Reston - Dec 12, 2002 - Surface water in the form of ice exposed near the edge of Mars's southern perennial polar cap has been discovered for the first time, according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research released today in the journal Science. There is evidence that the surface water ice in this region may be widespread -- from a half-mile to six miles around the entire southern polar ice cap.
Pasadena - Dec 12, 2002 - The latest observations from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft, highlighting water ice distribution and infrared images of the Red Planet's surface, are being released this week at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.
Boulder - Dec 12, 2002 - A new study led by University of Colorado at Boulder researchers indicates Mars has been primarily a cold, dry planet following its formation some 4 billion years ago, making the possibility of the evolution of life there challenging at best.
San Francisco - Dec 12, 2002 - Last week, at a special session of the American Geophysical Union's annual Fall meeting in San Francisco, over two dozen experts in Mars' climate and hydrology met to discuss issues relating to how river-like channels formed on the planet, focusing especially on the very earliest evidence dating back to the Noachian era (3.5 to 3.9 billion years ago).
Los Angeles - Nov 26, 2002 - The first Mars Desert Research Station crew rotation of the fall 2002 season is now nearing its conclusion.
Pasadena - Nov 19, 2002 - Among the thousands of visitors to Mt. Etna this year, one group came not just to look at one of most famous volcanoes on Earth. Dozens of scientists trekked up Etna together this fall to observe what Etna has in common with Mars.
Huntsville - Nov 14, 2002 - This remarkable image from the Chandra X-ray Observatory image gave scientists their first look at X-rays from Mars. In the sparse upper atmosphere of Mars, about 75 miles above its surface, the observed X-rays are produced by fluorescent radiation from oxygen atoms.
Pasadena (JPL) Nov 13, 2002 - Like any travelers worth their frequent flyer miles, the twin rovers of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission must prepare for a long journey. Unlike airline passengers, however, the rovers won't have an attentive flight crew to tend to their needs.
Denver - Oct 28, 2002 - Ghosts of the most ancient craters in the solar system are materializing on Mars. Using altimeter data from the Mars Global Surveyor and special graphics software, a father and daughter have found the circular outlines of the Red Planet's earliest impact craters and basins -- pounded into what remains of the planet's first crust.
Los Angeles - Oct 21, 2002 - Members of the founding Board of Directors of the Mars Institute formally unveiled the new organization today at the World Space Congress.
Stevenage - Oct 19, 2002 - The Beagle 2 Mars lander passed a key test Friday when Astrium Space conducted a drop test of the parachute system from a balloon platform as the last in a series of comprehensive tests.
Houston - Oct 18, 2002 - Ever since the first spacecraft rocketed beyond Earth, children around the world have dreamed of exploring space. The LEGO Company and The Planetary Society, the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the exploration of our solar system, are about to make that dream come true.
Los Angeles - Oct 09, 2002 - One of the highest-resolution images ever obtained from the red planet-- a view of gullies in a crater in the Newton Basin-- is among an astounding group of 18,812 images being added to NASA's Mars Global Surveyor online image gallery today.
Pasadena - Oct 08, 2002 - NASA last week released the first set of data taken by the Mars Odyssey spacecraft to the Planetary Data System, which will now make the information available to research scientists through a new online distribution and access system.
New York - Oct 08, 2002 - The use of robots to help people has proceeded at a more or less steady clip since the first Unimation Robot was installed on a diecasting operation in the 1950's by the legendary Joe Engleberger.
Manassas - Sep 26, 2002 - Flying 100,000 feet above the Oregon coast yesterday, a new kind of aircraft demonstrated the readiness of robotic airplane technology for Mars exploration.
