Timeline: A Historic Have a look at Each Mission to Mars
Inside our Photo voltaic System, Mars is among the most related planets to Earth—each have rocky landscapes, strong outer crusts, and cores manufactured from molten rock.
Due to its similarities to Earth and proximity, humanity has been fascinated by Mars for hundreds of years. In truth, it’s some of the explored objects in our Photo voltaic System.
However simply what number of missions to Mars have we launched into, and which of those journeys have been profitable? This graphic by Jonathan Letourneau reveals a timeline of each mission to Mars since 1960 utilizing NASA’s historic knowledge.
A Timeline of Mars Explorations
Based on a historic log from NASA, there have been 48 missions to Mars over the past 60 years. Right here’s a breakdown of every mission, and whether or not or not they have been profitable:
| # | Launch | Identify | Nation | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1960 | Korabl 4 | USSR (flyby) | Failure |
| 2 | 1960 | Korabl 5 | USSR (flyby) | Failure |
| 3 | 1962 | Korabl 11 | USSR (flyby) | Failure |
| 4 | 1962 | Mars 1 | USSR (flyby) | Failure |
| 5 | 1962 | Korabl 13 | USSR (flyby) | Failure |
| 6 | 1964 | Mariner 3 | US (flyby) | Failure |
| 7 | 1964 | Mariner 4 | US (flyby) | Success |
| 8 | 1964 | Zond 2 | USSR (flyby) | Failure |
| 9 | 1969 | Mars 1969A | USSR | Failure |
| 10 | 1969 | Mars 1969B | USSR | Failure |
| 11 | 1969 | Mariner 6 | US (flyby) | Success |
| 12 | 1969 | Mariner 7 | US (flyby) | Success |
| 13 | 1971 | Mariner 8 | US | Failure |
| 14 | 1971 | Kosmos 419 | USSR | Failure |
| 15 | 1971 | Mars 2 Orbiter/Lander | USSR | Failure |
| 16 | 1971 | Mars 3 Orbiter/Lander | USSR | Success/Failure |
| 17 | 1971 | Mariner 9 | US | Success |
| 18 | 1973 | Mars 4 | USSR | Failure |
| 19 | 1973 | Mars 5 | USSR | Success |
| 20 | 1973 | Mars 6 Orbiter/Lander | USSR | Success/Failure |
| 21 | 1973 | Mars 7 Lander | USSR | Failure |
| 22 | 1975 | Viking 1 Orbiter/Lander | US | Success |
| 23 | 1975 | Viking 2 Orbiter/Lander | US | Success |
| 24 | 1988 | Phobos 1 Orbiter | USSR | Failure |
| 25 | 1988 | Phobos 2 Orbiter/Lander | USSR | Failure |
| 26 | 1992 | Mars Observer | US | Failure |
| 27 | 1996 | Mars World Surveyor | US | Success |
| 28 | 1996 | Mars 96 | Russia | Failure |
| 29 | 1996 | Mars Pathfinder | US | Success |
| 30 | 1998 | Nozomi | Japan | Failure |
| 31 | 1998 | Mars Local weather Orbiter | US | Failure |
| 32 | 1999 | Mars Polar Lander | US | Failure |
| 33 | 1999 | Deep Area 2 Probes (2) | US | Failure |
| 34 | 2001 | Mars Odyssey | US | Success |
| 35 | 2003 | Mars Categorical Orbiter/Beagle 2 Lander | ESA | Success/Failure |
| 36 | 2003 | Mars Exploration Rover – Spirit | US | Success |
| 37 | 2003 | Mars Exploration Rover – Alternative | US | Success |
| 38 | 2005 | Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter | US | Success |
| 39 | 2007 | Phoenix Mars Lander | US | Success |
| 40 | 2011 | Mars Science Laboratory | US | Success |
| 41 | 2011 | Phobos-Grunt/Yinghuo-1 | Russia/China | Failure |
| 42 | 2013 | Mars Ambiance and Unstable Evolution | US | Success |
| 43 | 2013 | Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) | India | Success |
| 44 | 2016 | ExoMars Orbiter/Schiaparelli EDL Demo Lander | ESA/Russia | Success/Failure |
| 45 | 2018 | Mars InSight Lander | US | Success |
| 46 | 2020 | Hope Orbiter | UAE | Success |
| 47 | 2020 | Tianwen-1 Orbiter/Zhurong Rover | China | Success |
| 48 | 2020 | Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover | US | Success |
The primary mission to Mars was tried by the Soviets in 1960, with the launch of Korabl 4, also referred to as Mars 1960A.
Because the desk above reveals, the voyage was unsuccessful. The spacecraft made it 120 km into the air, however its third-stage pumps didn’t generate sufficient momentum for it to remain in Earth’s orbit.
For the subsequent few years, a number of extra unsuccessful Mars missions have been tried by the USSR after which NASA. Then, in 1964, historical past was made when NASA launched the Mariner 4 and accomplished the first-ever profitable journey to Mars.
The Mariner 4 didn’t truly land on the planet, however the spacecraft flew by Mars and was capable of seize images, which gave us an up-close glimpse on the planet’s rocky floor.
Then on July 20, 1976, NASA made historical past once more when its spacecraft referred to as Viking 1 touched down on Mars’ floor, making it the primary area company to finish a profitable Mars touchdown. Viking 1 captured panoramic photos of the planet’s terrain, and in addition enabled scientists to watch the planet’s climate.
Trip to Mars, Anybody?
Up to now, all Mars landings have been executed with out crews, however NASA is planning to ship people to Mars by the late 2030s.
And it’s not simply authorities businesses which might be planning missions to Mars—a variety of personal firms are getting concerned, too. Elon Musk’s aerospace firm SpaceX has a long-term plan to construct a complete metropolis on Mars.
Two different aerospace startups, Impulse and Relativity, additionally introduced an unmanned joint mission to Mars in July 2022, with hopes it could possibly be prepared as quickly as 2024.
As extra gamers are added to the combination, the stress is on to be the primary firm or company to actually make it to Mars. If (or when) we attain that time, what’s subsequent is anybody’s guess.