Mars Science Laboratory: Curiosity Rover News & Features

NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Takes a Last Look at Mysterious Sulfur

5 min read

The rover captured a 360-degree panorama before leaving Gediz Vallis channel, a feature it’s been exploring for the past year. NASA’s Curiosity rover is preparing for the next leg of its journey, a monthslong trek to a formation called the…

Article3 weeks ago

Christine Knudson Uses Earthly Experience to Study Martian Geology

6 min read

Geologist Christine Knudson works with the Curiosity rover to explore Mars — from about 250 million miles away.

Article2 months ago
Artist concept image of an early wet Mars.

NASA: New Insights into How Mars Became Uninhabitable

5 min read

NASA’s Curiosity rover, currently exploring Gale crater on Mars, is providing new details about how the ancient Martian climate went from potentially suitable for life – with evidence for widespread liquid water on the surface – to a surface that…

Article2 months ago

Here’s How Curiosity’s Sky Crane Changed the Way NASA Explores Mars

5 min read

Twelve years ago, NASA landed its six-wheeled science lab using a daring new technology that lowers the rover using a robotic jetpack. NASA’s Curiosity rover mission is celebrating a dozen years on the Red Planet, where the six-wheeled scientist continues…

Article4 months ago
A sweeping landscape gives way to hills on the colorized horizon in this artistic Mars composite image.

UPDATED: 10 Things for Mars 10

4 min read

Scientists from around the world are gathering this week in California to take stock of the state of science from Mars and discuss goals for the next steps in exploration of the Red Planet. In the spirit of Mars 10,…

Article5 months ago

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Discovers a Surprise in a Martian Rock

5 min read

Among several recent findings, the rover has found rocks made of pure sulfur — a first on the Red Planet. Scientists were stunned on May 30 when a rock that NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover drove over cracked open to reveal…

Article5 months ago
This image of Perseverance's backshell and parachute was collected by NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 26th flight on April 19, 2022.

Mapping the Red Planet with the Power of Open Science

4 min read

Mars rovers can only make exciting new discoveries thanks to human scientists making careful decisions about their next stop. The Mars 2020 mission is aimed at exploring the geology of Jezero Crater and seeking signs of ancient microbial life on…

Article6 months ago

NASA Watches Mars Light Up During Epic Solar Storm

6 min read

In addition to producing auroras, a recent extreme storm provided more detail on how much radiation future astronauts could encounter on the Red Planet. Mars scientists have been anticipating epic solar storms ever since the Sun entered a period of…

Article6 months ago

NASA Scientists Gear Up for Solar Storms at Mars

6 min read

The Sun will be at peak activity this year, providing a rare opportunity to study how solar storms and radiation could affect future astronauts on the Red Planet. In the months ahead, two of NASA’s Mars spacecraft will have an…

Article8 months ago
A landscape scene looks out on a mostly flat surface with pools of liquid. in the middle A mountain range in the distance runs across the top of the image, punctuated by a daylight blue sky.

Why is Methane Seeping on Mars? NASA Scientists Have New Ideas

5 min read

The most surprising revelation from NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover — that methane is seeping from the surface of Gale Crater — has scientists scratching their heads. Living creatures produce most of the methane on Earth. But scientists haven’t found convincing…

Article8 months ago