Joe Palca

After traveling nearly 300 million miles, NASA's rover is about to land on the Red Planet. It's aiming for a crater that was home to a lake 3.5 billion years ago.

Another six-wheeled rover is about to land on Mars. NASA Perseverance's mission is headed to Jezero Crater, which once may have been a lake. It's carrying two new items: a microphone and a helicopter.

NASA's Mars rover called Perseverance is carrying two microphones. One will be used in conjunction with a scientific instrument, but the other is there just because it's cool.

The UAE probe arrives at Mars on Tuesday, Feb 9. Its purpose is to both study the weather on Mars as well as inspire the next generation of that country's scientists and engineers.

There's another COVID-19 vaccine. This one was developed by the U.S. biotech company Novavax. It's almost 90% effective against the disease, but isn't as effective against the South African variant

Novavax says its COVID-19 vaccine is 89% effective at preventing illness, according to an interim analysis of a U.K. study. But the vaccine wasn't as effective against some viral variants.

Novavax says its COVID-19 vaccine is 89% effective at preventing illness, according to an interim analysis of a U.K. study. But it was less effective against a variant first found in South Africa.

The two countries are vying for a role in ending the pandemic by offering their vaccines to countries that can't afford or obtain other vaccines. But vaccine experts have a few concerns.

The COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S. are too expensive and difficult to transport across the globe. So, many countries are turning to cheaper, easier-to-store options from Russia and China.

Moderna announced on Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine seems to work against at least some of the new coronavirus variants. NPR discusses what it might mean for the course of the pandemic worldwide.

****EMBARGOED UNTIL 5PM ET*****Johnson & Johnson reported on Wednesday that its COVID-19 vaccine appears safe. Clinical trial results are expected to be published later this month.

Even if the Biden administration releases all available doses of COVID-19 vaccines, supplies will remain limited. How best to use that limited supply is a question mathematicians can help answer.

Mathematical models can help public health officials decide how best to deploy the COVID-19 vaccine when it is in short supply.

The U.K. has authorized emergency use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine. In the U.S., Pfizer and Moderna are now distributing their vaccines. Other vaccine candidates may be available soon.

Before scientists were even sure black holes existed, an Indian astrophysicist did the math behind Einstein's predictions of what would happen if two black holes collided.

A look at the week's COVID-19 and vaccine news, including new information from the variant out of the United Kingdom.

An FDA advisory panel has endorsed a second COVID-19 vaccine, the Moderna vaccine.The Food and Drug Administration will decide soon whether to grant emergency use authorization to the vaccine.

An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration met on Thursday to review Moderna's application for emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine. NPR discusses the latest.

An advisory panel meets Thursday to give the FDA guidance about granting an Emergency Use Authorization for Moderna's vaccine. If granted, it would be the second COVID-19 vaccine available in the U.S.

The Food and Drug Administration has made public drugmaker Moderna's application for emergency authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine. NPR explores what researchers think of the application.