Mars - Spacecraft, Exploration, Missions: Since the beginning of the space age, Mars has been a focus of planetary exploration for three main reasons: (1) it is the most Earth-like of the planets; (2) other than Earth, it is the planet most likely to have developed indigenous life; and (3) it will probably be the first extraterrestrial planet to be visited by humans. Between 1960 and 1980 the exploration of Mars was a major objective of both the U.S. and Soviet space programs. U.S. spacecraft successfully flew by Mars (Mariners 4, 6, and 7), orbited the planet (Mariner 9 and Vikings 1 and 2), and
The Mars Express orbiter has detected enough water ice buried beneath the Red Planet s equator to cover the entire planet in a shallow ocean if melted.
Just a few days after losing contact with the Mars helicopter Ingenuity, NASA has announced that it has regained communications with the plucky helicopter.
Future Mars Helicopters Could Explore Lava Tubes universetoday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from universetoday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.