New images from the Mars Express orbiter reveal evidence of a past ice age at Mars's mid-latitudes and shine light on the planet's dynamic climate history.

Mars is a cold, dry, desert-like planet. But billions of years ago, scientific evidence suggests that it had a thick atmosphere, which kept it warm enough to support flowing water on its surface. So, what happened to the Red Planet, and could it happen to Earth?

The ESCAPADE mission, which launched to space on a Blue Origin rocket on Thursday, breaks the mold of how planetary science missions typically come together.

On Christmas Eve in 2023, a European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft captured what looks like a barcode etched into the rusty slopes of Mars.

Researcher Valentin Bickel wanted to know just how intense winds can be on the red planet. Using data obtained by the Mars camera CaSSIS (Color and Stereo Surface Imaging System), the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter,

“Dust, wind and sand dynamics appear to be the main seasonal drivers of slope streak formation,” Bickel said in a statement. “Meteoroid impacts and quakes seem to be locally distinct, yet globally relatively insignificant drivers.”

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket successfully made its way to orbit for the second time on Nov. 13, 2025. Although the second launch is never as flashy as the first, this mission is still significant in several ways.