Colonization of Mars

We’re rapidly approaching the quarter mark of the 21st century, but instead of being at the brink of a radical transformative stage, such as the futuristic vision akin to Arthur C. Clarke’s Star Child from 2001: A Space Odyssey, we’re still throwing proverbial bones into the sky. China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonSuch is the feeling I get in the wake of three recent Moon missions, in which two spacecraft, Japan’s SLIM and Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus, survived despite falling awkwardly onto the lunar surface,…

NASA is looking for volunteers willing to be trapped inside a simulated Martian environment that’s roughly the size of a two-bedroom apartment for a full year. Denis Villeneuve Had a Blast Building the Dune LegoThe space agency is now accepting applications for its second edition of CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog), which is scheduled to take place in spring 2025. The deadline for applications is April 2.A four-person crew will live and work inside a 3D-printed, 1,700-square-foot habitat that…

Are you watching For All Mankind? If not, you should be. Apple TV+’s phenomenal sci-fi drama just returned for season four, and io9 has an exclusive clip from its second episode which debuts Friday. But even if you’re not watching the show, this clip, as simple as it may be, is an almost perfect example of why you should be watching For All Mankind and why it’s so good. Dominic Monaghan on Attending Fan ConventionsHere’s the brief setup. For All Mankind is an alternate reality show that begins in season one with the…

NASA’s Perseverance rover will be parked at this location on Mars during the communication blackout. Image: NASA/JPL-CaltechFor the next two weeks, NASA will not be sending commands to its fleet of Martian rovers, orbiters, and spacecraft until the Sun moves out of the way.What Inspired Dominic Monaghan's Performance in Moriarty?The Mars solar conjunction is from November 11 to 25, a period that occurs every two years during which Earth and the Red Planet are on opposite sides of the Sun in their respective orbital path.…

Recent evidence gathered by China’s Zhurong rover points to a dramatic climate shift on Mars—a finding that could have a significant impact on our understanding of Earth’s climate evolution.Teyonah Parris and John Boyega on Working With Jamie Foxx | io9 InterviewChina’s Zhurong Mars rover collected rare evidence from the planet’s sand dunes that show a change in the direction of the wind, eroding the dunes’ crescent shape that formed during the glacial era. Instead, dark, longitudinal ridges now lay on top of the dunes…

On Sunday, four researchers donned black jumpsuits and entered into a red world where they will spend a year living and working in a simulated Martian environment. Is Google's New $1,800 Pixel Phone Worth It? | Gizmodo ReviewNASA’s CHAPEA habitat, or Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, welcomed its volunteer guests this week, who are set to spend 378 days in the enclosed, Mars-like world to help the space agency prepare for future missions to the Red Planet.“I feel incredibly lucky and blessed to be a part of…

A commercial landing on Mars will have to wait a little longer as two private space companies updated their plan to touchdown on the Red Planet, delaying it by two years for reasons not made explicitly clear.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewSpeaking at the Humans to Mars Summit, which was held from May 16 to 18 in Washington, D.C., executives from private space companies Impulse Space and Relativity Space announced that their joint venture to Mars is now slated for launch…

Twelve misfit celebrities are about to venture out to another planet, as they live, work, and compete against each other in a simulated Martian environment for a new reality show.China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonFox recently announced the cast for its new show Stars on Mars and it is an odd mix of actors, comedians, athletes, and TV personalities. The show is set to premiere on June 5, hosted by Star Trek’s William Shatner who will act as mission control and guide the group through a series of challenges. The…

A group of celebrities will soon have to leave the cozy confines of Earth and get transported to another world, competing against one another in a simulated Martian environment for a new reality TV series.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewThe show, Stars on Mars,is in the works by Fremantle-owned Eureka Productions and is set to premiere in June on Fox, according to Variety. Star Trek’s William Shatner will be at the helm of the new series, acting as mission control for the…

Ancient bacteria could have survived just beneath the Martian surface for much longer than previously thought, according to a new study published today in Astrobiology.That’s good news for missions like ExoMars, the Mars Life Explorer, and the Perseverance rover. All of these missions are designed to look for evidence of past life or habitable conditions on the Red Planet.But what kind of life could arise and survive in a harsh place like Mars, which today is arid, freezing, and blasted by cosmic radiation? Sure, the…