NASA’s attempt to place its InSight lander on Mars on Monday afternoon will mark the culmination of a busy year for news about the red planet.

In 2018, there has been plenty to attract our earthbound attention to the fourth rock from the sun: uncommon astronomical and weather events, developments in the search for signs of life, and updated plans for the future study of Mars.

Below you’ll find a recap of some of this year’s notable Martian developments. But first, here are some refreshers about the InSight mission before it tries to reach its destination in one piece:

[Sign up to get reminders for space and astronomy events on your calendar.]

Life on Mars

No one has found definitive signs that living things once existed on Mars. But new scientific developments this year helped make the case that the cold and dusty world may have been more hospitable long ago.