Mars rover current studies on Mars by the "Curiosity" "Opportunity" rovers would be searching for evidence of ancient life, including a biosphere based on autotrophic, chemotrophic or chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms, as well as ancient water, including fluvio-lacustrine environments (plains related to ancient rivers or lakes) that may have been habitable. The search for evidence of habitability, taphonomy (related to fossils), and organic carbon on Mars is now a primary NASA objective. Since June 2018, the "Opportunity" rover has been out of contact after going into hibernation mode in a dust storm. NASA has stated they are unsure if they will ever be able
Mission: Earth, Voyage to the Home Planet Mission: Earth, Voyage to the Home Planet Mission: Earth, Voyage to the Home Planet is a children's literature book by science writer June A. English and astronaut Thomas David Jones that was published in 1996 by Scholastic. Jones was among the crew members of the Space Shuttle "Endeavour" during an eleven-day mission in space, which was launched in April 1994 to study the ecological well-being of Earth using specialized radar technology. The book, which is illustrated with radar images and picturesque photographs, chronicles the mission and Jones' experiences of it. "Mission: Earth, Voyage to the Home Planet" received a generally