Mission Archive

NASA · 2020

Mars

A NASA mission exploring Jezero crater for signs of ancient microbial life and collecting rock samples for possible return to Earth.

CNSA · 2020

Mars

China's first independent mission to Mars, which succeeded in orbiting, landing and deploying a rover in a single attempt.

MBRSC · 2020

Mars

The first interplanetary mission by an Arab nation. From a high orbit it tracks Martian weather through the whole day and across the seasons.

NASA/DLR/CNES · 2018

Mars

A NASA lander that listened to the interior of Mars, recording more than 1,300 marsquakes and measuring the size of the planet's core.

ESA/Roscosmos · 2016

Mars

A joint ESA and Roscosmos mission to map trace gases such as methane in the Martian atmosphere. It also carried the Schiaparelli landing demonstrator, which crashed on arrival.

ISRO · 2013

Mars

India's first interplanetary mission, which made ISRO the first agency to reach Mars orbit on its first attempt. Planned for six months, it operated for nearly eight years.

NASA · 2011

Mars

A NASA mission that landed the Curiosity rover in Gale crater in 2012, where it found that Mars once had lakes and streams able to support microbial life.

NASA · 2007

Mars

A NASA lander that touched down in the Martian arctic, dug into the soil and confirmed water ice just below the surface.

NASA · 2005

Mars

A NASA orbiter that has studied Mars since 2006 with the most powerful camera ever sent to another planet, and relays most of the data from the rovers on the surface.

NASA · 2003

Mars

One of NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers, built to last 90 days. It drove more than 45 km across Meridiani Planum over 14 years and found minerals that form in water.

NASA · 2003

Mars

One of NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers, which explored Gusev crater for more than six years and found evidence that hot water once flowed there.

ESA · 2003

Mars

ESA's first mission to another planet. Its orbiter has studied Mars since 2003, finding water ice at the south pole and signs of liquid water beneath it.

NASA · 2001

Mars

NASA's longest-serving Mars orbiter, which mapped the planet's surface chemistry, found vast deposits of buried water ice and has relayed data for every rover since Spirit.

NASA · 1998

Mars

A NASA orbiter intended to study the Martian climate and relay data for Mars Polar Lander. It was lost on arrival when it passed too close to the planet, after thruster data was supplied in imperial units where metric was expected.

NASA · 1996

Mars

A NASA technology demonstration that landed on Mars cushioned by airbags and delivered Sojourner, the first rover to operate on another planet.

NASA · 1996

Mars

A NASA orbiter that mapped Mars for nine years, charting its topography and magnetic field and finding gullies that suggested recent liquid water.

NASA · 1975

Mars

The first American mission to land on Mars and the first to operate there for years. Its orbiter mapped the planet while the lander searched the soil for signs of life.

NASA · 1971

Mars

The first spacecraft to orbit another planet. It waited out a global dust storm and then mapped the whole of Mars, revealing its volcanoes, canyons and dry riverbeds.

USSR · 1971

Mars

A Soviet orbiter and lander. The lander made the first soft landing on Mars but fell silent about 20 seconds after it began transmitting; the orbiter returned data for eight months.

NASA · 1964

Mars

The first spacecraft to return close-up pictures of another planet, sending back 21 images of a cratered Mars from its flyby in July 1965.