New Technique May Help Find Traces of Life on Mars

Medicine & Technology May 18, 2015

Humans have always fantasized about "little green men" on Mars, and now scientists have created a new way to search for traces of alien life on the Red Planet.

NASA Hopes to Rely on Algae and Bacteria for Oxygen Production on Mars

May 16, 2015

As scientists around the world work feverishly to meet the 2030 deadline for sending humans to Mars, one of their most critical issues - oxygen production - may be solved by two very basic organisms: bacteria and algae.

Humans May Not Have to Carry Oxygen to Mars

May 14, 2015

NASA is already in the planning stages for a future trip to Mars, and one of the hurdles they must jump is how humans will breath on the Red Planet. However, instead of carrying huge oxygen tanks, future human missions may actually utilize methods to actually produce the life giving gas on the planet itself.

For the Mom Who has Everything, How About a Martian Crater?

May 09, 2015

Forget the cards and flowers. If you want to be truly original this Mother's Day, the space-funding company Uwingu will let you purchase a name, in honor of dear old Mom, for one of the 600,000 craters on the Martian surface.

NASA Wants Your Ideas for a Mars Colony

May 08, 2015

Mars is seen as the next frontier for humans. Ever since astronauts first walked on the Moon in 1969, scientists and space enthusiasts alike have dreamed of one day exploring the Red Planet. While we work on new rockets to get us to Mars, scientists are already hard at work thinking about how to build a sustainable colony on Mars. What do we need to survive? That’s the question NASA is asking the public in its latest competition.

Man's Next Endeavor In Space-Keeping Mankind Alive on Mars

May 08, 2015

As more news about Mars enters our scientific community each day, the importance of making survival on Mars a priority is thrown into sharp relief. No longer remote, science-fiction the goal of transforming Mars for ourselves with technology is at the core of our next endeavor in space.

The Red Planet Turns Blue As the Sun Sets

May 07, 2015

If you spend enough time on the surface of the Red Planet, you will be treated to something very different from Earth - a blue sunset as night falls. That's exactly what happened to NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover after waiting for three years to catch a glimpse of this phenomenon.

NASA Giving Away $29K To Someone Who Can Figure Out How To Protect Astronauts

May 06, 2015

Space radiation is one of the biggest problems that NASA faces if it wants to one day send humans to Mars. In a recent study, scientists found that exposure to this radiation can cause brain damage, meaning that astronauts making the journey may be unable to perform their duties once they arrive at the Red Planet. In an effort to come up with new ideas, NASA is offering prizes of up to $29,000 for anyone’s novel design concept that could keep crew members safe.

NASA’s Charles Bolden Discusses Why “Mars Matters”

May 06, 2015

NASA Administrator and senior science advisor to President Obama, Charles Bolden told attendees at The Humans to Mars Summit in Washington that "Mars matters."

Humanity Closer to Mars Than Ever According to NASA

May 05, 2015

While Mars may seem far away to you and me, NASA believe that humanity is actually closer than it has ever been to the Red Planet.

Signed Up to Go to Mars? Better Think Again, While You Have the Chance

May 03, 2015

We understand the drive and the passion to explore the new and unknown frontiers of space, but when it comes to the loss of cognitive function or serious IQ points, we know where to draw the line. While humans as a species, and space agencies now, have been speaking about traveling to other planets for as long as anyone can remembers, now knowing what awaits us in space may change a few of your minds—literally.

Are Ceres' Bright Spots Signs of Alien Life? NASA Wants You to Weigh In

May 02, 2015

From the moment they were discovered by NASA's Dawn spacecraft, the two bright spots on Ceres have fascinated scientists and amateur astronomers across the world. What are they and why are they there? Scientists believed that once Dawn reached orbit they would be able to learn more about these two mysterious spots, but even now they remain a mystery. NASA has made an unusual move by inviting the public to weigh in on what they believe is the nature of these two bright spots.

Cosmic Radiation Reveals Devastating Affects on the Brain—What Plans Will This Change for NASA?

May 02, 2015

When it comes to life on Earth, we’re one of the most fragile species there is. But thanks to the rather perfect confluence of circumstances and cosmic events, we’re mostly shielded from the dangers of space. Strong ultraviolet rays are kept out, our vital oxygen and water are kept in, and life continues blissfully. But what happens when we leave our own little planet in search of others? What protection do we have then?

Life Underneath Antarctica May One Day Reveal Life On Colder Planets

Apr 28, 2015

Though it may be hard to imagine life abounding in the frigid tundra that is Earth’s Antarctica, that doesn’t mean that life cannot exist there. Recent studies looking into the develop and sustainability of life in the frozen wasteland has developed promising results in showing that life may too exist on other exoplanets or exomoons further out in space that may share a similarly cold surface. But in a new study published this week in the journal Nature Communications, researchers with the University of Tennessee Knoxville have discovered a series of underground lakes that could harbor life—pointing ever-more towards the possibility of life far off from what humans can withstand.

Curiosity Finds Compelling Evidence of Liquid Water Near Martian Surface

Apr 13, 2015

NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars has detected perchlorate compounds that are able to lower the freezing point of water, allowing it to remain in liquid form near the surface. Based on the data collected from the rover, researchers believe that liquid salt water may actually exist close to the surface.