In this episode of the podcast, the host and guest delve into the fascinating world of Mars exploration. They discuss the evolutionary history of Mars and the ongoing search for signs of life on the planet. The conversation explores the valuable insights gained from meteorites found on Earth that originated from Mars, as well as the discoveries made by rovers like Opportunity and Curiosity. The challenges of exploring Mars with rovers, such as the time delay and limited power and data capabilities, are also explored. The importance of water on Mars and the potential for human exploration are highlighted, along with the need for collaboration between government and private entities. The episode concludes with a call for curiosity and involvement in space exploration. Overall, this episode provides a comprehensive overview of the study of Mars and the exciting possibilities it holds for future exploration.

One of the most exciting possibilities for life beyond Earth doesn't require us going very far. While Mercury and the Moon have no atmosphere and Venus is an inferno-esque hellscape, Mars offers a tantalizing possibility for a new line of life, independent of Earth, here in our Solar System. With the same raw ingredients and more than a billion years of a watery, wet past, Mars could have had, or might even still have today, some form of life on its surface.

Part of the reason Mars is so exciting for us is that we've been there: at least, robotically, with a series of orbiters, landers, and even rovers. We've seen and learned so much about the red planet, including some tantalizing hints of what might be biological activity. But there's so much more to learn, and we're reaching the limits of what we can accomplish without having human beings walk on the Martian surface.

On this episode of the Starts With A Bang podcast, we're joined by Mars expert Dr. Tanya Harrison, who's worked on three generations of Mars Rovers and is a strong advocate for a variety of future missions to Mars. Join us for this fascinating conversation where she lays out what we know, what remains uncertain, and what we'll need to do if we want to take those next, critical steps. (And, as a bonus, she corrects one or two of my misconceptions along the way!)

(This image shows the Mars Perseverance rover in one of its "selfie-mode" images, where its own tracks and the Ingenuity rover are both visible in the background. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS/Seán Doran)