Accelerate progress in our three core enterprises — Explore Worlds, Find Life, and Defend Earth. You can support the entire fund, or designate a core enterprise of your choice.
Curiosity plays in the mud NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover found these preserved, ancient mud cracks that scientists believe were formed after long cycles of wet and dry conditions over many years. The hexagonal mud cracks are similar to those found at locations on Earth such as Death Valley National Park, which form under similar alternating wet and dry conditions. The discovery marks the first evidence of these wet-dry cycles on Mars. The image was captured on June 20, 2021 and released by NASA on Aug. 9, 2023. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/IRAP