Pasadena - Sept. 16, 2000 - Find liquid water on Mars, and life may not be far behind. Many scientists believe that this water can only exist thousands of metres beneath the planet's surface.
Pasadena - Oct. 16, 2000 - The search for subsurface water has become a primary focus of Mars exploration. Its abundance and distribution (both as ground ice and groundwater) have important implications for understanding the geologic, hydrologic, and climatic evolution of the planet, the potential origin and continued survival of life, and the accessibility of a critical in situ resource for sustaining future human explorers.
London - Jan. 10, 2001 - Engineers have developed a new tool to help them hunt for signs of life on Mars. Their metre-long, white-hot spear can melt its way through soil and rocks to depths where evidence of past life may be lurking.
Pasadena - Oct. 26, 2000 - According to one version of the panspermia theory, life on Earth could originally have arrived here by way of meteorites from Mars, where conditions early in the history of the solar system are thought to have been more favorable for the creation of life from nonliving ingredients. The only problem has been how a meteorite could get blasted off of Mars without frying any microbial life hitching a ride.
Darmstadt (ESA) Jan 01, 2004 - This morning, at 09:00 CET, the first European mission to Mars registered another operational success. The Mars Express flight control team at ESOC prepared and executed another critical manoeuvre, bringing the spacecraft from an equatorial orbit into a polar orbit around Mars.
Pasadena (JPL) Jan 15, 2003 - The launch dates for the two Mars Exploration Rovers are getting closer and so is the need to pick a place for them to land. Adventurous travelers might spin a globe and pick a vacation based on whichever spot their finger finds. But scientists and engineers working on NASA's newest rover mission cannot be as casual about landing site choices for the twin rovers that will launch in May and June of this year.
Washington - Dec. 4, 2000 - NASA scientists are preparing to announce a major review of the evidence to date for water on Mars and in particular the evidence for sedimentation at a press conference later this week.
Washington - Dec. 4 2000 - Layered geologic outcrops on Mars, that will be described in this week's issue of the journal Science -- may be composed of sedimentary rock that dates from the earliest span of martian history, between 4.3. and 3.5 billion years ago.
Pasadena - Sept. 17, 2001 - As the Odyssey spacecraft makes it way toward Mars, mission engineers are working hard to prepare for arrival at Mars at 0230 Universal time Oct. 24 (7:30 p.m. Pacific time Oct. 23). Join Charles Whetsel, chief engineer of the Mars Exploration Program, and Matt Landano, 2001 Mars Odyssey project manager, as they describe the hard yet rewarding road to Mars.
Paris (ESA) Jul 04, 2002 - From 4 to 10 October 2002, the Education Office of the European Space Agency (ESA) will celebrate World Space Week by giving young Europeans the chance to tell the world their ideas on what daily life on Mars might be like 45 years from now.
Chicago - Feb. 26, 2001 - Chemical analysis of Martian meteorites supports the controversial theory of water on Mars, according to Meenakshi Wadhwa, PhD, associate curator of meteoritics at The Field Museum in Chicago. Her research was published in the February 23rd issue of Science.
Pasadena - Oct. 26, 2000 - By means of orbiters, landers, rovers and sample return missions, NASA's revamped campaign to explore Mars, announced today, is poised to unravel the secrets of the red planet's past environments, the history of its rocks, the many roles of water and, possibly, evidence of past or present life.
Paris (ESA) Sep 10, 2002 - Of all missions sent to Mars only one, the Viking 26 years ago, has dared to search for life. Its only conclusive result was that finding proof of extraterrestrial life proved to be much harder than expected. Second attempts never followed.
Paris (ESA) Mar 07, 2003 - We cannot guarantee success, but we can deserve it. (*) That was the message from Franco Ongaro, head of the European Space Agency's Aurora Programme Office, at the conclusion of a special industry workshop held during early February.
Paris (ESA) Jun 22, 2003 - A human mission to Mars may still be some time away, but scientists are already aware of the many hazards that must be overcome if the dream is to become a reality. One particular cause for concern is the potential for physiological and psychological problems that could arise from the conditions of weightlessness, isolation and confinement experienced during a journey that could last six months or more.
by Phil BerardelliScience & Technology Editor - The spectacular success of NASA's twin Mars rovers is due obviously to the skills and determination of the scientists and engineers involved in the mission, but luck also contributed to an amazing degree.
