Join us on Tuesday, March 18 at 5pm PT for an extraordinary journey into the future of space exploration on Red Planet Live. Hosted by Ashton Zeth, this special episode brings together the visionary leadership of the Mars Society’s Mars Desert Research Station, located near Hanksville, Utah. In an engaging conversation, Executive Director James Burk, Director of MDRS Sergii Iakymov, and Director of Refits Kay Radzik will share the insights and experiences garnered from over twenty years of groundbreaking research… READ MORE >
News & Announcements
March 10th, 2025
Unleash Your Creativity: 2025 Mars Society Poster Contest
The Mars Society is thrilled to announce its annual poster design contest—and is calling on all creative minds! If you have a passion for graphic design and a love for Mars and space exploration, this is your chance to make your mark. The winning poster will be featured as the main promotional graphic for the 28th Annual International Mars Society Convention, set for October 9–11, 2025 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. This year’s convention theme, “Mars:… READ MORE >
March 9th, 2025
Call for Abstracts
The 2025 International Mars Society Convention invites presentations addressing all aspects of Mars exploration and settlement. We welcome proposals covering topics such as science, technology, engineering, politics, economics, public policy, space advocacy, international cooperation, and more. If you are interested in sharing your insights during the three-day event (October 9-11 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles), please submit an abstract of 150-300 words via our Mars Society abstract page by Friday, June 27th at 5:00 pm MT for consideration…. READ MORE >
March 7th, 2025
Mars Society Denounces Trump Plans to Wreck NASA Space Science
News broke today that the Trump administration will ask for a 50 percent cut in NASA’s Space Science Directorate budget for FY 2026. These cuts will almost certainly entail the shutting down of the Mars Curiosity rover, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Voyager and New Horizon interstellar probes, among others, and derail almost all plans for future American planetary exploration and astronomy missions. The Mars Society stands 100 percent in opposition to this brutal attempt to wreck American space science…. READ MORE >
March 6th, 2025
High Schoolers, Ready to Conquer Mars? Join the 2025 Mission to Mars Engineering Design Competition!
The Mars Society is very proud to launch its Fourth Annual International Mission to Mars Engineering Design Competition for high school students aged 13-19 worldwide. This exciting virtual program invites students to take on a hands-on design challenge and explore the future of Mars exploration. Running Monday through Friday from June 9 – July 18, 2025, the program features lectures and workshops led by top scientists and engineers from NASA, the aerospace industry, and global academia. Participants will design a… READ MORE >
February 28th, 2025
Join the Journey: 2025 Int’l Mars Society Convention – Mars: The Time Has Come!
Get ready, Mars enthusiasts! The 2025 International Mars Society Convention is set for Thursday-Saturday, October 9–11 at USC (University of Southern California) in Los Angeles—its 28th year as the premier global conference on Mars exploration, human settlement planning, and cutting-edge space technologies. As the U.S. government announces its intention to make a near-term human mission to Mars the central goal of America’s space program, the convention’s theme “Mars: The Time has Come” will be right on target. Join leading scientists,… READ MORE >
February 23rd, 2025
Join Dr. Robert Zubrin for a Special Episode of Red Planet Live!
The vision of sending humans to Mars is closer than ever, with both private and government-led initiatives making serious progress. Organizations like NASA, SpaceX, and international space agencies are actively developing the technology and strategies to make interplanetary travel a reality. But getting there requires more than just innovation—it demands consistent funding, policy stability, and global collaboration to ensure long-term success. To explore these challenges and opportunities, the Mars Society’s Red Planet Live podcast is convening a special episode with Dr. Robert Zubrin, the organization’s president and founder. Join us on Tuesday, March 4th… READ MORE >
February 10th, 2025
Jim Cantrell Joins Red Planet Live: A Discussion on Space & Exploration
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Jim Cantrell, a renowned space entrepreneur and founding team member of SpaceX, will be the featured guest on the next episode of Red Planet Live (Feb. 18, 5pm PST) with host Ashton Zeth. Jim has played a pivotal role in the space industry, founding Phantom Space, Vector, and StratSpace, and contributing to 46+ satellite flight missions, including Iridium Next, Lightsail solar sail, and Osiris-Rex asteroid return. His extensive experience includes work with… READ MORE >
