It is a hot debate bracketed by cold hard facts: What are the best methods for handling Mars samples here on Earth? Planetary protection is a measure to safeguard our world from any contamination that ...

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover took this selfie, made up of 62 individual images, in July 2024. (NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS) A rock sample collected by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover may contain ...

What is not controversial is that NASA needs a new spacecraft capable of relaying communications from Mars to Earth. NASA’s ...

Within the next decade, space agencies plan to bring samples of rock from Mars to Earth for study. Of concern is the possibility these samples contain life, which could have unforeseen consequences.

NASA's beleaguered Mars Sample Return program currently faces extreme costs of up to $11 billion and a timeline that could reach 2040. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an ...

Northrop Grumman has successfully ground tested the motor that could be used for the historic first orbital rocket launch from another planet. The solid rocket booster is intended to help return the ...

The new test proved the capability of a new propellant that will enhance the rocket's performance, making a sample return mission from Mars increasingly viable. Share on Facebook (opens in a new ...

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Two new potential ...

NASA has two options for bringing rock and sediment samples from Mars to Earth, but will let the incoming Trump administration decide which course to take. An independent review board found that the ...

On day one of this administration, the president included his ambitions for Mars in his inaugural address, and again several weeks later to a joint session of Congress: “We are going to conquer the ...