Mars
Mars, also known as the Red Planet because of the rich iron oxide that covers its surface, is the second-smallest planet in the Solar System and one of the closest neighbours to Earth. Named after the Roman god of war, Mars has been known to humans since the age of the ancient Egyptians and has fascinated astronomers for thousands of years. Although we are yet to discover Martians, it remains one of the most important sites in the search for alien life, and has been the home of the Mars Curiosity Rover since 2012. Maybe one day, with nations like China and companies like SpaceX investing heavily, it will be a home for humans.
A city on Mars: Have we really thought this through?
A Mars base might be filled with some annoying housemates, but that doesn't mean we can't aspire to setting up a permanent settlement there.
The science of Dune | Could we terraform Mars?
Dune is set on a desert planet in a distant star system, where science has enabled humans to live and breathe. Could we use the same technology to terraform Mars?
Scientists finally solve mystery of Mars's core
Scientists read the planet’s ‘pulse’ to work out what’s actually going on inside.
Ultimate guide to Mars | Interesting facts, figures and fun questions about the Red Planet
Join us on a journey to the fourth planet from the Sun with amazing facts, incredible images and vital information about Mars.
Women (probably) make for better astronauts. So should the first crew to Mars be all-female?
A new study carried out by the European Space Agency suggests that women may be better suited to space travel than men.
Instant Genius Podcast | The food of the future
How humans will be eating in decades' time – on Earth and Mars.
Mars in opposition: How to see the Red Planet at its biggest and brightest tonight
It's our best opportunity to see the Red Planet until 2025, and tomorrow morning we're in for a rare treat.
Instant Genius podcast | Mars in opposition, with Dr Stu Clark
This week Mars will be lit up by our Sun, providing astronomers and amateur stargazers a wonderful chance to study the Red Planet.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has found organic material deposited under conditions where life could have thrived
The rover has now collected 12 scientifically-compelling rock samples that are due to be brought back to Earth in 2033.
Mars rover’s MOXIE oxygen generator one step closer to supporting human life on the Red Planet
The small instrument, stored on NASA's Perseverance rover, can produce oxygen at the same rate as a tree on Earth.
Rock samples collected by Perseverance rover hold tantalising clues about water and life on Mars
The samples will be returned to Earth for study in the 2030s.
Instant Genius Podcast | Life on Mars, with Lewis Dartnell
Lewis Dartnell, an astrobiologist and research scientist at the University of Westminster, explains what we might find in the search for life on Mars.
Europe’s Martian orbiter releases incredible pictures of the Red Planet’s ‘Grand Canyon’
The images taken by ESA’s Mars Express orbiter show the vast scale of Mars’s Valles Marineris canyon system.
Could bringing back samples of Martian rock contaminate the Earth with foreign microbes?
NASA and ESA plan to bring back samples or rock, soil and air from the Red Planet within the next two decades.
For All Mankind: What’s stopping us from going to Mars?
The third series of this sci-fi drama posits an alternative timeline in which humans visit Mars in the 1990s. So could we soon be flying to the Red Planet?
Dancing planets: How can I see Venus, Saturn and Mars this week?
Take advantage of the clear skies and look out for the three planets as they come into view.
A Year on Mars: What has Perseverance achieved?
It’s been a mission of firsts, and it’s still going strong.
Tonga Volcano | What the once-in-a-lifetime eruption can teach us about the history of Mars
The eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano is thought to be a once-in-a-lifetime event. Now, scientists studying the explosion are uncovering information that may help us better understand Mars's volcanic past.
Mars Sample Return: The mission that will bring home a piece of another planet
An ESA scientist tells us why we’re bringing samples home from Mars.
The plans to build a Martian mega city you’d actually want to travel 300 million km to live in
With more missions reaching the Red Planet, a human landing glints on the horizon. But what could the first permanent Mars metropolis look like?
There may still be active volcanoes on Mars
Volcanic activity on the Red Planet may produce conditions capable of supporting microbial life, study finds.
Could there be fossils on Mars?
Asked by: Emily Hunter, Leicester
NASA's Ingenuity becomes first helicopter to fly on another planet
The small helicopter successfully took flight on the Red Planet on Monday.
Mars Ingenuity Helicopter | Why drones are the future of space exploration
Next stop: Titan, to search for extraterrestrial life.