
(ESA) - Mars Express data reveals that concentrations of water vapor and methane significantly overlap in the atmosphere of Mars.
Sep 02, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Exploration Rover Mission Status
(NASA - JPL) - Opportunity has resumed using its rock abrasion tool.
Aug 26, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Odyssey Begins Overtime after Successful Mission
(NASA - JPL) - NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter will now begin working overtime after completing its prime mission.
Aug 18, 2004 | MISSIONS
Bedrock in Mars' Gusev Crater Hints at Watery Past
(NASA - JPL) - Spirit has found evidence that water thoroughly altered some rocks in Mars' Gusev Crater.
Aug 11, 2004 | MISSIONS
Relays from Mars Show International Interplanetary Networking
(NASA - JPL) - Mars Express demonstrates its ability to serve as a communications link to Mars.
Aug 09, 2004 | MISSIONS
Rocks Tell Stories in Reports of Spirit's First 90 Martian Days
(NASA - JPL) - Scientific findings from Spirit's first three months on Mars were published last Friday.
Jun 28, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Rover Surprises Continue; Spirit, Too, Finds Hematite
(NASA - JPL) - Both Spirit and Opportunity have found new surprises for researchers back on Earth.
Jun 23, 2004 | MISSIONS
The Valles Marineris Canyon
(ESA) - ESA's Mars Express spacecraft continues to observe Mars and search for signs of past water activity.
Jun 15, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Rovers Going The Extra Mile
(NASA) - NASA's Mars rovers are delighting scientists with their extra credit assignments.
Jun 10, 2004 | MISSIONS
Mars Rovers Continue Unique Exploration of Mars
(NASA Â JPL) - Opportunity prepares to move forward into Endurance crater.
Dec 18, 2003 | SCIENCE
Mars May Be Emerging from an Ice Age
(NASA - JPL) - NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey missions have provided evidence of a recent ice age on Mars.
Jul 07, 2003 | SCIENCE
NASA's Odyssey Orbiter Watches a Frosty Mars
(NASA) - Mars Odyssey is revealing new information about Mars' frozen north.
Mar 11, 2003 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars Global Surveyor Unearths More Martian Secrets
(NASA JPL) - New information indicates that Mars has a liquid iron core similar to those of Earth and Venus.
Feb 19, 2003 | SCIENCE
NASA's Mars Odyssey Points to Melting Snow as Cause of Gullies
(JPL) - The visible light camera aboard NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft, along with images from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor, indicate that many eroded gullies on the Red Planet may have been caused by melting snow rather than underground springs or pressurized flows as was previously suggested.
