Mars

Scientists have found that localized dust storms on Mars can drive water vapor into the upper atmosphere, where it breaks apart and escapes into space. The discovery, based on observations from multiple Mars orbiters, challenges prior assumptions about when and how the planet loses water. Researchers link the effect to an intense regional storm during the Northern Hemisphere summer.

March 25, 2026 Reported by AI

NASA announced on Tuesday that it will pause development of the Gateway lunar space station and repurpose its Power and Propulsion Element for SR-1 Freedom, a nuclear-electric propulsion demonstration mission to Mars launching before the end of 2028. The spacecraft will carry Skyfall helicopters to scout subsurface water ice and landing sites. Officials described the move as leveraging existing hardware to prove nuclear power in deep space.

Researchers propose using two resilient Earth microbes to create concrete-like structures from Martian regolith, potentially aiding human settlements on the Red Planet. This approach leverages biomineralization to produce building materials and oxygen on-site. The method draws from natural processes and aims to support sustainable habitats through in situ resource utilization.

December 31, 2025 Reported by AI

Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have identified 16 large drainage basins on ancient Mars, highlighting prime locations for evidence of past life. These basins, covering just 5% of the planet's ancient terrain, accounted for 42% of river erosion. The findings suggest these areas offered the most promising conditions for habitability when liquid water flowed.