Scientists believe they found fresh proof of an ancient ocean on Mars in the form of a “bathtub ring” it left after it dried up billions of years ago.

NASA's Curiosity rover has identified new organic compounds on Mars, performing an experiment never before tried beyond Earth. This discovery aids scientists striving to learn if the Red Planet ever harboured life.

The new findings boost evidence that the Red Planet once had conditions suitable for life.

NASA's Curiosity rover has identified more organic compounds on Mars as scientists strive to learn whether the Red Planet ever harboured life. Five of the seven diverse organic compounds, which were confirmed in an experiment by the six-wheeled rover in rock that formed in a dried lakebed near the planet's equator,

Scientists have long known that fungi are resilient, but a new study suggests that some strains might survive every step of the long, brutal trip to Mars. In a paper published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology,

The Curiosity Mars rover detected many organic compounds, including ones not seen before on the red planet, such as nitrogen- and sulfur-bearing molecules similar to the building blocks of life on Earth.

A new NASA-supported research study has discovered that some fungal spores can survive exposure to the extreme environment of outer space; these findings raise questions about the potential for bacteria and other microbes to survive during future trips to Mars.

Mars exploration is heating up. NASA eyes sample returns and crewed landings by the 2030s, but its current relay satellites — some decades past design life — struggle with data traffic from rovers, orbiters and future habitats.

Time moves differently on Mars — not in the Tibetan philosophy sense of the word, but in a measurable, physics-will-ruin-your-mission kind of way that's giving NASA engineers a real headache. As the agency maps out a future with boots on the red planet ...