The Mars Society welcomes internationally acclaimed historian, sociologist, author and entrepreneur Dr. Rainer Zitelmann as a plenary speaker at the 2026 International Mars Society Convention, to be held at the USC campus in Los Angeles October 22-24. Dr. Zitelmann will present “Private Property in Space: The Missing Ingredient,” exploring how private property rights and free-market incentives could play a key role in the long-term settlement of Mars. His presentation will examine why secure property rights may be as essential as… READ MORE >
News & Announcements
July 10th, 2026
SETI Institute’s Dr. Nathalie Cabrol to Discuss the Search for Life Beyond Earth at 2026 Mars Society Convention
One of the world’s foremost astrobiologists and planetary scientists, Dr. Nathalie Cabrol, will join an outstanding lineup of speakers at the 2026 International Mars Society Convention, taking place October 22–24 at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. Dr. Cabrol serves as Director of the Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe at the SETI Institute, where she leads pioneering research in astrobiology and helps shape exploration strategies for Mars, Titan, and the icy… READ MORE >
July 10th, 2026
Ireland’s Guru Sharma Named Winner of the 2026 Mars Society Poster Contest
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Guru Sharma has been selected as the First Place winner of the 2026 Mars Society Poster Contest! A cybersecurity analyst by profession in Ireland, Guru has nurtured a lifelong passion for astronomy and space exploration. That enthusiasm shines through in his outstanding winning poster, which impressed our judges with its creativity, artistic quality, and compelling vision of humanity’s future on Mars. The annual Mars Society Poster Contest celebrates artists and designers who… READ MORE >
July 9th, 2026
Flashline Analog Preparations Underway on Devon Island Ahead of Crew 19 Mission
The Mars Society is pleased to report that the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station Advance Team, consisting of Terry Trevino, Rhett Woods, Raleigh Swick, and Dr. Laura Thomas, has arrived safely on Devon Island in Nunavut Territory, marking the official start of the 2026 Canadian Arctic field season. Over the coming days, the team will prepare the station for the upcoming arrival of Crew 19 by carrying out critical maintenance and infrastructure upgrades, including improvements to the habitat’s heating, electrical,… READ MORE >
July 7th, 2026
How AI Could Shape Humanity’s Future: Join Dex Hunter-Torricke on Red Planet Live
Join us for a special early edition of Red Planet Live on Tuesday, July 21, at 3:00 PM PDT—two hours earlier than our usual start time. Hosted by Ashton Zeth, this episode features Dex Hunter-Torricke, one of the world’s leading experts on artificial intelligence and the technology industry. As Founder and President of The Center for Tomorrow, a global nonprofit focused on preparing society for the transformative impact of AI, Dex brings nearly two decades of experience at the highest… READ MORE >
July 5th, 2026
Human Spaceflight Leader Garrett Reisman Announced as Plenary Speaker for the 2026 Mars Society Convention
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Garrett Reisman, former NASA astronaut, spaceflight pioneer, and USC professor, will serve as a plenary speaker at the 2026 International Mars Society Convention, taking place October 22-24 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. A veteran of NASA’s astronaut corps, Dr. Reisman flew aboard all three Space Shuttles—Endeavour, Discovery, and Atlantis—and spent 95 days living and working aboard the International Space Station. During his two space missions, he conducted… READ MORE >
July 1st, 2026
Mars Society Convention to Feature Former NASA Chief Scientist James Green
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. James Green, former NASA Chief Scientist and one of the world’s foremost leaders in planetary exploration, will speak at the 29th Annual International Mars Society Convention, taking place October 22–24, 2026, at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. During his distinguished 42-year career at NASA, Dr. Green served as the agency’s Chief Scientist and as the longest-serving Director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division, where he oversaw many of the… READ MORE >
June 24th, 2026
Real-Time Decision-Making on Mars: How Edge Computing Powers Autonomous Rovers [Blog]
By Lou Farrell, Senior Writer, Red Planet Bound Controlling rovers from hundreds of millions of kilometers away is challenging, to say the least. While they have become considerably more advanced in recent years, latency and bandwidth limitations can hold them back. The next generation of scientific discovery depends on making rovers smarter and more independent. Edge computing capabilities for autonomous Mars rovers represent one of the few technological solutions that can support real-time decision-making outside of Earth’s orbit. The Interplanetary… READ MORE >
