News
Mars news
Four stories so far, every one dated and sourced: Starship flights, NASA’s rovers and orbiters, Japan’s MMX, Europe and China. Each story links to the mission page it updates.
Updated Sources (1)
Showing 4 of 4 stories
October 20264
- SpaceXNewsStarship reaches orbit for the first time on Flight 14Booster 21 and Ship 41 lifted off at 12:48 UTC on Sep 28, and the ship released all 26 Starlink V3 satellites. An engine problem cut the planned six orbits to a flight of about three hours.2 min read
JAXANewsJapan’s MMX is set to launch Oct 20 for a piece of Mars’s moon PhobosJAXA plans to launch its Martian Moons eXploration mission at 04:41 Japan time on Oct 20 (19:41 UTC on Oct 19) on an H3 rocket. The samples are due back in Japan’s fiscal 2031.2 min read
NASANewsNASA picks Blue Origin to build a Mars relay orbiter; Rocket Lab protestsThe orbiter, worth up to about $700 million, is due by Dec 31, 2028 and should be working at Mars by 2030. Rocket Lab has challenged the award; a ruling is due by Dec 21.1 min read
ESANewsHappy new year on Mars: Mars Year 39 began on Sep 30A new Martian year started at the northern spring equinox, 08:16 UTC on Sep 30, 2026, ESA said. It lasts 687 Earth days; Mars Year 40 begins in August 2028.1 min read
Questions
Where does Mars Progress get its news?
From the agencies and companies themselves first: NASA, ESA, JAXA, CNSA and SpaceX. Then from reliable outlets such as Reuters, AP, SpaceNews and Space.com, always labeled. Every story lists its sources.
How often is the news updated?
As things happen. Launches and landings are covered the same day; everything else is checked at least once a week.
Can I get Mars news by email?
Yes, usually once a month. The Mars Progress Brief is a free email with what launched, what slipped and what’s next. Sign up on its page, or follow the RSS feed.
Sources
- Mars Progress — Sources and methodsPrimary · checked Oct 2, 2026