Every robot that has successfully touched the Martian surface — from Sojourner's 83-day pathfinding mission to Perseverance's sample caching for Earth return.
Last updated: · · Sources: NASA JPL, CNSA
Mars is the most explored planet beyond Earth. Since the first successful landing (Viking 1, 1976), nine missions have operated successfully on the Martian surface — including five rovers and four stationary landers. These missions have transformed our understanding of Mars from a seemingly dead world into a planet with a complex geological history, ancient water, and the potential for past microbial life.
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover programme (Spirit and Opportunity, 2004) proved that liquid water once existed on the Martian surface. Curiosity (2012–present) discovered organic molecules and seasonal methane variations in Gale Crater. Perseverance (2021–present) is caching samples in Jezero Crater for future return to Earth and flew the Ingenuity helicopter — the first powered flight on another planet.
China's Zhurong rover (2021) made China the second country to successfully operate a rover on Mars, exploring Utopia Planitia and studying soil composition with ground-penetrating radar.
| Mission | Agency | Landing | Type | Duration | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viking 1 & 2 | NASA | 1976 | Landers | 6+ years | Completed — first successful Mars landings |
| Pathfinder / Sojourner | NASA | Jul 1997 | Lander + rover | 83 days | Completed — first Mars rover |
| Spirit (MER-A) | NASA | Jan 2004 | Rover | 6 years (planned 90 days) | Completed — stuck in sand 2009, last contact 2010 |
| Opportunity (MER-B) | NASA | Jan 2004 | Rover | 15 years (planned 90 days) | Completed — dust storm ended mission Jun 2018 |
| Phoenix | NASA | May 2008 | Lander | 5 months | Completed — confirmed water ice at north pole |
| Curiosity (MSL) | NASA | Aug 2012 | Rover | 13+ years | Active — Gale Crater, nuclear powered, organics found |
| InSight | NASA | Nov 2018 | Lander | 4 years | Completed — first marsquake detections, interior mapping |
| Perseverance + Ingenuity | NASA | Feb 2021 | Rover + helicopter | 5+ years | Active — Jezero Crater, sample caching, 72 helicopter flights |
| Zhurong | CNSA | May 2021 | Rover | ~1 year active | Dormant — Utopia Planitia, hibernated May 2022 |