Tag: #mars

Japan Launches MMX Probe to Study Mars' Moons, Seeks Phobos Sample Return

JAXA launched the MMX spacecraft from Tanegashima on Oct. 20 JST to study Phobos and Deimos and attempt the first sample return from the Martian moons.

#space, #jaxa, #mars, #phobos

Japan Sets Precise Launch Time for MMX Mission to Mars' Moons

JAXA set a firm launch time for the MMX mission: liftoff aboard H3 from Tanegashima at 4:41:03 a.m. JST on Oct. 20. MMX will study Phobos and Deimos and return samples in 2031.

#mmx, #jaxa, #mars, #space

NASA awards Blue Origin up to $700 million contract to build Mars telecommunications network

NASA selected Blue Origin to build and operate a Mars Telecommunications Network under a contract worth up to $700M; an orbiter is due by Dec. 31, 2028.

#nasa, #blueorigin, #mars, #space, #telecommunications

NASA Taps Relativity Space to Deliver Aeolus Mars Atmospheric Mission in 2028

NASA will provide the Aeolus science payload while Relativity Space supplies spacecraft, rocket and operations to deliver it to Mars in 2028.

#nasa, #relativityspace, #mars, #space

NASA Confirms End of MAVEN Mission After More Than 11 Years at Mars

NASA says MAVEN, its Mars atmosphere orbiter last heard from Dec. 6, 2025, is unrecoverable after an anomaly that likely drained its batteries.

#mars, #nasa, #space, #maven

JPL Spins Rotor Tips Beyond Mach 1 in Simulated Martian Air, Boosting Lift Prospects

JPL tested rotor tips at Mach 1.08 in a simulated Mars atmosphere, a milestone that could raise lift for future Mars helicopters by ~30%.

#nasa, #mars, #rotorcraft, #aerospace

Curiosity Finds Most Chemically Diverse Organic Molecules on Mars, Including Seven New Compounds

Curiosity's Glen Torridon sample from 2020 yielded 20+ organic molecules — seven never before seen on Mars — indicating ancient rocks can preserve complex carbon chemistry.

#mars, #curiosity, #organics, #space, #science