Mars

Scientists can't say whether there is, or ever was, life on the Red Planet. But two Martian rock samples contained organic molecules — which contain carbon, the chemical element central to life.

The heat shield, made of material that is as light as balsa wood but can withstand temperatures of nearly 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, broke during testing earlier this month.

Updated March 2 at 12:43 p.m. NASA is approving a UC student project for launch. The space agency announced its decision Friday.

NASA plans to send people to the Red Planet in the 2030s. In the meantime, a remote location in southern Utah serves as a non-NASA training ground for the Mars-minded.

Starting Thursday, six people will spend eight months in a dome on Mauna Loa volcano to study what living on Mars might be like. The mission is co-sponsored by the University of Hawaii and NASA.

Today at 11amSpace travel has been making headlines recently. A new planet, Proxima B was discovered leading to speculation about whether it could host…