Mars: Exploration
No planet beyond Earth has been studied as intensely as Mars. Recorded observations of Mars date back more than 4,000 years. Today, an international fleet of robotic spacecraft are studying Mars from all angles.
A carefully selected international fleet of robotic orbiters, landers and rovers keep a continuous flow of scientific information and discovery from Mars.
Launch Date | Spacecraft | Nation | Goal | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Oct 10, 1960 | 1M No. 1 | USSR | Mars Flyby | Unsuccessful |
Oct 1, 1960 | 1M No. 2 | USSR | Mars Flyby | Unsuccessful |
Oct 24, 1962 | 2MV-4 No. 1 | USSR | Mars Flyby | Unsuccessful |
Nov 1, 1962 | Mars 1 | USSR | Mars Flyby | Unsuccessful |
Nov 4, 1962 | 2MV-3 No. 1 | USSR | Mars Lander | Unsuccessful |
Nov 5, 1964 | USA | Mars Flyby | Unsuccessful | |
Nov 28, 1964 | USA | Mars Flyby | First Successful Mars Flyby | |
Nov 30, 1964 | Zond 2 | USSR | Mars Flyby | Unsuccessful |
Feb 25, 1969 | USA | Mars Flyby | Unsuccessful | |
Mar 27, 1969 | 2M No. 521 | USSR | Mars Orbit | Unsuccessful |
Mar 27, 1969 | Mariner 7 | USA | Flyby | Successful |
Apr 2, 1965 | 2M No. 522 | USSR | Mars Orbit | Unsuccessful |
May 9, 1971 | USA | Mars Orbit | Unsuccessful | |
May 10, 1971 | Kosmos 419 | USSR | Mars Orbit | Unsuccessful |
May 19, 1971 | Mars 2 | USSR | Mars Orbit & Landing | Partial Success; First Mars Impact |
May 28, 1971 | Mars 3 | USSR | Mars Orbit & Landing | Partial Success; First Soft Landing on Another Planet |
May 30, 1971 | USA | Mars Orbit | Successful; First Spacecraft to Orbit Another Planet | |
Jul 21, 1973 | Mars 4 | USSR | Mars Orbit | Partial Success |
Jul 25, 1973 | Mars 5 | USSR | Mars Orbit | Successful |
Aug 5, 1973 | Mars 6 | USSR | Mars Flyby & Landing | Partial Success |
Aug 9, 1973 | Mars 7 | USSR | Mars Flyby & Landing | Partial Success |
Aug 20, 1975 | USA | Mars Orbit & Landing | First Successful Mars Lander | |
Sep 9, 1975 | USA | Mars Orbit & Landing | Successful | |
Jul 7, 1998 | Phobos 1 | USSR | Phobos Orbit & Landing | Unsuccessful |
July 12, 1988 | Phobos 2 | USA | Mars Orbit & Landing | Unsuccessful |
Sep 25, 1992 | USA | Mars Orbit | Unsuccessful | |
Nov 7, 1996 | USA | Mars Orbit | Successful | |
Nov 16, 1996 | Mars 96 | USSR | Mars Orbit, Landing & Impact | Unsuccessful |
Dec 4, 1996 | USA | Mars Lander & Rover | First Successful Rover on Another Planet | |
Jul 3, 1998 | Nozomi | Japan | Mars Orbit | Unsuccessful |
Dec 11, 1998 | USA | Mars Orbit | Unsuccessful | |
Jan 3, 1999 | USA | Mars Orbit & Impact | Unsuccessful | |
Apr 7, 2001 | USA | Mars Orbit | Successful | |
Jun 2, 2003 | Mars Express / Beagle 2 | ESA | Mars Orbit & Landing | Partial Success |
Jun 10, 2003 | USA | Mars Rover | Successful | |
Jul 8, 2003 | USA | Mars Rover | Successful | |
Mar 2, 2004 | Rosetta / Philae | ESA | Mars Gravity Assist | Successful |
Aug 12, 2005 | USA | Mars Orbit | Successful | |
Aug 4, 2007 | USA | Mars Landing | Successful | |
Sep 27, 2007 | Dawn | USA | Mars Gravity Assist | Successful |
Nov 8, 2011 | Phobos-Grunt / Yinghuo-1 | Russia / China | Mars Orbit | Unsuccessful |
Nov 26, 2011 | USA | Mars Rover | Successful | |
Nov 5, 2013 | Mars Orbiter Mission | India | Mars Orbit | Successful |
Nov 18, 2013 | USA | Mars Orbit | Successful | |
Mar 14, 2016 | ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter / Schiaparelli | ESA | Mars Orbit & Landing | Partial Success |
May 5, 2018 | USA | Mars Landing & Flyby | Successful | |
Jul 19, 2020 | Hope | United Arab Emirates | Mars Orbit | Successful |
Jul 27, 2020 | Tianwen-1 | China | Mars Orbiters, Landers & Rover | Successful |
Jul 30, 2020 | USA | Mars Rover & Helicopter | Successful; First Powered Flight on Another Planet |
Primary Source: Siddiqi, Asif A. Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration, 1958-2016. NASA History Program Office, 2018.
