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What Does It Mean to Be a Martian? Identity on Another World
The first humans on Mars won't just be explorers — they'll be the founders of an entirely new branch of human civilization. What does identity…
The Psychology of Isolation: What Mars Will Do to the Human Mind
A Mars mission will push human psychology to its absolute limits. From communication delays to years of confinement, here's what the science tells us about…
Sex in Space: The Science and Ethics Nobody Wants to Talk About
If humans are going to colonize Mars, reproduction off-Earth isn't optional — it's essential. Here's what science actually knows, and what remains dangerously unresolved.
The Human Mission
A step-by-step guide to what it actually takes.
Exploration History
Every Mars mission, from Mariner 4 to today.
Mars Careers
The jobs that will get us there.
Sci-Fi & Culture
Mars through the lens of imagination.
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The Geology of Mars: What Rocks Tell Us About a Dead Planet
Mars may be geologically quiet today, but its rocks preserve billions of years of planetary history. Here's what…
Mars Dust Devils: Beautiful, Dangerous, and Everywhere
Mars dust devils are towering vortices that dwarf anything on Earth, reshaping the planet's surface and threatening spacecraft.…
How Long is a Day on Mars? Time, Calendars, and Life on the Red Planet
A Martian day — called a sol — lasts 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds. Here's how…
The Moons of Mars: Phobos, Deimos, and Their Strange Orbits
Mars has two small, misshapen moons with orbits unlike anything else in the solar system. Here's what we…
What Would Mars Sound Like? The Science of Sound on Another Planet
Mars has an atmosphere, which means it can carry sound — but not the way Earth does. Here's…
The Mars Methane Mystery: Life, Geology, or Something Else?
Mars keeps releasing small but puzzling bursts of methane — a gas that shouldn't last long in the…
Mars News
Mars Facts
Mars Has Two Tiny Moons
Phobos and Deimos are Mars's two small, irregularly shaped moons, likely captured asteroids. Phobos orbits so close to Mars that it completes an orbit in just 7 hours 39 minutes — faster than Mars rotates — and will eventually crash into the planet in roughly 50 million years.
MOXIE Proved Oxygen Can Be Made on Mars
In April 2021, NASA's MOXIE aboard Perseverance produced 5.37 grams of oxygen from the Martian atmosphere — enough for roughly 10 minutes of breathing. It proved the technology that could supply both air and rocket propellant for future missions.
Ingenuity Made First Powered Flight on Another Planet
On April 19, 2021, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter hovered for 39 seconds on Mars — the first powered, controlled flight on another planet. It carried fabric from the Wright Brothers' original Flyer.