A new study reconsiders the controversial findings of NASA's Viking Mars lander in 1976, which some argue may have shown signs of past life on the Red Planet.

The race to Mars has intensified, with two major players leading the charge—NASA and SpaceX. NASA, a government-backed agency with decades of space exploration experience, is taking a calculated and methodical approach.

This image of Mars' Valles Marineris hemisphere, captured on July 9, 2013, is a composite created from 102 images taken by the Viking Orbiter. NASA's Curiosity rover uses two cameras to take a selfie in front of a 20-foot-tall rock formation called Mont Mercou.

Seen as showing promising potential in future Mars science work, the UAV can take off at any time, traverse obstacles, and boasts superb endurance, reports state-owned China Central Television (CCTV). "On the ground, it mainly rolls by shifting its center of gravity," said Zhu Yimin, a Ph.D candidate at SoA.

A new study claims that a mineral found in Mars' dust called ferrihydrite, which forms in the presence of cool water, is likely what gives the planet its reddish hue.

After Friday's spectacle, a "planet parade" of this size won't appear in the night sky for several years, experts say.

Mars may have once had a vast, ice-free ocean, according to new evidence from China’s Zhurong rover. Using ground-penetrating radar, the rover revealed sloping, sand-like deposits underground that strongly resemble beach formations on Earth.

Ferrihydrite, a water-rich iron mineral, plays an important role in giving the red planet its signature hue, according to the study.