Organics found on Mars by Curiosity may be another hint at ancient life. In March 2025, the rover (pictured) analyzed a rock sample with small amounts of decane, undecane, and dodecane — potential fragments of fatty acids. On Earth, fatty acids are produced mostly by life, though they can also form through geologic processes. New analysis of potential non-biological sources found that they couldn’t fully explain the abundance of the compounds, leaving open the possibility of living origins. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS.
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a new NASA authorization bill. Last week, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee unanimously approved a new NASA authorization bill that reemphasizes congressional commitment to U.S. leadership in space, especially the Moon-to-Mars human exploration program.
The U.K. government has proposed a 30% budget cut to astronomy and physics research. Although the United Kingdom’s overall funding for research and innovation has been increased, funding for astronomy, particle, and nuclear physics has been targeted for reduction. The U.K. also recently reduced its funding contribution to the European Space Agency by 11.2%.
Venus might have ancient lava tubes. Though decades old, data from NASA’s Magellan mission to Venus are still yielding new findings, including what appears to be a vast underground tunnel carved by volcanic flows. Lava tubes like this have been found on the Moon and Mars, but only one has ever been found on Venus until now.