NASA has completed a major milestone on its journey to Mars and is ready to begin another phase of work on its spaceport of the future, where the next generation of astronauts will launch to Mars and other deep-space destinations.
Europe and Russia have launched a joint mission to the Red Planet. The probe will investigate whether the methane in the world's atmosphere is coming from a geological source or is being produced by microbes.
NASA gets all the glory when it comes to Martian exploration, but two other space agencies are now hoping to change that. Early next week, the European Space Agency and Roscosmos are launching the first phase of their joint ExoMars mission, a major new scientific effort with an badass goal: discovering signs of life on the Red Planet.
Curiosity is busy poking and prodding the Bagnold Dunes, learning some new tricks in the first-ever interplanetary fieldwork on a sand dune. And of course it looks absolutely stunning while doing it in this latest sand dune selfie.
Watney's technical prowess enables him to tackle the practical problems of getting enough water, oxygen, and food. But perhaps the greatest hurdle he faces is psychological.
