"How do you get to Mars when the launch vehicle is not necessarily going to Mars?"

In an investigation to find out what sparked life on Earth, researchers have discovered that RNA formed through surprisingly simple chemistry.

Small lakes on ancient Mars may have remained liquid for decades, even with average air temperatures well below freezing.

NASA's Curiosity rover has sent back a striking new "postcard" from high on the slopes of the Red Planet's Mount Sharp, offering a dramatic look at the rugged Martian landscape the robot has been exploring for more than a decade.

Mars looks familiar from afar, but surviving there means creating a protective oasis in a hostile world. Instead of shipping construction materials from Earth, researchers are exploring how to use Martian soil as the raw ingredient.

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NASA lost communication with its MAVEN probe nearly a month ago, and efforts to re-establish a connection have been futile.

For astronaut safety and to bolster success of the human exploration to come later, NASA needs an end-to-end demonstration of traveling to Mars, doing something scientifically useful, and returning safely. No one has ever launched to Mars orbit from the surface and MSR doing so would be a huge risk reduction.