Smithsonian Magazine on MSN

Mars rover spots complex carbon on the red planet, marking yet another detection of a building block of life

NASA’s Perseverance rover has detected complex molecules of carbon on the surface of Mars. These compounds, known as ...
Space on MSN

Mars orbiter watches Perseverance cross the finish line | Space photo of the day for June 29, 2026

On June 14, 2026, NASA's Perseverance Mars rover completed a marathon, or 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers) as a spacecraft ...

Perseverance Has Officially 'Run' a Marathon on Mars

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took this photo as Perseverance crossed the 42-kilometer finish line—or is it a starting ...
New Atlas

Lizard-inspired wiggly wheels let Mars rover swim through sand

The sandfish lizard moves very efficiently through the sands of the Sahara desert, and not surprisingly, it doesn't use ...
Space on MSN

NASA's Perseverance rover spots Mars helicopter Ingenuity that flew for the 72nd and final flight

The NASA Perseverance rover's left Mastcam-Z camera captured an image of Mars helicopter Ingenuity. The little Red Planet ...

Mysterious yellow crystals on Mars may soon have an explanation

NASA's Curiosity rover found pure sulfur crystals inside a rock after backing over and accidentally crushing it on May 30, ...

Mars rover's camera hit with charged particles from solar storm

The Mars Curiosity rover had to weather a solar storm. Specks seen in the video the rover captured are "caused by charged ...

NASA's Perseverance discovers a rich cache of organic molecules on Mars, suggesting the building blocks of life were widespread on the ancient Red Planet

Scientists have detected complex organic matter in an ancient river valley on Mars, specifically within Jezero Crater. This ...