NASA’s Perseverance rover has detected complex molecules of carbon on the surface of Mars. These compounds, known as macromolecular carbon, can be produced by living organisms, though that’s not the only way they might form.

On June 14, 2026, NASA's Perseverance Mars rover completed a marathon, or 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers) as a spacecraft watched from orbit.

Today's Mars rovers typically drive at about 500 to 1,000 feet per hour — roughly the length of one to three football fields — and only for short stints at a time. NASA engineers say they could go so much longer and faster if they could only think more for themselves.

It did so in just five years.

The sandfish lizard moves very efficiently through the sands of the Sahara desert, and not surprisingly, it doesn't use wheels to do so. Scientists have now copied the reptile's swimming motion in an experimental Mars rover that outperforms others in sandy soil.

The Mars Curiosity rover had to weather a solar storm. Specks seen in the video the rover captured are "caused by charged particles from a solar storm," according to NASA. Credit: Space.com | NASA/JPL

Scientists have detected complex organic matter in an ancient river valley on Mars, specifically within Jezero Crater. This discovery, made by NASA's Perseverance rover, suggests that the building blocks of life were more widespread on the Red Planet billions of years ago than previously understood.

HiRISE is one of the most powerful cameras currently orbiting the Red Planet.