Planetary Science
Planetary Science News
Purdue planetary scientist Ali Bramson wins 2026 Urey Prize
05-12-2026
Ali Bramson, assistant professor in Purdue University's Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, has been named a winner of the 2026 Harold C. Urey Prize (“Urey Prize”) from the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences.
Rubies and opals on Mars? The real treasure in the planet’s gemstones may not be what you think
05-12-2026
Scientific American — NASA’s Mars rovers have found traces of minerals akin to those that make up precious gems on Earth. But their appearance and abundance on Mars is likely very different, experts say. EAPS's Candace Bedford was a co-author of the study.
Where did our Moon come from?
04-23-2026
NPR — EAPS assistant professors Kelsey Prissel and Tabb Prissel were recently featured on NPR’s Short Wave podcast, discussing how the Moon formed and why lunar exploration and sample-return science matter. It’s a fun listen for everyone and a great example of how Purdue scientists are helping bring planetary science to the public.
Discovery from NASA's Perseverance rover adds new evidence that early Mars had the chemistry needed for life
04-22-2026
A Purdue University-led study of rocks on Mars is giving scientists a new look at whether the red planet once had the right chemical conditions for life.
‘Bathtub ring’ offers new evidence for Mars ocean billions of years ago
04-21-2026
CNN — Mars may have once had an ocean so vast that it covered one-third of the planet before evaporating billions of years ago and leaving behind a telltale sign: a flat band of land, outlining the former ocean — similar to the ring left behind in a drained bathtub. EAPS's Briony Horgan was quoted in the article.
Frozen ocean world found lurking between Mars and Jupiter
04-13-2026
Brighter Side — Scientists argue that Ceres may be far icier than many scientists had come to accept, with an outer crust made not of mostly dry rock but of dirty ice. EAPS's Ian Pamerleau, a PhD student in Purdue’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, and assistant professor Mike Sori led the work.
NASA Aims to Launch the World’s First Planet-Hopping Spacecraft Powered by Nuclear Fission
03-30-2026
Smithsonian Magazine — On March 24, NASA announced that it wants to send a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars by the end of 2028. If successful, it would be the first probe to use nuclear propulsion to travel beyond Earth’s orbit. EAPS's Briony Horgan was quoted in the article.
NASA plans to send 3 helicopters to Mars in 2028
03-30-2026
Geekspin — NASA is gearing up for one of its boldest Mars missions yet, and it’s not just about landing on the Red Planet. In 2028, the agency plans to send a nuclear-powered spacecraft carrying not one, but three helicopters designed to take exploration to new heights. EAPS's Briony Horgan was quoted in the article.
Primordial Impact May Explain Why the Moon Is Asymmetrical
03-16-2026
EOS — Analysis of surface samples from the Chang’e-6 mission suggests that an asteroid may have vaporized parts of the lunar mantle, suppressing volcanic activity on the farside of the Moon. EAPS Assistant Professor Kelsey Prissel was interviewed for this article.
Mars sand ridge preserves record of powerful ancient winds
03-02-2026
A 6.5-foot-high sand ridge on Mars has emerged as one of the clearest signs that powerful, steady winds once shaped the planet’s surface for long stretches of time. EAPS PhD student Noah Martin documented how the crest lines trace a prolonged north-south airflow across the region.
As Earth slowed its spin, oceans may have tipped the balance for life
02-16-2026
Earth has not always rotated at the same speed it does today. Over the roughly 4 billion years that life has existed on the planet, Earth's rotation has gradually slowed, lengthening days and quietly reshaping the oceans. New research from Purdue University suggests that this planetary slowdown may have played an important role in making Earth's oceans more hospitable for life
Purdue grad plays major role in NASA’s Artemis II mission
02-13-2026
FOX59/CBS4 — The historic Artemis II launch has been postponed to March following technical difficulties identified during a wet dress rehearsal on Feb. 6, including operational issues from the bitter cold and a hydrogen leak in the Space Launch System (SLS) Rocket. EAPS's Briony Horgan was interviewed for this article.
Advancing Space Exploration at Purdue
01-16-2026
The 2nd annual Advancing Space Exploration at Purdue Symposium, hosted by the College of Science, will bring together leaders from inside and outside Purdue to discuss opportunities for universities to work with industry partners to make the next giant leap in robotic and human space exploration.
Mars Perseverance rover found a rock that could be a giant meteorite
01-08-2026
Earth — NASA’s Perseverance rover has spotted a desk-sized rock, nicknamed Phippsaksla, on Mars that looks suspiciously like an iron-rich meteorite. EAPS's Candice Bedford was cited in the article.
Perseverance continues science mission amid uncertainty about Mars Sample Return
01-06-2026
SpaceNews — NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is continuing its mission to collect samples despite uncertainty about how, when or even if those samples will be returned to Earth. At a press briefing during the Annual Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) here Dec. 17, project officials said the rover, which landed in Jezero Crater nearly five years ago, is in good condition as it ascends out of the crater. EAPS's Briony Horgan was quoted in the article.
Mars rover: New clues about the ancient atmosphere
01-06-2026
AP — Briony Horgan is a professor of planetary science at Purdue University and a tactical science lead on NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover mission. Horgan is among the authors of the important study "Carbonated ultramafic rocks in Jezero crater, Mars," released in the journal Science.
NASA will soon find out if the Perseverance rover can really persevere on Mars
12-19-2025
Ars Technica — When the Perseverance rover arrived on Mars nearly five years ago, NASA officials thought the next American lander to take aim on the red planet would be taking shape by now. EAPS's Briony Horgan was quoted in the article.
Inside NASA's Prep for the Moon, Mars, and the Search for Life
12-11-2025
NASA on YouTube — NASA experts take you behind the scenes in Iceland, where they study icy volcanoes, lava fields, hydrothermal vents, and other extreme environments that mimic other worlds. EAPS Assistant Professor Ali Bramson and her research team are working to figure out how astronauts can find and characterize water/ice and what is needed to prepare them for these activities.
The evolutionary history of kissing, moss in space, and the origins of the moon
12-11-2025
NPR Short Wave Podcast— Now, a new paper in the journal Science is attempting to figure out what this object Theia was made out of and where in the solar system it came from. EAPS's Kelsey Prissel made an appearance on the podcast.
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Found Evidence of Tropical Storms on Mars
12-10-2025
Vice — In a new study published in Communications Earth and Environment, led by Adrian Broz of Purdue University EAPS, researchers report that these aluminum-rich rocks scattered around Jezero Crater have the same chemical signature as kaolinite formed in Earth’s tropical climates after millions of years of water slowly stripping minerals from rock.
Mars May Have Lightning, Scientists Find
10-10-2025
Scientific American — For years scientists have suspected that there is electrical activity on Mars. A study now confirms it: particles in the dusty Martian atmosphere rub against one another, building up electrical charge that discharges in the form of tiny lightning arcs. Aside from Earth, lightning and electrical activity were only known to occur on Saturn and Jupiter. EAPS's Roger Wiens was quoted in the article.
Findings suggest red planet was warmer, wetter billions of years ago
12-10-2025
Rocks that stood out as light-colored dots on the reddish-orange surface of Mars now are the latest evidence that areas of the small planet may have once supported wet oases with humid climates and heavy rainfall comparable to tropical climates on Earth.
Scientists say Bennu samples hold a trove of life-building ingredients
12-10-2025
MSN — Work led by planetary scientists at Purdue University describes Bennu as a carbonaceous asteroid whose composition fits with scenarios in which such bodies helped in seeding the early Earth with both water and carbon. In that picture, brine-filled pores and fractures on the parent body would have acted as miniature chemical reactors, cycling organics through different temperatures and concentrations.
Mars Sample That May Contain Evidence of Life Might Never Come Home
11-19-2025
Scientific American — Right now one of the most advanced planetary explorers ever built is scouring the surface of Mars. Supported by a team of hundreds of scientists back on Earth, the Perseverance rover has traveled nearly the distance of a marathon to answer some of the biggest questions about our neighboring world. EAPS's Briony Horgan was quoted in the article.