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Ancient Martian Meteorite Suggests Early Water Cycle on Mars

Ancient Martian Meteorite Suggests Early Water Cycle on Mars

A meteorite discovered in the Sahara Desert has been identified as originating from Mars approximately 4.1 billion years ago. Analysis by NASA-funded researchers revealed that this meteorite, named 'Tegaza 001,' formed in the crust of Mars during its early history. Initially classified as a common type of Martian meteorite, further high-precision analysis by Yang Liu and colleagues at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in collaboration with the California Institute of Technology, determined its ancient origin. This makes Tegaza 001 one of the three oldest Martian meteorites ever found on Earth. The findings suggest the existence of a significant water cycle on Mars during its early formation, indicating a potentially more Earth-like past for the red planet.

NASA Astronaut Anil Menon and CSA Astronaut Joshua Kutryk Complete ISS Solar Array Installation

NASA Astronaut Anil Menon and CSA Astronaut Joshua Kutryk Complete ISS Solar Array Installation

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk successfully completed a six-hour, 59-minute spacewalk on November 5, 2026. During this spacewalk, designated U.S. Spacewalk 101, they installed and deployed the eighth and final International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA) on the 3B channel of the space station. This achievement marks the completion of the power augmentation upgrades for the ISS, a process that began in February 2021. The installation of these eight arrays has increased the station's power generation capacity from 160 kilowatts to approximately 215 kilowatts. This spacewalk was Menon's fifth and Kutryk's second, and it was the 286th spacewalk in support of ISS assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

Moon's Radius Shrinks by 45 Meters Over 400 Million Years, Generating Lunar Faults and Moonquakes

Moon's Radius Shrinks by 45 Meters Over 400 Million Years, Generating Lunar Faults and Moonquakes

A recent study published in The Planetary Science Journal in October 2026 has revealed that the Moon's radius has shrunk by approximately 45 meters over the past 400 million years due to internal cooling and contraction. This gradual shrinking process has led to the formation of over 10,000 young faults on the lunar surface, known as lobate scarps. These cliff-like landforms are created by compressional forces that cause the Moon's crust to wrinkle and break. Slippage along these lunar faults can generate moonquakes, which, unlike Earth's seismic activity concentrated at tectonic plate boundaries, can occur across the Moon's single-plate structure. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) has provided images crucial for studying these lunar surface features.

NASA just opened applications for astronauts. Here's how you can qualify

NASA just opened applications for astronauts. Here's how you can qualify

Think you have what it takes to be an astronaut? NASA just opened applications for the first time in two years. Here's how to apply.

NASA CHAPEA Mission 2 Crew Completes 378-Day Simulated Mars Mission

NASA CHAPEA Mission 2 Crew Completes 378-Day Simulated Mars Mission

Four research volunteers, Ross Elder, Ellen Ellis, James Spicer, and Matthew Montgomery, have successfully completed NASA’s second yearlong Mars surface simulation, CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) Mission 2. After 378 days inside the Mars Dune Alpha habitat at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the crew emerged on October 31, 2026. During their isolation, they engaged in simulated Marswalks, robotic operations, habitat maintenance, exercise, and crop cultivation. The mission aimed to collect critical health and performance data while the crew navigated limited resources and communication delays of up to 22 minutes each way, mirroring conditions of a real Mars mission.

University of California, Riverside Scientist Develops Lifeless Earth Simulation to Aid Exoplanet Life Detection

University of California, Riverside Scientist Develops Lifeless Earth Simulation to Aid Exoplanet Life Detection

Planetary scientist Samantha Gilbert-Janizek of the University of California, Riverside, has created a computer simulation that models the evolution of Earth without any biological activity. This simulation, developed in collaboration with Rory Barnes of the University of Washington, tracks Earth's development from its formation 4.5 billion years ago to 500 million years into the future. The model aims to establish a baseline for what a rocky planet's atmosphere and surface would look like in the absence of life. It reveals that a lifeless Earth could still possess oceans and an atmosphere, with an average temperature of 14 degrees Celsius and 8% cloud cover, closely mirroring pre-industrial Earth in many aspects, but notably lacking oxygen, ozone, and methane.

Orbiter Detects Signs of Recent Volcanic Activity on Mars, Implications for Ancient Life

Orbiter Detects Signs of Recent Volcanic Activity on Mars, Implications for Ancient Life

An international team of researchers, utilizing data from the European and Russian ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter collected in 2021, has found evidence suggesting recent volcanic activity on Mars. The orbiter detected hydrogen chloride gas emissions, which scientists believe are being released from hot magma deep beneath the Martian surface. This discovery is supported by the identification of intriguing new fissures, thousands of feet in length, along the flanks of Alba Mons, the largest volcano on Mars by surface area. These fissures exhibit discolorations, which researchers hypothesize are mineral deposits left by seeping gases, similar to volcanic gas vents on Earth. This research challenges the long-held belief that Mars is geologically dead, indicating it may have retained enough internal heat to support volcanic activity until recently, and possibly still does. The findings were detailed in a new paper published in the journal Science Advances.

Mysterious Gas on Mars Suggests Subsurface Magma Activity

Mysterious Gas on Mars Suggests Subsurface Magma Activity

Scientists have detected hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas near the Martian volcano Alba Mons, suggesting the presence of active magma beneath the surface. The detections were made by the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS) aboard the Trace Gas Orbiter, a joint mission of the European Space Agency and Roscosmos. Notably, the HCl was detected during aphelion, when Mars is farthest from the Sun and HCl is typically absent from its atmosphere. This out-of-season timing and localized presence, combined with the region's unique geology, point to volcanic outgassing. This finding adds to growing evidence, including recent marsquakes, that Mars' interior may be more active than previously assumed, challenging the long-held belief that the planet is geologically dead.

Teghaza 001 Meteorite, a 'Rosetta Stone' for Early Mars, Discovered in Sahara Desert

Teghaza 001 Meteorite, a 'Rosetta Stone' for Early Mars, Discovered in Sahara Desert

A NASA-funded study has confirmed that the Teghaza 001 meteorite, an 800-gram rose-colored rock found in the Sahara Desert in 2022, originated from Mars over 4.1 billion years ago. This rare meteorite is considered a pristine fragment of the Red Planet’s primordial crust and is one of approximately 435 confirmed Martian meteorites on Earth. Researchers describe it as a geological 'Rosetta Stone' for early Mars. The meteorite crystallized from cooling magma in the Martian crust during the planet’s Noachian era. Spectroscopic and mineralogical data from the meteorite align with observations from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), pointing to 13 potential source areas, primarily in the heavily cratered southern highlands of Mars. It was ejected into interplanetary space following a massive asteroid or comet impact before eventually intersecting Earth’s orbit. Oxygen isotope analysis at the University of New Mexico confirmed its Martian origin.

NASA GISS Scientist Dr. Reto A. Ruedy Contributes to Climate Change Research and Planetary Climate Modeling

NASA GISS Scientist Dr. Reto A. Ruedy Contributes to Climate Change Research and Planetary Climate Modeling

Dr. Reto A. Ruedy, associated with Autonomic Integra LLC and the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), is actively involved in significant climate research. His recent publications highlight contributions to several key areas. In 2026, he co-authored a study on the NASA-GISS ModelE2.1-CC2 Earth System Model, focusing on its development and simulations. Another 2026 publication details a modeling framework for asynchronous land-atmosphere coupling using NASA GISS ModelE and LPJ-LMfire, designed for evaluating a 2.5 ka period. A 2025 paper, co-authored by J.E. Hansen and J. Kelly, questions whether the United Nations and the public are well-informed about the acceleration of global warming. Additionally, Dr. Ruedy contributed to the 2025 update of the ROCKE-3D general circulation model, which is used for simulating the climates of rocky planets. His work also includes a 2024 publication on a GISTEMPv4 observational uncertainty ensemble.

NASA's Artemis II Launch Creates Continent-Sized Ionospheric Disturbances, Potentially Affecting GPS Accuracy

NASA's Artemis II Launch Creates Continent-Sized Ionospheric Disturbances, Potentially Affecting GPS Accuracy

NASA's Artemis II mission, which sent four astronauts around the Moon, caused significant temporary disturbances in Earth's ionosphere. A new study, led by scientists at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, indicates that the rocket temporarily stripped electrons from the upper atmosphere, creating two disturbances each stretching approximately 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) across the Americas. These effects were up to 10 times more intense than those observed from SpaceX Starship test flights. The first disturbance occurred during the Space Launch System core stage's ascent, while the second, more prominent one, happened over an hour after liftoff when the upper stage fired its engine twice directly within the ionosphere. This exhaust chemically reacted with the charged gas, depleting electrons over a wide area. The research utilized high-precision ground-based GPS receivers, typically used for tracking tectonic plate motion, to map these electron changes.

On This Day in 1967: Apollo 4 Launches NASA's First Saturn V

On This Day in 1967: Apollo 4 Launches NASA's First Saturn V

Apollo 4, also known as Apollo-Saturn 501 and AS-501, marked a pivotal moment in the United States' Apollo program. Launched on November 9, 1967, f...