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Mission

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History

*Mission: Country, Launch Date, Purpose, Results

Marsnik 1: USSR, 10/10/60, Mars flyby, did not reach Earth orbit

Marsnik 2: USSR, 10/14/60, Mars flyby, did not reach Earth orbit

Sputnik 22: USSR, 10/24/62, Mars flyby, achieved Earth orbit only

Mars 1: USSR, 11/1/62, Mars flyby, radio failed at 65.9 million miles (106 million kilometers)

Sputnik 24: USSR, 11/4/62, Mars flyby, achieved Earth orbit only

Mariner 3: U.S., 11/5/64, Mars flyby, shroud failed to jettison

Mariner 4: U.S. 11/28/64, first successful Mars flyby 7/14/65, returned 21 photos

Zond 2: USSR, 11/30/64, Mars flyby, passed Mars but radio failed, returned no planetary data

Mariner 6: U.S., 2/24/69, Mars flyby 7/31/69, returned 75 photos

Mariner 7: U.S., 3/27/69, Mars flyby 8/5/69, returned 126 photos

Mars 1969A: USSR, 3/27/69, Mars orbiter, did not reach Earth orbit

Mars 1969B: USSR, 4/2/69, Mars orbiter, failed during launch

Mariner 8: U.S., 5/8/71, Mars orbiter, failed during launch

Kosmos 419: USSR, 5/10/71, Mars lander, achieved Earth orbit only

Mars 2: USSR, 5/19/71, Mars orbiter/lander arrived 11/27/71, no useful data, lander burned up due to steep entry

Mars 3: USSR, 5/28/71, Mars orbiter/lander, arrived 12/3/71, lander operated on surface for 20 seconds before failing

Mariner 9: U.S., 5/30/71, Mars orbiter, operated in orbit 11/13/71 to 10/27/72, returned 7,329 photos

Mars 4: USSR, 7/21/73, failed Mars orbiter, flew past Mars 2/10/74

Mars 5: USSR, 7/25/73, Mars orbiter, arrived 2/12/74, lasted a few days

Mars 6: USSR, 8/5/73, Mars flyby module and lander, arrived 3/12/74, lander failed due to fast impact

Mars 7: USSR, 8/9/73, Mars flyby module and lander, arrived 3/9/74, lander missed the planet

Viking 1: U.S., 8/20/75, Mars orbiter/lander, orbit 6/19/76-1980, lander 7/20/76-1982

Viking 2: U.S., 9/9/75, Mars orbiter/lander, orbit 8/7/76-1987, lander 9/3/76-1980; combined, the Viking orbiters and landers returned more than 50,000 photos

Phobos 1: USSR, 7/7/88, Mars orbiter and Phobos lander, lost 8/88 en route to Mars

Phobos 2: USSR, 7/12/88, Mars orbiter and Phobos lander, lost 3/89 near Phobos

Mars Observer: U.S., 9/25/92, Mars orbiter, lost just before Mars arrival 8/21/93

Mars Global Surveyor: U.S., 11/7/96, Mars orbiter, arrived 9/12/97, high-detail mapping through 1/00, third extended mission completed 9/06, last communication 11//2/06

Mars 96: Russia, 1/16/96, orbiter/two landers/two penetrators, launch vehicle failed

Mars Pathfinder: U.S., 12/4/96, Mars lander/rover, landed 7/4/97, completed prime mission and began extended mission 8/3/07, last transmission 9/27/97

Nozomi: Japan, 7/4/98, Mars orbiter, failed to enter orbit 12/03

Mars Climate Orbiter: U.S., 12/11/98, lost upon arrival 9/23/99

Mars Polar Lander/Deep Space 2: U.S., 1/3/99, lander/two penetrators, lost on arrival 12/3/99

Mars Odyssey: U.S., 3/7/01, Mars orbiter, arrived 10/24/01, completed prime mission 8/25/04, currently conducting extended mission of science and communication relay

Mars Express/Beagle 2: European Space Agency, 6/2/03, Mars orbiter/lander, orbiter completed prime mission 11/05, currently in extended mission; lander lost on arrival 12/25/03

Mars Exploration Rover Spirit: U.S., 6/10/03, Mars rover, landed 1/4/04 for three-month prime mission inside Gusev Crater, completed several extended missions, last communication 3/22/10

Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity: U.S., 7/7/03, Mars rover, landed 1/25/04 for three-month prime mission in Meridiani Planum region, currently conducting extended mission

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter: U.S., 8/12/05, Mars orbiter, arrived 3/12/06, completed prime mission 9/26/10, currently conducting extended mission of science and communication relay

Phoenix Mars Lander: U.S., 8/4/07, Mars lander, landed 5/25/08, completed prime mission and began extended mission 8/26/08, last communication 11/2/08

Phobos-Grunt/Yinghuo 1: Russia/China, 11/8/11, Phobos lander with sample return and Mars orbiter, achieved Earth orbit only

Curiosity Rover (Mars Science Laboratory): U.S., 11/26/11, Mars rover, landed 8/6/12, completed prime mission, currently conducting extended science mission

Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN): U.S., 11/18/13, Mars orbiter, arrived 9/21/14, completed prime mission, currently conducting extended science mission

Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan): India, 11/5/13, Mars orbiter, arrived 9/14/14, completed prime mission, currently conducting extended mission

ExoMars 2016: European Space Agency, 3/14/16, orbiter and landing-demonstration module, Trace Gas Orbiter arrived 10/19/16, currently conducting prime mission; unsuccessful Mars impact of Schiaparelli module 10/19/16

Mars 2020 Artist Concept

Future

NASA’s next mission to Mars, following InSight, will be the Mars 2020 mission, which is in development to launch in the summer of 2020. It will land a Curiosity-size rover in February 2021 to seek signs of past microbial life at a carefully selected site, using capabilities to examine rocks’ composition and texture at microscopic scale and to collect and seal drilled rock cores for possible future return to Earth. The rover will also test extraction of oxygen from the carbon dioxide in Mars’ atmosphere, as a useful technology for future astronauts on Mars.

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