Evolution of NASA’s Mars Rovers: Sojourner to Perseverance

Since landing its first rover on Mars in 1997, NASA has pushed the boundaries of exploration with increasingly larger and more sophisticated robotic explorers. Each mission builds on the lessons learned from the Red Planet, leading to breakthroughs in technology and our understanding of Mars. From the microwave-sized Sojourner to the SUV-sized Perseverance—and even taking flight with the groundbreaking Ingenuity helicopter—these rovers reflect decades of innovation and the drive to answer some of science’s biggest questions. This is their evolution.

The Perseverance rover is currently exploring the Martian surface and collecting samples for return to Earth, where they could be studied by scientists around the world with instruments too large to send to Mars.