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NASA's Perseverance Rover Reveals Water's Impact on Mars' Jezero Crater Rocks

NASA's Perseverance Rover Reveals Water's Impact on Mars' Jezero Crater Rocks

NASA's Perseverance rover has discovered that water played a significant role in forming minerals across Mars' Jezero Crater. The rover's findings, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, show that different rock formations in the crater share similar mineral fingerprints, indicating a watery past. The study, led by Elise Clavé, reveals that igneous and sedimentary rocks in the crater contain water-linked minerals, suggesting widespread water influence. The presence of carbonates, formed from reactions between rocks and carbon dioxide with water, points to past aqueous processes that shaped the Martian landscape.
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NASA's Psyche Mission Utilizes Mars Flyby for Trajectory Adjustment and Instrument Testing

NASA's Psyche Mission Utilizes Mars Flyby for Trajectory Adjustment and Instrument Testing

NASA's Psyche mission, launched in 2023, is on a 2.2-billion-mile journey to the metal-rich asteroid Psyche, expected to arrive in August 2029. As part of its trajectory, the spacecraft is performing a gravity assist flyby of Mars, which will increase its speed and align it with the asteroid's orbit. During this maneuver, the mission team is also testing the spacecraft's instruments and collecting scientific data. The Psyche spacecraft will pass approximately 2,800 miles above Mars, capturing images and data that will help refine its instruments for the asteroid encounter. The mission aims to study the asteroid's surface and composition, potentially revealing insights into the early solar system.
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NASA's Curiosity Rover Successfully Dislodges Stuck Rock on Mars

NASA's Curiosity Rover Successfully Dislodges Stuck Rock on Mars

NASA's Curiosity rover encountered a challenge when a rock became lodged in its drill after a sample collection on April 25, 2026. Engineers worked to reposition the rover's arm and vibrate the drill to dislodge the rock, which eventually broke into pieces on May 1. The rock, nicknamed 'Atacama,' was approximately 1.5 feet in diameter and 6 inches thick. This incident highlights the complexities of conducting robotic operations on Mars, where unexpected obstacles can arise during scientific missions.
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NASA's Curiosity Rover Successfully Completes New Drilling on Mars

NASA's Curiosity Rover Successfully Completes New Drilling on Mars

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has successfully completed a new drilling operation into a large block target on Mars. This achievement follows a challenging period where the rover's drill became lodged in a previous target known as 'Atacama.' The team behind Curiosity employed a series of carefully planned robotic arm maneuvers to free the drill, ensuring the health of the equipment before proceeding with the new drilling task. Michelle Minitti, Deputy Principal Investigator of Curiosity's Mars Hand Lens Imager, highlighted the meticulous planning involved in the operation. The successful drilling marks a continuation of Curiosity's mission to explore the Martian surface, providing valuable data for ongoing scientific research.
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NASA's Curiosity Rover Successfully Detaches Rock on Mars

NASA's Curiosity Rover Successfully Detaches Rock on Mars

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover encountered a challenge when it inadvertently pulled an entire rock off the Martian surface while drilling a sample on April 25, 2026. The rock, nicknamed 'Atacama,' was approximately 1.5 feet in diameter and 6 inches thick. Engineers spent several days repositioning the rover's robotic arm and vibrating the drill to dislodge the rock. On May 1, the rock finally detached, breaking into pieces. This incident highlights the complexities and unexpected challenges faced during extraterrestrial exploration. The rock's removal was documented by Curiosity's Mast Camera, providing valuable data for ongoing geological studies on Mars.
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SpaceX Dragon Launches to Resupply International Space Station with Scientific Cargo

SpaceX Dragon Launches to Resupply International Space Station with Scientific Cargo

On May 15, 2026, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the Dragon cargo spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This mission marks the 34th commercial resupply mission by SpaceX under contract with NASA. The Dragon spacecraft is carrying nearly 6,500 pounds of cargo, including scientific experiments and supplies, to the International Space Station (ISS) for the Expedition 74 crew. The spacecraft is scheduled to autonomously dock with the ISS on May 17, 2026. Among the scientific payloads are experiments to study microgravity conditions, bone health, and changes in red blood cells and the spleen in space. Additionally, the mission includes instruments to study charged particles around Earth and to take precise measurements of sunlight reflected by Earth and the Moon.
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NASA's Psyche Probe Utilizes Mars Gravity for Asteroid Mission

NASA's Psyche Probe Utilizes Mars Gravity for Asteroid Mission

NASA's Psyche probe is set to perform a gravity assist maneuver by passing close to Mars, which will help propel it towards its ultimate destination, a metal-rich asteroid named Psyche. Launched in October 2023, the spacecraft is on a 2.2 billion-mile journey to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The flyby, occurring at a distance of 2,800 miles from Mars, will allow the probe to conserve its xenon gas propellant by using the planet's gravitational pull to adjust its trajectory. This maneuver is part of a broader mission to study the asteroid, believed to be the remnant core of an ancient protoplanet, which is composed largely of metals such as iron, nickel, and gold. The mission aims to provide insights into the formation of Earth and other rocky planets.
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NASA's Perseverance Rover Captures Selfie in Mars' Geologically Rich Western Frontier

NASA's Perseverance Rover Captures Selfie in Mars' Geologically Rich Western Frontier

NASA's Perseverance rover has captured a new selfie on Mars, marking its farthest journey west since landing in 2021. The image, composed of 61 individual photographs, was taken during the rover's fifth science campaign near the western edge of Jezero Crater. This area is considered one of the oldest and most geologically interesting terrains explored by the Mars 2020 mission. The rover used its abrasion tool to grind a circular patch into a rock, revealing igneous minerals formed from molten rock billions of years ago. This discovery suggests that the Arathusa area may offer insights into Mars' ancient crust and volcanic history, unlike the sediment-rich river delta explored earlier in the mission.
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NASA's Psyche Probe Utilizes Mars Gravity Boost for Asteroid Mission

NASA's Psyche Probe Utilizes Mars Gravity Boost for Asteroid Mission

NASA's Psyche probe is set to perform a gravity assist maneuver by passing close to Mars, which will help propel it towards its ultimate destination, the largest known metallic asteroid in the solar system. Launched in October 2023, the probe is on a 2.2 billion-mile journey to explore the asteroid, believed to be the remnant core of an ancient protoplanet. The Mars flyby, occurring at a distance of 2,800 miles from the planet, is designed to conserve the probe's xenon gas propellant by using the planet's gravitational pull to adjust its trajectory. This maneuver also provides an opportunity for the mission team to calibrate the probe's scientific instruments, including cameras that capture images in various wavelengths. The Psyche mission aims to reach the asteroid by August 2029, where it will orbit and study the celestial body for 26 months.
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NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Conducts Mars Flyby En Route to Metal Asteroid

NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Conducts Mars Flyby En Route to Metal Asteroid

NASA's Psyche spacecraft is performing a gravity assist flyby of Mars to increase its speed and adjust its trajectory towards the asteroid Psyche. This maneuver involves the spacecraft passing within 2,800 miles of Mars, capturing images and testing its scientific instruments. The mission, launched in 2023, aims to study the metal-rich asteroid, believed to be the exposed core of a protoplanet. The flyby provides an opportunity to refine the spacecraft's instruments and gather data on Mars, offering a unique view of the planet's crescent phase.
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NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Utilizes Mars Flyby for Gravity Boost on Journey to Metal Asteroid

NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Utilizes Mars Flyby for Gravity Boost on Journey to Metal Asteroid

NASA's Psyche spacecraft is currently executing a flyby of Mars to gain a gravity boost as it continues its journey to a rare metal asteroid named Psyche. This maneuver is part of a six-year mission that began in 2023, with the spacecraft expected to reach its destination in 2029. The flyby will bring the spacecraft within 2,800 miles of Mars, allowing it to capture thousands of images for both scientific and navigational purposes. The mission aims to study the asteroid, which is believed to be the exposed nickel and iron core of a protoplanet, providing insights into the early solar system and the formation of Earth. The spacecraft is equipped with solar electric propulsion and will use xenon gas thrusters to navigate through space.
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NASA's Psyche Mission Utilizes Mars Flyby for Asteroid Exploration

NASA's Psyche Mission Utilizes Mars Flyby for Asteroid Exploration

NASA's Psyche spacecraft is conducting a gravity assist flyby of Mars to gain speed and align its trajectory towards the metal-rich asteroid Psyche. The spacecraft, launched in 2023, is on a 2.2-billion-mile journey to reach the asteroid by 2029. During the Mars flyby, Psyche will pass approximately 2,800 miles above the planet, capturing images and testing its instruments. This maneuver allows the mission team to practice data collection and refine their equipment for the main mission. The flyby also offers a unique perspective of Mars, capturing images of the planet's crescent phase.