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National Astronomy Week 2020

14th - 22nd November

List of Future, Past and Ongoing Mars Missions

In-flight Missions to Mars

USA (NASA)

Launch: 17 July, 2020

Land: 18 February 2021

What: Rover

Where: Jezebel Crater

Name of rover: Mars 2020, TBD; Unnamed

USA_rover
This is what NASA's new rover will look like (credit: NASA)
USA_rover_diagram
Check out where the rover's instruments were developed (credit: NASA)

 

NASA_rover_patch
The mission's patch (credit: NASA)
NASA_rover_logo
The mission's logo (credit: NASA)

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China (CNSA - China National Space Administration)

Launch window: July 2020

Orbital placement: 11-24 February 2021

What: Orbiter, Lander and Rover

Launching from: Wenchang Spacecraft Launchpad

Name: Tienwan-1 (Heavenly Questions)

huoxing1_orbiter
The Huoxing-1 Orbiter (credit: CNSA/Xinhua)
huoxing1
The Huoxing-1 Lander (credit: CNSA/Xinhua)

UAE - (MBRSC) Emirates Mars Mission

Launch: July 2020

Orbital placement: 

What: Orbiter

Launching from: Tanegashima, Japan

Name: Hope Mars Mission

hope_orbiter
The Hope Orbiter (Credit: MBRSC)
hope_logo
The Hope Mars Mission Logo (Credit: MBRSC)

Future Missions to Mars

Europe (ESA) – ExoMars

Launch window: postponed to 2023

Land: 

What: Rover

Launch from: 

Where:

Name of rover: Rosalind Franklin, ExoMars Rover

rf_rover2
The ExoMars Lander (credit: ESA)
rf_rover
The Rosalind Franklin Rover (credit: ESA)
exomars_logo
The ExoMars Logo (credit: ESA)

Past Missions to Mars

Mars 1M No. 1/No. 2

Launch: 10/14 October, 1960

Launch Site: Baikonur

Land: N/A, destroyed during launch

What: Spacecraft

Country: USSR

Mars_1M
A Marsnik Spacecraft, identical to those used in the Mars 1M mission (Credit: Wikimedia)


MARS 2MV-4 No. 1/ Mars 1/ Mars 2MV-3 No. 1/ Zond 2

Launch: 24 October, 1/4 November 1962, November 30 1964.

Launch Site: Baikonur

Land: Broke up in the Earth’s orbit, radio failure, stranded in Earth’s orbit, radio failure en route

What: Spacecraft

Country: USSR


Mariner 3/ Mariner 4

Launch: 5/28 November 1964

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land: destroyed during launch/ flyby on 15 July 1965

What: Spacecraft

Country: USA

371_mariner-3
Mariner 3 (Credit: NASA)


Mariner 6/ Mariner 7

Launch: 25 February/ 27 March 1969

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land: Flyby on 31 July 1969

What: Spacecraft

Country: USA


Mars 1969 A/ Mars 1969 B

Launch: 27 March/ 2 April 1969

Launch Site: Baikonur

Land: Destroyed during launch

What: Orbiter

Country: USSR


Mariner 8/ Mariner 9

Launch: 8/30 May 1971

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land: Destroyed during launch/ 14 November 1971

What: Probe

Country: USA


Mars 4/ Mars 5/ Mars 6/ Mars 7

Launch: 21/25 July / 5/9 August 1973

Launch Site: Baikonur

Land: Missed Mars/ 12 February 1974/ Landers failed (both 6 and 7)

What: Orbiter

Country: USSR


Viking 1/ Viking 2

Launch: 20 August/ 9 September 1975

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land: 19/20 July 1976

What: Landers and Orbiters

Country: USA

viking 1
The Viking 1 Lander (Credit: NASA/JPL)


Phobos 1/ Phobos 2

Launch:  7/12 July 1988

Launch Site: Baikonur

Land: Lost communication

What: Space Probe

Country: USSR

Phobos 1
Artist's rendition of the Phobos 1 Space Probe (Credit: Wikimedia)


Mars Observer

Launch: 25 September 1992

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land: Lost communication

What: Space Probe

Country: USA


Mars Global Surveyor

Launch: 7 November 1996

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land: 11 September 1997

What: Orbiter

Country: USA


Mars 96

Launch: 16 November 1996

Launch Site: Baikonur

Land: Destroyed during launch

What: Lander

Country: Russia


Mars Pathfinder/Sojourner Rover

Launch: 4 December 1996

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land: 4 July 1997

What: Lander and rover

Country: USA

Mars pathfinder
Artist's rendition of the Mars Pathfinder mission (Credit: NASA)


Nozomi

Launch: 4 July 1998

Launch Site: Uchinoura

Land: Missed Mars

What: Orbiter

Country: Japan

Nozomi spacecraft
The Nozomi spacecraft (Credit: Wikimedia)


Mars Climate Orbiter

Launch: 11 December 1998

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land: Crashed on Mars

What: Orbiter

Country: USA


Mars Polar Lander/Deep Space 2

Launch: 3 January 1999

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land: Crashed on Mars

What: Lander

Country: USA


Phobos-Grunt

Launch: 8 November 2011

Launch Site: Baikonur

Land: Stranded in Earth orbit

What: Sample return mission

Country: Russia

Phobos-Grunt
The Phobos-Grunt spacecraft (Credit: Wikimedia)


Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity

Launch: 10 June/ 7 July 2003

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land: 25 January 2004

What: Rovers

Country: USA

mars_exploration_rover
The Mars Exploration rover (Credit: NASA)


Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity

Launch: 26 November 2011

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land: 6 August 2012

What: Rover

Country: USA

Ongoing Missions to Mars
Mars Odyssey

Launch: 7 March 2001

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land: 24 October 2001

What: Orbiter

Country: USA


Mars Express/ (Beagle 2 Lander)

Launch: 2 June 2003

Launch Site: Baikonur

Land: 25 December 2003/( Lost after separation)

What: Orbiter/ Lander

Country: Europe (ESA)

Mars_Express_pillars
The Mars Express Orbiter (Credit: ESA)


Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Launch: 12 August 2005

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land: 10 March 2006

What: Orbiter

Country: USA


Phoenix

Launch: 4 August 2007

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land:  25 May 2008

What: Lander

Country: USA


Mars Orbiter Mission

Launch: 5 November 2013

Launch Site: Satish Dhawan FLP

Arrive: 24 September 2014

What: Orbiter

Country: India

mars_orbiter_mission
Mars Orbiter Mission (Credit: NASA)


MAVEN

Launch: 18 November 2013

Launch Site: Cape Canaveral

Land: 22 September 2014

What: Orbiter

Country: USA

 

ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter

Launch: 14 March 2016

Launch site: Baikonur

Arrived: 19 October 2016

What: Orbiter

Country: Europe (ESA)

Last Updated: 2020-10-04 00:35:07