Mineralogy of Newfound Planets Could Point to Habitability
Astrobiologists hope that the detection of certain minerals on exoplanets by ever-more-sensitive space telescopes could indicate biochemical processes associated with life
Mars Mission Could Return Samples to Earth by 2020
A private spacecraft is planned to skim through the atmosphere of Mars to gather dust and return home, without the difficulty of landing
Extroverts Could Cause Problems on a Mission to Mars
NASA-funded research found drawbacks to having extroverts on teams in isolated and confined environments
All Aboard the 100 Year Starship
In 2012, I asked LeVar Burton (who comandeered the Scientific American website as guest editor on Wednesday) if he would join me on a trip across time and space, to another star.
Space: A New Hope or an Old Dream?
The release of a long-awaited National Academy of Sciences report on the state and future of the US space program has triggered wide-reaching commentary on what it means to be space-faring.
Humans on Mars as Soon as 2037 Should Be NASA's Goal: Panel
A prestigious panel of scientists recommends sending humans to the Red Planet as the space agency's wisest long-range goal
NASA Plans Mars Sample-Return Rover
Planetary geologists are set to narrow down a list of landing sites for a mission set for 2020
Dunes on Mars Resemble Starfleet Logos
Photo Friday: Nuclear Power Lands on Mars (2012)
NASA’s Curiosity rover landed on Mars on August 6, 2012. Its primary goals were to gather geological and environmental data from the planet.
During Medical Emergencies on Deep-Space Flights Fluid-Filled Domes Could Stanch Bleeding
A medical trauma in microgravity presents a unique set of problems. A sealed dome could isolate a wound to prevent blood droplets from drifting into a victim’s eyes, nose and throat as well as allow an unobstructed view during medical treatment
Rock-Eating Martian Microbes?
A recently published study of a 30-pound martian meteorite found in Antarctica suggests the presence of indigenous carbon-rich material, ancient water erosion, and a number of tiny structures that resemble the sort of features that we see rock-eating microbes leaving in basaltic glasses here on Earth.
Mystery of Mars ‘Doughnut’ Rock Solved
About a month ago an intriguing pair of images from NASA’s Opportunity rover on Mars showed a curious rock that had seemingly appeared our of nowhere during the course of 12 days.