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Buzz Aldrin walks on the Moon on 20 July 1969

Trump directs NASA to send astronauts back to the Moon

US President Donald Trump has directed NASA to send Americans to the Moon for the first time in decades, a move he said would help prepare for a future Mars trip.

World • 12 Dec 17

The conjunction as seen over Cork last night (pic: Cian O'Regan Photography)

Moon, Mars and Venus give stargazers a treat

Stargazers will have another opportunity tonight to see an apparent close encounter between Mars, Venus and the moon, weather permitting.

Science • 01 Feb 17

Schiaparelli separated from its own mothership, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, on Sunday

ESA says fate of Mars lander still uncertain

European scientists are still not certain whether a space lander that reached Mars yesterday touched down on the Red Planet in good working condition.

Science • 20 Oct 16

Musk said the aim is to send flights every 26 months

Musk unveils SpaceX's vision for colonising Mars

SpaceX is developing a massive rocket and capsule to transport large numbers of people and cargo to Mars with the ultimate goal of colonising the planet, chief executive and tech billionaire Elon Musk has said.

Science • 28 Sep 16

The experiment is hoped to assist in planning for a mission to Mars

Scientists emerge from year-long Mars simulation

Six people who went into isolation for a year in Hawaii to help NASA plan for a mission to Mars have emerged, saying they are happy to breathe fresh air and meet new people.

News • 29 Aug 16

The concern is the crops would absorb high levels of heavy metals on Mars

Cereal and veg safely grown in Martian style soil

Crops of four vegetables and cereals grown on soil similar to that on Mars have been found safe to eat, amid plans for the first manned mission to the planet

Science • 24 Jun 16

The white arrows show the older tsunami lobate upper reaches (Pic: Alexis Rodriguez)

Evidence of tsunamis found on Mars

Ancient mega-tsunamis on Mars may have left evidence of salty oceans capable of supporting life.

Science • 19 May 16

The committee said it decided to invite the firms to a meeting, given the significant role they play in the Irish economy

Equity firms decline finance committee meeting

The Oireachtas finance committee has said that all of the international private equity firms it invited to a meeting last year to discuss private equity and mortgage provision in Ireland all declined to attend.

Business • 21 Jan 16

The test vehicle weighs 3,088kg and is 30 metres in diameter

NASA postpones test of parachute in flying saucer

High waves forced NASA to postpone until tomorrow the first test of the largest parachute ever deployed, during a flying saucer launch that will try out new technologies for landing on Mars.

News • 03 Jun 15

The lander was found within 5km of the expected landing site

Missing Beagle Mars probe found after 11 years

The British Beagle-2 spacecraft, which disappeared while attempting to land on Mars in December 2003, landed successfully on the planet's surface, it has been confirmed.

News • 16 Jan 15

Scientists and engineers work on a Mars Orbiter vehicle at the Indian Space Research Organisation's satellite centre in Bangalore

India Mars mission enters orbit at first attempt

India's Mars Orbiter Mission has successfully entered orbit around the Red Planet on its first attempt.

News • 24 Sep 14

Mars One is a not-for-profit foundation that aims to establish permanent human life on Mars

Mars One seeks contributions to cargo of red planet spacecraft

Mars One, the privately-funded project which aims to put a human settlement on Mars by 2025, has invited universities, research bodies and companies to contribute to the cargo of an unmanned lander spacecraft it intends to put on the red planet in 2018.

Special Reports • 30 Jun 14

To land on Mars NASA has been using a parachute system first used in the 1970s, but with heavier spacecraft larger parachutes are needed

NASA tests technology for future Mars landing

NASA sent a saucer-like vehicle high into the sky yesterday to test technology for a future Mars landing, but its parachute tangled when deployed and the spacecraft splashed into the Pacific Ocean.

News • 29 Jun 14

Dr Joseph Roche passed the first round of medical tests for the application for Mars One's project

Irishman expects Mars mission interview plan soon

The Irishman shortlisted for a mission to Mars with a private space exploration company says he is expecting to find out details this month of the interview process.

News • 09 Apr 14

Mudstones from Gale Crater were analysed

Lake on Mars may have supported life

Evidence of a freshwater lake that may once have supported life has been discovered on Mars.

News • 09 Dec 13

The mission will study the upper atmosphere of Mars

NASA launches latest mission to Mars

NASA has launched its latest mission to Mars, which is devoted to understanding the upper Martian atmosphere.

News • 18 Nov 13

The Indian Space Research Organisation showing Mars Orbiter Mission Spacecraft blasting off from the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle

India launches Mars mission

India has launched its first mission to Mars as the country aims to become the first Asian nation to reach the red planet.

News • 05 Nov 13

Hopes for life on Mars fade after methane findings

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has come up empty-handed in its search for methane in the planet's atmosphere, a gas that on Earth is a strong indicator of life.

News • 20 Sep 13

More than 850 Irish people have expressed an interest in travelling to Mars (Pic: NASA)

851 Irish express interest in Mars mission

851 Irish people have expressed an interest in travelling to Mars to begin a human settlement there.

News • 12 Sep 13

More than 200,000 people have applied to become astronauts on a programme which hopes to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars

200,000 apply for Mars settlement programme

More than 200,000 people around the world have applied to become astronauts on a programme which hopes to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars.

News • 09 Sep 13

Professor Steven Benner claims the 'seeds' of life probably arrived on Earth in meteorites from Mars

Geochemist claims life on earth comes from Mars

It is being claimed that an element believed to be crucial to the origin of life would only have been available on the surface of Mars.

News • 29 Aug 13

A Dutch company has begun looking for volunteers astronauts to fly and live on Mars

Applicants sought for one-way flight to Mars

A Dutch company has begun looking for volunteer astronauts to fly and live on Mars with no prospect of returning to earth.

News • 23 Apr 13

The medical and psychological conditions of the astronauts were monitored over 17 months

Sleep is key problem for Mars astronauts

A study has found that getting a good night's sleep will be one of the biggest challenges facing the first astronauts travelling to Mars.

News • 08 Jan 13

The rover is part way to its first science target, an area known as Glenelg

Scientists surprised by rock on Mars

The first rock nuzzled by NASA's Mars Curiosity rover is a little more unusual than scientists expected.

Special Reports • 12 Oct 12

NASA shows off first colour images from Mars

NASA has shown off the first high-resolution, colour portrait images taken by the Mars rover, Curiosity.

News • 28 Aug 12