Self-secondary impact craters are rare on Mars relative to airless bodies and are almost absent in layered ejecta deposits, according to satellite observations of Martian surface geology which suggest the two deposit types form largely contemporaneously.

Numerical simulations suggest the wavelength of wind ripples is controlled by the mechanics of grain–bed impacts, not grain hop length, explaining why ripples on Mars and Earth are the same scale despite very different atmospheric conditions.

The provenance, formation and exposure history of the lunar regolith at the sampling site of the Chinese Chang’e-6 lander are investigated through remote sensing and regolith evolution modelling, providing critical insights into exotic materials and the weathering process on the Moon’s farside.

Previously, ion escape was expected to be steady under constant external conditions. Here, the authors show that ion escape at Mars exhibits anomalous spatial-temporal variability.

Venusian basaltic crust cannot be thicker than 20–65 km without either causing delamination and crustal recycling or melting and producing volcanic eruptions. The thickest the crust can be is ~65 km for a thermal gradient of 10 °C/km.

This study challenges the long-standing assumption that some lunar samples are pristine, revealing pervasive impact modification. Using Al-in-zircon geochemistry, we demonstrate that key lunar rock fragments are not primary magmatic products, raising fundamental questions about the accuracy of lunar evolution models and the very records used to reconstruct the Moon’s history.

The tail-end accretion hypothesis of planet formation posits that the early Moon underwent heavy impacts. Viscous relaxation erased lunar impact basins that formed shortly after the solidification of the lunar magma ocean, explaining the low number of basins currently present on the Moon.

Four years ago the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hayabusa2 mission returned samples of an asteroid to Earth. The latest results in the analysis of the sample material are presented in this issue of Nature Astronomy.

Humans first reached Mars in 1971, initiating the record of human activity on the Red Planet. As planetary scientists plan for future planetary protection procedures for Mars, they should also consider the developing archaeological record on one of our nearest planets.

The sample numbers required to achieve a 95% confidence, with high precision, that Martian environments are lifeless can exceed many hundreds. This might not be achievable by sample return only and might require human explorers.

The composition of Venus’s atmosphere is well known, and is likely being replenished by volcanic gases. Analysis suggests that the volcanic eruptions are water-poor — implying that the planet’s mantle is dry. This is consistent with Venus having had a long-lasting dry surface and never having been habitable.

Is Mars exploration stalling? The unused 2022 and 2024 launch windows send some warning signs. A revitalized approach could orient a new phase of exploration and complement the long-awaited sample return process.