Axios

NASA's InSight lander mission on Mars has ended after years of science and research, the agency said Wednesday.

Why it matters: The NASA mission spent more than four years collecting data and science unique to Earth's neighboring red planet.

Over 50 million people are on winter storm alerts as the frigid air is already slithering south of the Canadian border, closing in on virtually the entire Lower 48 east of the Rockies.

Threat level: The National Weather Service is calling the cold "life-threatening" for the areas that will be hardest hit, especially the Great Plains and Midwest.

Space companies are breaking into more niche markets as tools on Earth and in orbit become more sophisticated and less expensive than ever before.

Why it matters: Earth-gazing satellites and sensors on the ground connected to satellite systems are giving researchers, governments and companies more insight into what's happening on the planet at any given time — and giving the space industry a more robust business line.

Some 33 million people are under winter storm watches and 27 million others are under wind chill alerts ahead of an Arctic outbreak and a related major storm sweeping the country this week.

Threat level: Arctic air began to bite across the Northern Plains Monday, ahead of the blockbuster storm forming and hammering the Midwest and the Great Lakes later this week. Forecasters are warning of power outages and "extensive" holiday travel delays throughout the Midwest and East.