Join us for a special early edition of Red Planet Live on Tuesday, July 21, at 3:00 PM PDT—two hours earlier than our usual start time. Hosted by Ashton Zeth, this episode features Dex Hunter-Torricke, one of the world’s leading experts on artificial intelligence and the technology industry. As Founder and President of The Center for Tomorrow, a global nonprofit focused on preparing society for the transformative impact of AI, Dex brings nearly two decades of experience at the highest… READ MORE >
News & Announcements
July 5th, 2026
Human Spaceflight Leader Garrett Reisman Announced as Plenary Speaker for the 2026 Mars Society Convention
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Garrett Reisman, former NASA astronaut, spaceflight pioneer, and USC professor, will serve as a plenary speaker at the 2026 International Mars Society Convention, taking place October 22-24 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. A veteran of NASA’s astronaut corps, Dr. Reisman flew aboard all three Space Shuttles—Endeavour, Discovery, and Atlantis—and spent 95 days living and working aboard the International Space Station. During his two space missions, he conducted… READ MORE >
July 1st, 2026
Mars Society Convention to Feature Former NASA Chief Scientist James Green
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. James Green, former NASA Chief Scientist and one of the world’s foremost leaders in planetary exploration, will speak at the 29th Annual International Mars Society Convention, taking place October 22–24, 2026, at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. During his distinguished 42-year career at NASA, Dr. Green served as the agency’s Chief Scientist and as the longest-serving Director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division, where he oversaw many of the… READ MORE >
June 24th, 2026
Real-Time Decision-Making on Mars: How Edge Computing Powers Autonomous Rovers [Blog]
By Lou Farrell, Senior Writer, Red Planet Bound Controlling rovers from hundreds of millions of kilometers away is challenging, to say the least. While they have become considerably more advanced in recent years, latency and bandwidth limitations can hold them back. The next generation of scientific discovery depends on making rovers smarter and more independent. Edge computing capabilities for autonomous Mars rovers represent one of the few technological solutions that can support real-time decision-making outside of Earth’s orbit. The Interplanetary… READ MORE >
June 23rd, 2026
Why Space? Rick Tumlinson Explores Humanity’s Purpose Beyond Earth at the 2026 Mars Society Convention
Rick Tumlinson, a leading space entrepreneur, author, and advocate for humanity’s expansion into space, will serve as a plenary speaker at the 2026 International Mars Society Convention this October at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. A co-founder of several commercial space ventures and one of the early architects of the NewSpace movement, Tumlinson has spent decades advancing private spaceflight, space settlement, and public engagement in space exploration. In his plenary address, Why Space? The Purpose of… READ MORE >
June 5th, 2026
Did Viking Already Find Life on Mars? Steven Benner to Explore the Question at 2026 Mars Society Convention
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that renowned astro-biochemist Dr. Steven Benner will deliver a plenary talk at the 2026 International Mars Society Convention, taking place October 22–24 at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. During his presentation, Dr. Benner will discuss his provocative new book, Meet the Neighbors, which revisits NASA’s Viking missions and argues that the only spacecraft ever sent specifically to search for extant Martian life may actually have detected it. Drawing on… READ MORE >
June 5th, 2026
Mars Society Announces Upcoming Crew 19 Mission to Flashline Station on Devon Island
The Mars Society is pleased to announce the deployment of Crew 19 to the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island in Nunavut Territory in Canada for a multi-week mission beginning in early July during the 2026 Arctic field season. Located approximately 900 miles from the North Pole, Flashline is one of the world’s most important Mars analog research facilities, providing a unique environment for testing technologies, conducting scientific investigations, and studying human performance under conditions similar to those… READ MORE >
May 29th, 2026
China Space Expert Kevin Pollpeter to Speak at 2026 Mars Society Convention
Dr. Kevin Pollpeter, Director of Research for the China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI), will participate as a plenary speaker at the 2026 International Mars Society Convention, taking place October 22–24 at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. A leading expert on China’s space program, information warfare, and national security strategy, Dr. Pollpeter has spent decades analyzing the evolving role of space in global competition and military affairs. Prior to joining CASI, he served as a Senior Research… READ MORE >
