Mars rovers — A complete guide and latest news

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On a flat, slightly rocky ground, there is a sample tube laying there. A rover's wheel is seen toward the top right.
Perseverance rover's Mars samples must be brought back to Earth, scientists stress

By Keith Cooper Published

Sedimentary deposits sampled by the Perseverance rover could contain evidence of past Martian life.

Mars Rovers
a map of a reddish-brown landscape, with a squiggly blue snaking across it
Perseverance Mars rover begins 820-foot climb up 'Witch Hazel Hill'

By Rahul Rao Published

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover is about to begin the next leg of its epic Red Planet journey, and its final destination is likely to be the robotic rover's most spectacular sightseeing spot yet.

Mars Rovers
a mars rover's robotic arm investigates a bright, dusty rock on the red planet
Perseverance Mars rover team revives life-hunting instrument after 6 months of effort

By Andrew Jones Published

The Perseverance rover's SHERLOC instrument has been revived to continue its search for evidence of microbial life on Mars.

Mars Rovers
a four-wheeled robot with a head-like box atop a neck-like appendage looks down at a silver tube lying on the dusty reddish-orange surface of Mars
NASA wants new ideas for its troubled Mars Sample Return mission

By Brett Tingley Published

NASA's Mars Sample Return mission has faced quite a few hurdles, and the agency has selected ten studies to try and find more affordable and quicker means of going about the project.

Mars Rovers
illustration of a rover and a lander on the surface of mars, with a small helicopter, a rocket and a satellite in the sky above them.
NASA's Mars sample return plan is getting a major overhaul: 'The bottom line is $11 billion is too expensive'

By Mike Wall Published

NASA is asking its various research centers as well as private industry for new ideas about how to get Mars samples back to Earth relatively quickly and cost-effectively.

Mars Rovers
illustration of a rover and a lander on the surface of mars, with a small helicopter, a rocket and a satellite in the sky above them.
Will NASA be able to return Mars samples to Earth? New audit raises doubts

By Andrew Jones Published

NASA's bold plan to get pristine samples of Mars to Earth for analysis is facing major challenges, according to a new report.

Mars Rovers
Zoomed-in view of NASA's Mars Ingenuity helicopter, captured by the SuperCam remote imager aboard the agency's Perseverance rover on Feb. 25, 2024.
Ingenuity Mars helicopter snapped rotor blade during hard landing last month (video, photo)

By Mike Wall Published

New observations by NASA's Perseverance rover show just how much damage Ingenuity sustained on its final Mars flight.

Mars Rovers
a tiny helicopter drone can be seen far in the distance on a brownish-red hill covered in wind-swept dunes
Mars helicopter Ingenuity's final resting place named after 'Undying Lands' in 'Lord of the Rings'

By Elizabeth Howell Published

The final resting place of NASA's Ingenuity helicopter has a new name from the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, citing a set of islands associated with rest, refuge and eternity.

Mars Rovers
a small helicopter-like drone can be seen motionless on a reddish-orange sand dune
NASA Ingenuity Mars helicopter, broken and alone, spotted by Perseverance rover on Martian dune (photo, video)

By Brett Tingley Published

NASA's Perseverance Rover took a photo of its broken companion, the Ingenuity helicopter, as it sat motionless on a dune on Feb. 4.

Mars Rovers
a small helicopter sits in red rocky dirt
NASA to 'wiggle' broken Ingenuity Mars helicopter's blades to analyze damage

By Brett Tingley Published

NASA isn't quite finished with its broken Ingenuity Mars helicopter yet, mission managers revealed in a livestream honoring the drone's legacy on Jan. 31.

Mars Rovers
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