Analog research is a vital part of preparing for the human exploration of Mars—and now you can hear directly from the front lines! Join us for a special episode of Red Planet Live on Tuesday, July 1st at 5:00 pm PT / 8:00 pm ET, featuring four members of Crew 315 from the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in southern Utah. Hosted by Ashton Zeth, this one-hour live podcast will welcome: Crew 315 recently completed a two-week analog mission at… READ MORE >
News & Announcements
June 19th, 2025
[Blog] Transportation on Mars: Innovative Possibilities for Planetary Exploration
By Lou Farrell, Senior Blog Writer Transportation to Mars requires more than a spaceship. Science fiction writers, astrophysicists and engineers have speculated for decades about what technologies could be viable for traveling to and surveying other planetary surfaces. Exploratory vehicles have already paved the way, demonstrating what specifications, materials and expenses are needed. What were some pioneering machines, and what could the future hold for planetary exploration? Existing Mars Exploration Devices Any predictions about future transportation tech will be born… READ MORE >
June 18th, 2025
NASA’s Hoppy Price to Speak on Next-Gen Mars Robotic Missions at Mars Society Convention
The Mars Society is honored to announce that Dr. Hoppy Price, Chief Engineer for NASA’s Robotic Mars Exploration Program, will deliver an in-person presentation at the 2025 International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 9-11, at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. With decades of experience across NASA’s most ambitious planetary missions, Dr. Price brings unparalleled insight into the engineering challenges and possibilities of exploring Mars. The theme of his talk will be “Concepts for Future Robotic Mars… READ MORE >
June 16th, 2025
Charting Mars’ Future: MEPAG Chair Victoria Hamilton to Speak at Mars Society Convention
We are delighted to announce that Dr. Victoria E. Hamilton, Chairperson of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG), will be a featured plenary speaker at the 2025 International Mars Society Convention, to be held this October at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. A distinguished planetary geologist with the Southwest Research Institute, Dr. Hamilton’s expertise spans the mineralogy of planetary surfaces, meteorites, and returned samples—specializing in infrared spectroscopy of Mars, Earth, and even Venus. After earning her degree in… READ MORE >
June 10th, 2025
Mars Society Announces Winner of 2025 Poster Contest
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Tasia Cobbs, a graphic artist and entrepreneur from Twin Falls, Idaho, has been selected as the winner of the 2025 Mars Society Poster Contest. Known professionally as “TASIA,” Tasia is a registered Choctaw artist with a strong passion for technology, space, and the effort to make humanity a multi-planetary species. Her dynamic and visionary poster design will be used as a key promotional graphic for the 28th Annual International Mars Society Convention,… READ MORE >
June 9th, 2025
Growing the Future on Mars: Synthetic Biology at the 2025 Mars Society Convention
Dr. Tiffany Vora—scientist, entrepreneur, and VP of Innovation Partnerships at Explore Mars—will deliver a plenary talk at the 28th Annual International Mars Society Convention, taking place October 9–11, 2025, at the University of Southern California. Her talk, “Harnessing Synthetic Biology on Mars,” will explore how cutting-edge advances in biology, engineering, and manufacturing can support long-term human exploration and settlement of the Red Planet. Drawing on the work of the Explore Mars Synthetic Biology Working Group, Dr. Vora will outline how… READ MORE >
June 7th, 2025
Mars in Motion: JPL’s Katie Stack Morgan Joins Red Planet Live
We’re very pleased to announce that Dr. Katie Stack Morgan—Acting Project Scientist for NASA’s Perseverance rover at JPL—will join us on the Mars Society’s Red Planet Live podcast on Tuesday, June 17 at 5:00 PM PT, hosted by Ashton Zeth. As the lead scientist on the Perseverance mission, Dr. Stack Morgan has played a critical role in exploring the ancient river delta in Jezero Crater—where the rover continues its search for signs of past microbial life. In this episode, hosted by… READ MORE >
June 6th, 2025
Evolving Life Beyond Earth: Opportunities for a Green Mars at Mars Society Convention
Dr. Erika DeBenedictis, CEO of Pioneer Labs and a Resident at the Astera Institute, will be giving a plenary talk at the 28th Annual International Mars Society Convention, taking place October 9–11, 2025, at the University of Southern California (USC). Her talk, titled “Opportunities for a Green Human Civilization on Mars,” will explore how principles of evolution and biological engineering can be applied to building sustainable life beyond Earth. Dr. DeBenedictis is also the lead author of a new research… READ MORE >
