Mars hasn’t been kind to NASA’s InSight lander. The lander’s solar panels are coated in dust, and power is dwindling. Despite the challenges, the lander delivered on its promise to help scientistsunderstand the interior of the red planet. The lander’s seismometer is its last functioning scientific instrument. The instrument could now last until the end of August or early September. InSight’s retirement approaches InSight will be going for broke with its seismometer....

In an update Friday, the rover team declared Perseverance is ready to get rolling again despite the debris. The wavy FOD, first spotted in early August, has been stubborn. So far, NASA has identified ashredded piece of nettingandpart of a thermal blanket. It’s possible the FOD is connected to that system. See also… It might have some unwanted stringy companions along for the ride, but it’s just a temporary setback.

What a delightful time to be a Mars fan. The latest views are sizzling. Meet the “bacon strip.” My team is happy as pigs in mud(stone)!" From earlier, distant views, my team nicknamed this area the bacon strip. (My overhead map shows why.) Paradise for rock nerds like myself." I mean, take a look at some of these close-ups. Tons of potential targets for study. The rover is doing more than just looking....

The Artemis III landing, set totake place in 2025, will also see thefirst woman on the moon. The mission will spend a planned 6.5 days on the surface of the moon. NASA will choose the final region for landing once the launch date is set.

The agency joined Biden’sNational Climate Task Forceto assist the government in addressing issues relating to climate change. “NASA is a world leader in climate and Earth science.

The High Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRise) onNASA’sMRO constantly delivers stunning views of Mars. “Separated at birth?” HiRise has spotted everything fromangular formationstoavalanche actionin the region. It still gets sunlight back there.

The Artemis I moon mission is a step closer to taking flight. During a media teleconference Wednesday,NASAidentified Aug. 29, Sept. 2 and Sept. 5 as possible launch dates. The launch windows and durations vary depending on the date. NASA will firm up its chosen target date about a week ahead of launch. The launch of Artemis I has been nudged back multiple times already. If all goes well, the rocket will likely roll out to the launchpad on Aug....

NASA will be launching its own streaming servicelater this year, the US space agency said Thursday. The service, calledNASA Plus, will livestream NASA missions. It will also feature original video series, including new shows being produced for thestreaming service. It’s launching later this summer, the NASA Plus trailer says. NASA Plus will be free and have no ads. NASA also said updates to its website and app are coming. you could see thebeta version of the new website here....

But there’s an outstanding question. Neither of those are available on the moon. Thus, it’s still a mystery how the Gruithuisen Domes could’ve formed.

NASA had beentargeting a February 2022 launch, but is now looking into launch opportunities in March and April. One of the controller’s two channels was not powering up consistently. The agency will set a firmer launch date after completing a successful rehearsal. The delay isn’t surprising.Getting into spaceat all is challenging enough. When it does finally take off, SLS promises to be spectacular. For a small peek at what to expect, check outthis dramatic SLS engine testfrom earlier in 2021....

A rock sample has gone missing. The tubes are meant to be picked up and returned to Earth by a future mission. On Friday,NASA said data indicates"no rock was collected during the initial sampling activity." Therover’s Twitter account notedthis sampling enigma is “something we’ve never seen in testing on Earth.” #SamplingMarsis one of my most complicated tasks. Mars keeps surprising us. Were working through this new challenge. NASA is continuing to analyze data and images to take a stab at solve the mystery....

It was a long night forNASA’sExploration Ground Systems team at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Let’s look ahead for a moment. That’s the Artemis I mission. Now let’s wind back. NASA tried to run this test in April, buttechnical problems prevented success. So the agency rolled SLS back into the garage, fixed it up and is trying again. TheExploration Ground Systems group shared some lovely photosof the journey. Getting SLS into the right position is the just the beginning....

It’s been over nine years since I landed on Mars. Gale Crater is gorgeous. Wish you were here. NASA’sCuriosity rover is climbing up a peak called Mount Sharp. Rovers doing rover things The line of sight is a look down the slope of Mount Sharp. Curiosity is trying to answer the question of whether Mars might have been able to support microbial life.