Mars Exploration News

New York Times • Kenneth Chang

Perseverance sample from Martian lakebed shows potential biosignatures; Earth return and confirmation in doubt

NASA's Perseverance rover collected a reddish, sedimentary 'Sapphire Canyon' rock from Jezero's river-channel/lakebed that contains organics, iron‑phosphate and iron‑sulfide textures and microscopic 'leopard‑spot' features that could indicate ancient microbes. Scientists caution the minerals also form abiotically, and plans to return the sample to Earth for definitive lab analysis are uncertain.

2025-09-10T08:03:52.240286-07:00

Wall Street Journal

Starship’s 10th Test Flight Largely Successful — Deploys Eight Mock Starlink Sats and Validates Heat‑Shield Tiles

2025-08-26T18:23:49.861540-07:00

Space.com

SpaceX calls off 10th Starship test flight after ground‑systems glitch, delaying Mars timeline

2025-08-24T16:53:27.853236-07:00

CNN

SpaceX Starship Test Flight 9 Breaks Up on Uncontrolled Reentry

2025-05-27T16:45:41.810943-07:00

Mars Exploration News Timeline

Aviation Week

NASA selects four crewmembers for second 378‑day Mars surface simulation NASA has selected four crewmembers for its second 378‑day simulation of living and working on the surface of Mars. The year‑long, Earth‑based analog will recreate Mars surface conditions to assess long‑duration habitation, mission operations and crew performance ahead of future crewed missions.

2025-09-11T01:41:47.222852-07:00

NASA selects four crewmembers for second 378‑day Mars surface simulation

Task & Purpose

NASA names Air Force test pilot, Space Force ex‑ICBM officer and Marine F/A‑18 pilot to year‑long Mars simulation NASA has named Major Ross Elder, a U.S. Air Force test pilot, alongside a Space Force officer with prior ICBM duty and a Marine Corps F/A‑18 pilot to crew a year‑long Mars analog mission designed to study long‑duration crewed operations and systems performance in isolated, Mars‑like conditions.

2025-09-10T14:37:08.189815-07:00

NASA names Air Force test pilot, Space Force ex‑ICBM officer and Marine F/A‑18 pilot to year‑long Mars simulation

New York Times

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Perseverance sample from Martian lakebed shows potential biosignatures; Earth return and confirmation in doubt NASA's Perseverance rover collected a reddish, sedimentary 'Sapphire Canyon' rock from Jezero's river-channel/lakebed that contains organics, iron‑phosphate and iron‑sulfide textures and microscopic 'leopard‑spot' features that could indicate ancient microbes. Scientists caution the minerals also form abiotically, and plans to return the sample to Earth for definitive lab analysis are uncertain.

2025-09-10T08:03:52.240286-07:00

Perseverance sample from Martian lakebed shows potential biosignatures; Earth return and confirmation in doubt

NASA

Perseverance’s 'Sapphire Canyon' Sample Shows Potential Biosignatures — Earth Return Needed to Confirm NASA’s Perseverance rover recovered a 'Sapphire Canyon' rock from Jezero Crater containing organics and iron‑phosphate and iron‑sulfide textures, plus tiny 'leopard‑spot' and 'poppy‑seed' features that could be biosignatures. Confirmation requires returning the sample to Earth for laboratory analysis, and return plans remain uncertain.

2025-09-10T06:15:30.161185-07:00

Perseverance’s 'Sapphire Canyon' Sample Shows Potential Biosignatures — Earth Return Needed to Confirm

spacecoastdaily.com

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NASA names Amit Kshatriya associate administrator to lead Artemis and exploration programs Acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy appointed Amit Kshatriya — a 20‑year NASA veteran — as the agency’s associate administrator and top civil‑service official to oversee exploration, including leadership of Artemis moon and Mars programs as NASA shifts emphasis toward exploration.

2025-09-03T21:04:49.561327-07:00

NASA names Amit Kshatriya associate administrator to lead Artemis and exploration programs

Leonard David

X-37B Carries NASA HIAD Inflatable Aeroshell to Test Mars-Entry Decelerator The U.S. Space Force X-37B is flying NASA's HIAD inflatable aeroshell experiment — a follow-on to 2022's LOFTID — to validate inflatable decelerator technologies aimed at enabling atmospheric entry for future crewed Mars missions. The flight coincides with congressional consideration of $1 billion for the X-37B program.

2025-08-30T06:22:59.441419-07:00

X-37B Carries NASA HIAD Inflatable Aeroshell to Test Mars-Entry Decelerator

Wall Street Journal

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Starship’s 10th Test Flight Largely Successful — Deploys Eight Mock Starlink Sats and Validates Heat‑Shield Tiles On Aug. 26 SpaceX's tenth Starship test flight reached space, deployed eight mock Starlink satellites — the vehicle's first orbital payload release — and tested new heat‑shield tiles during atmospheric reentry before splashing down, delivering key development milestones after earlier test failures and restoring program momentum.

2025-08-26T18:23:49.861540-07:00

Starship’s 10th Test Flight Largely Successful — Deploys Eight Mock Starlink Sats and Validates Heat‑Shield Tiles

Space.com

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SpaceX calls off 10th Starship test flight after ground‑systems glitch, delaying Mars timeline SpaceX scrubbed the planned 10th Starship test flight at its Starbase complex after a ground‑systems glitch, pausing the vehicle's orbital test program. The abort is the latest setback for the megarocket and will push back Elon Musk’s schedule for Starship‑dependent Mars plans.

2025-08-24T16:53:27.853236-07:00

SpaceX calls off 10th Starship test flight after ground‑systems glitch, delaying Mars timeline

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Our Mars Exploration news feed is the go-to source for the latest discoveries, mission updates, and technological advancements related to the Red Planet. With a focus on the international efforts to explore Mars, from robotic rovers to plans for human colonization, our coverage tracks humanity's progress in uncovering the secrets of our celestial neighbor.