The future of Mars colonization begins with VR and video games
Games like Surviving Mars are preparing future generations of astronauts for life on the red planet.
Hope Mars Mission could change everything we know about the red planet
The UAE will launch a probe this year, making it the first Arab, Muslim-majority nation to lead an interplanetary mission.
Terraforming Mars might be impossible… for now
Making Mars more Earth-like would be a gargantuan task. From giant mirrors to tiny microbes, here's the thinking behind making Mars habitable for humans.
How TV and movies are seducing us to Mars
As we push toward Mars, Hollywood is creating more realistic portrayals. But will the Red Planet be anything like Ad Astra, The Martian or The Expanse?
Sorry Elon Musk, I refuse to die on Mars
Commentary: Godspeed, you pioneering Mars explorers of the future. You will become the heroes I could never be.
NASA's Mars 2020 rover gets an official name, 'Perseverance'
The new robot will join the ranks of Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity on the Red Planet within 12 months.
Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet
At least three major efforts are underway to put boots on the fourth planet from the sun. Here's a visual look at each road map to the Red Planet.
Scientists 3D-print human skin and bone for Mars astronauts
Mars explorers could turn to 3D printers to treat burns and broken bones.
The Latest
NASA Mars Rover Has a New Pet Rock Along for the Ride
A pair of Martian rocks have hitched their fortunes to the Perseverance rover.
NASA Images Confirm China's Zhurong Mars Rover Hasn't Budged in Months
China's famously secretive space agency has kept quiet on the health of the rover.
NASA Captures 10 Mars Rover Sample Tubes in a Single Glorious Image
The agency stitches together 368 images to document the Perseverance rover's epic Mars sample depot.
NASA Spots Surprise Evidence of Ancient Water Ripples on Mars
It's the clearest evidence of waves and water the Curiosity rover has ever found.
NASA Spots Mars Rock That's Not Like the Others
The Curiosity rover got up close and personal with a gorgeous meteorite.
This Mars Rock Looks Like a Funky Chicken, and I Love It
NASA's Curiosity rover delivers some Mars amusement with a photo of an oddball rock.
NASA Mars Helicopter Snaps Awesome Views on Aerial Scouting Mission
Ingenuity is scoping out the Martian landscape for its rover buddy Perseverance.
NASA Looks Down at Mars, Spots Bear's Face Looking Back
But what, exactly, created the funny formation?
NASA Mars Rover Triumphantly Completes First Sample Depot on Another World
Ten tubes full of Mars samples are now on the ground.
NASA Perseverance Rover Poses for Striking Mars Sample Depot Selfie
Say cheese, Percy. You're doing your part to get Mars rocks back to Earth.
Goofy Mars Rock Spotted by NASA Rover Might Be a Meteorite
The lumpy rock may have an off-world origin story.
Welcome to Mars
Humanity has daydreamed of missions to Mars since the 1960s. We haven't yet put a human on the surface, but we have sent three robots. Our understanding of the planet has grown exponentially in the last decade.
Elon Musk thinks we'll get there before 2025, but how do we get there? What happens when humans land on the surface? How will we survive and how do we transform the red planet into a place worth living on?
In 2020, four separate space agencies are planning groundbreaking missions to Mars: China is sending its first rover to the surface; NASA is sending a four-pound helicopter; Europe and Russia are sending another rover to search for signs of life; and the United Arab Emirates is sending an orbiter to create the first "truly global picture of the Martian atmosphere."
There's never been a more exciting time to explore the red planet. Welcome to Mars.