Editing Exploration of Mars (section)

{{Short description|none}}<!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Distinguish|Human mission to Mars|Colonization of Mars}}
[[File:Mars 2020 selfie containing both perseverance rover and ingenuity.gif|thumb|upright=1.4|{{longitem|[[Self-portrait]] of [[Perseverance rover|''Perseverance'' rover]] and [[Ingenuity helicopter|''Ingenuity'' helicopter]] (to the left) located at Wright Brothers Field, the ''Ingenuity'' helicopter drop site (7 April 2021)|style=padding: 3px 0; line-height: 1.3em;}}]]
{{Bar chart
| title = Active Mars missions, 1997 to present{{ref|active|α}}
| float = right
| label_type = Year
| data_type = Number of missions
| data_max = 11

| label1 = 1997
| data1 = 2 <!-- MPF MGS -->
| label2 = 1998
| data2 = 1 <!-- MGS -->
| label3 = 1999
| data3 = 1 <!-- MGS -->
| label4 = 2000
| data4 = 1 <!-- MGS -->
| label5 = 2001
| data5 = 2 <!-- MGS 2001MO -->
| label6 = 2002
| data6 = 2 <!-- MGS 2001MO -->
| label7 = 2003
| data7 = 3 <!-- MGS 2001MO ME -->
| label8 = 2004
| data8 = 5 <!-- MGS 2001MO ME MER1 MER2 -->
| label9 = 2005
| data9 = 5 <!-- MGS 2001MO ME MER1 MER2 -->
| label10 = 2006
| data10 = 6 <!-- MGS 2001MO ME MER1 MER2 MRO -->
| label11 = 2007
| data11 = 5 <!-- 2001MO ME MER1 MER2 MRO -->
| label12 = 2008
| data12 = 6 <!-- 2001MO ME MER1 MER2 MRO PHX-->
| label13 = 2009
| data13 = 5 <!-- 2001MO ME MER1 MER2 MRO -->
| label14 = 2010
| data14 = 5 <!-- 2001MO ME MER1 MER2 MRO -->
| label15 = 2011
| data15 = 4 <!-- 2001MO ME MER1 MRO -->
| label16 = 2012
| data16 = 5 <!-- 2001MO ME MER1 MRO MSL -->
| label17 = 2013
| data17 = 5 <!-- 2001MO ME MER1 MRO MSL -->
| label18 = 2014
| data18 = 7 <!-- 2001MO ME MER1 MRO MSL MAVEN MOM -->
| label19 = 2015
| data19 = 7 <!-- 2001MO ME MER1 MRO MSL MAVEN MOM -->
| label20 = 2016
| data20 = 8 <!-- 2001MO ME MER1 MRO MSL MAVEN MOM TGO -->
| label21 = 2017
| data21 = 8 <!-- 2001MO ME MER1 MRO MSL MAVEN MOM TGO -->
| label22 = 2018
| data22 = 9 <!-- 2001MO ME MER1 MRO MSL MAVEN MOM TGO INS-->
| label23 = 2019
| data23 = 8 <!-- 2001MO ME MRO MSL MAVEN MOM TGO INS-->
| label24 = 2020
| data24 = 8 <!-- 2001MO ME MRO MSL MAVEN MOM TGO INS-->
| label25 = 2021
| data25 = 11 <!-- 2001MO ME MRO MSL MAVEN MOM TGO INS HOP TIA M2020-->
| label26 = 2022
| data26 = 11 <!-- 2001MO ME MRO MSL MAVEN MOM TGO INS HOP TIA M2020-->
| label27 = 2023
| data27 = 10 <!-- 2001MO ME MRO MSL MAVEN MOM TGO INS HOP M2020-->
}}

The planet [[Mars]] has been explored remotely by spacecraft. [[Uncrewed spacecraft|Probes]] sent from Earth, beginning in the late 20th century, have yielded a large increase in knowledge about the Martian system, focused primarily on understanding [[Geology of Mars|its geology]] and [[Planetary habitability|habitability]] potential.<ref name="SCI-20140124a">{{cite journal |last=Grotzinger |first=John P. |title=Introduction to Special Issue – Habitability, Taphonomy and the Search for Organic Carbon on Mars |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |date=24 January 2014 |volume=343 |number=6169 |pages=386–387 |doi=10.1126/science.1249944 |bibcode=2014Sci...343..386G |pmid=24458635|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Changela|first1=Hitesh G.|last2=Chatzitheodoridis|first2=Elias|last3=Antunes|first3=Andre|last4=Beaty|first4=David|last5=Bouw|first5=Kristian|last6=Bridges|first6=John C.|last7=Capova|first7=Klara Anna|last8=Cockell|first8=Charles S.|last9=Conley|first9=Catharine A.|last10=Dadachova|first10=Ekaterina|last11=Dallas|first11=Tiffany D.|date=1 December 2021|title=Mars: new insights and unresolved questions|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-astrobiology/article/mars-new-insights-and-unresolved-questions/F0E43D7EC62EA126262CB66DF069ABA0|journal=International Journal of Astrobiology|language=en|volume=20|issue=6|pages=394–426|doi=10.1017/S1473550421000276|arxiv=2112.00596|bibcode=2021IJAsB..20..394C|s2cid=244773061|issn=1473-5504}}</ref> Engineering [[Interplanetary spaceflight|interplanetary journeys]] is complicated and the '''exploration of Mars''' has experienced a high failure rate, especially the early attempts. Roughly sixty percent of all spacecraft destined for Mars failed before completing their missions, with some failing before their observations could begin. Some missions have been met with unexpected success, such as the twin [[Mars Exploration Rover]]s, ''[[Spirit (rover)|Spirit]]'' and ''[[Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity]]'', which operated for years beyond their specification.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/space-exploration/mars-exploration-article/|title=Mars Exploration, Mars Rovers Information, Facts, News, Photos – National Geographic|last=Society|first=National Geographic|website=National Geographic|access-date=2016-03-04|date=2009-10-15|archive-date=2017-11-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171102020022/http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/space-exploration/mars-exploration-article/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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