Extraterrestrial Life

NASA's Curiosity has completed its longest trek yet. The Mars rover journeyed more than 30 meters on its 29th Martian day, which ended September 5 at 2:37 A.M.

Like an adventurer of old, NASA's Curiosity rover is using its spyglass to scope out some as-yet unexplored environs.

Shortly after NASA's Curiosity rover touched down on Mars, the robot poked its head up and started taking a look around.

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which yesterday delivered a stunning photo of the Curiosity rover descending on its parachute toward a safe landing, has followed up with another look at the mobile laboratory.

Scientific American contributor David Appell talks with Mars Science Lab Project leader John Grotzinger, professor of geology at Caltech, about the plans for the rover on the Martian surface

Less than an hour after NASA received confirmation that the Curiosity rover was safely on the Martian surface, some principal members of the mission briefed the press. This is an edited presentation of that briefing, which started at about 11:20 P.M, Pacific time on August 5th.

After successfully completing its complex series of landing maneuvers, the Curiosity rover is on the Martian surface and ready to begin exploration. John Matson reports

After successfully completing its complex series of landing maneuvers, the Curiosity rover is on the Martian surface and ready to begin exploration. John Matson reports

The elaborate landing of the $2.5-billion mission went off without apparent incident

Gliese 581 g shot to the top of a list put out by researchers at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo’s Planetary Habitability Laboratory (PHL) after a new study marshaled support for its long-debated existence

Despite the cancellation of the Terrestrial Planet Finder telescope, astrobiologists are modeling possible chemical biomarkers that could be used to detect indicators of life on newfound worlds

The Curiosity rover is set to begin exploring Mars on August 6. But first it has to land. John Matson reports