Mars

Spare parts mean more weight, more expense and less science. What if the redundancy worked differently?

It might mean life, it might mean unusual geologic activity; whichever it is, the presence of methane in the atmospheres of Mars and Titan is one of the most tantalizing puzzles in our solar system

Localized gas plumes may point to biological or geologic activity

An outer shell rotating relative to its core could unify the histories of some of Mars's odder surface features

Inspired by a game he created on a long drive as a kid, a 1977 Westinghouse finalist became a math professor

Surface-penetrating radar reveals features composed of ice, not rock

A decision must be made by the next chief executive soon on the space shuttle's fate, for starters

Unexpected chemical in Martian soil is a food source for some Earthly microbes

Mission extended five weeks until late September

For more SciAm.com coverage of the Phoenix Lander's mission on Mars, click here

To see what extraterrestrial life might be like, scientists are busy studying freshwater coral reef–like structures in a Canadian lake

A Q&A with an engineer who helped design the camera now imaging the surface of the Red Planet