The Mars Society is pleased to announce the launch of the Imagine Mars Story Contest, a new creative writing competition organized by our Missouri Mars Mavens chapter. Spearheaded by chapter leader Kevin Kelly, the contest invites students, aspiring writers, space enthusiasts, and dreamers of all ages to imagine what life on Mars could look like in the years and decades ahead. Whether your vision features the first settlers building thriving communities, groundbreaking scientific discoveries, or the everyday adventures of living… READ MORE >
News & Announcements
July 24th, 2026
From Viking’s Legacy to Tomorrow’s Mars: Crew 19 Completes Devon Island Analog Mission
The second half of Crew 19’s mission at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island (Nunavut Territory) highlighted the realities of long-duration exploration in one of Earth’s closest analogs to Mars. As the analog mission entered its final days, the crew balanced demanding scientific research with habitat maintenance, equipment repairs, outreach activities, and daily operations under simulated Mars mission conditions. Despite mechanical setbacks, harsh terrain, and the logistical challenges of operating in the High Arctic, the team consistently… READ MORE >
July 21st, 2026
Mars Society & South Seattle College Sign 10-Year Agreement to Build Moon-Mars Analog Research Station in Pacific NW
Partnership envisions creating a regional aerospace workforce, research, and education platform timed to NASA’s Artemis program and Project Ignition Moon Base initiative. The Mars Society, through its Seattle Chapter, and South Seattle College (SSC) have signed a 10-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) establishing a multi-program partnership to build a Moon and Mars analog research station on the South Seattle College campus in West Seattle and create a regional education and workforce pathway for the next generation of aerospace researchers, technicians and engineers. … READ MORE >
July 21st, 2026
Students from 20 Countries Compete in 5th Annual Int’l Mission to Mars Engineering Design Competition
More than 100 students representing 20 countries came together this summer to participate in the 5th Annual International Mission to Mars Engineering Design Competition, an intensive five-week virtual program supervised by Nicole Willett, M.S., Director of Education for The Mars Society. The program challenged aspiring scientists and engineers to tackle one of humanity’s greatest technological challenges: designing a realistic human mission to Mars. This year’s competition showcased some of the strongest projects in the program’s five-year history, demonstrating not only remarkable technical… READ MORE >
July 20th, 2026
Four Days into Sim: Flashline Station Crew 19 Hits the Ground Running
Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station Crew 19 has officially begun its Mars analog mission on Devon Island, entering full simulation after completing critical maintenance activities left by the Advance Team. The five-member international crew—bringing expertise in engineering, psychology, behavioral science, geology, and the humanities—immediately put their diverse skills to work. Their first EVAs included retrieving fuel and water supplies, conducting field observations, and becoming familiar with one of Earth’s closest analogs to the Martian surface. On their second day, the… READ MORE >
July 20th, 2026
Mars Society Commemorates 50th Anniversary of NASA’s Viking 1 Landing on Mars
July 20, 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of NASA’s historic Viking 1 landing on Mars—a landmark achievement that forever changed the course of planetary exploration and humanity’s vision for the future. When Viking 1 successfully touched down on the Chryse Planitia region of Mars on July 20, 1976, it became the first spacecraft to achieve a successful landing on the Red Planet and conduct extended scientific operations from its surface. Over the years that followed, Viking 1 transmitted thousands of… READ MORE >
July 19th, 2026
Red Planet Logistics: How to Power Mars Mining & Resource Extraction [Blog]
By Lou Farrell, Senior Writer, Red Planet Bound Eventually, humans will make their way to another planet, and harvesting Mars’ resources is an inevitable part of the colonization process. People can only sustain building and living operations on the Red Planet if there is a reliable flow of materials. It may require a logistics setup unlike anything on Earth, especially for the most complex industries. Fortunately, experts already have a few frameworks that could inspire success beyond the blue marble…. READ MORE >
July 17th, 2026
Crew 19 Underway at Flashline, Advancing Research for Future Moon & Mars Missions
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Crew 19 has officially arrived at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island in Nunavut Territory approximately 900 miles from the North Pole, and is now beginning its highly anticipated analog mission. Advance Team members Rhett Woods, Raleigh Swick, Dr. Laura Thomas, and Terry Trevino traveled to the station together to prepare for the expedition. On July 13th, Rhett, Raleigh, and Terry completed a successful “crew hot-swap” and returned home,… READ MORE >
