Mars’ missing atmosphere could be hiding in plain sight
A new study shows Mars’ early thick atmosphere could be locked up in the planet’s clay surface.
A wobble from Mars could be sign of dark matter, MIT study finds
Watching for changes in the Red Planet’s orbit over time could be new way to detect passing dark matter.
Study: Rocks from Mars’ Jezero Crater, which likely predate life on Earth, contain signs of water
The presence of organic matter is inconclusive, but the rocks could be scientists’ best chance at finding remnants of ancient Martian life.
Life on Mars, together
With Project MADMEN, two MIT students experience the challenges and bonding associated with a Mars analog mission.
Study determines the original orientations of rocks drilled on Mars
The “oriented” samples, the first of their kind from any planet, could shed light on Mars’ ancient magnetic field.
Studying rivers from worlds away
A new technique uses remote images to gauge the strength of ancient and active rivers beyond Earth.
Researchers 3D print a miniature vacuum pump
The device would be a key component of a portable mass spectrometer that could help monitor pollutants, perform medical diagnoses in remote areas, or test Martian soil.
A message to meteorite hunters: Put down your magnets!
A new study shows that simple hand magnets erase a meteorite’s magnetic memory.
MIT’s MOXIE experiment reliably produces oxygen on Mars
Day and night, and across seasons, the instrument generates breathable oxygen from the Red Planet’s thin atmosphere.
On the front lines of space innovation
Aeronautics and astronautics PhD candidate George Lordos develops technologies to enable life on Mars.
MIT design for Mars propellant production trucks wins NASA competition
BART and MARGE will reliably produce, store, and distribute 50 tons of rocket fuel per year on the surface of Mars.
MIT welcomes two from the Heising-Simons Foundation 51 Pegasi b Fellowship for 2022
The fellowship supports research contributing to the field of planetary science and astronomy.
Rover images confirm Jezero crater is an ancient Martian lake
The findings include signs of flash flooding that carried huge boulders downstream into the lakebed.
Taylor Perron receives 2021 MacArthur Fellowship
In his research, the geomorphologist seeks connections among landscape evolution, biodiversity, and human history.
Aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover, MOXIE creates oxygen on Mars
Thanks to an MIT-designed instrument, a NASA mission has produced oxygen on another planet for the first time.