Editing Exploration of Mars (section)

== Past missions ==
{{main|List of missions to Mars}}
{{Bar graph
| title = Launches to Mars
| float = right
| bar_width = 20
| width_units = em
| data_max = 13
| label_type = Decade
| data_type = #
| label1 = 1960s
| data1 = 13
| label2 = 1970s
| data2 = 11
| label3 = 1980s
| data3 = 2
| label4 = 1990s
| data4 = 8
| label5 = 2000s
| data5 = 8 
| label6 = 2010s
| data6 = 6
| label7 = 2020s
| data7 = 3 <!-- as of 2021 --><!-- this bar graph should probably be moved to the "Current status" section -->
}}
Starting in 1960, the [[Soviet space program]] launched a series of probes to Mars including the first intended (but unsuccessful) flybys and hard ([[impact (mechanics)|impact]]) landing ([[Mars 1962B]]),<ref name=log/> and the first successful soft landing ([[Mars 3]]). The first successful flyby of Mars was on 14–15 July 1965, by NASA's [[Mariner 4]].<ref name="NSSDCm">{{cite web  | url = https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1964-077A  | title = Mariner 4  | website = NSSDC Master Catalog  | publisher = [[NASA]]  | access-date = 2009-02-11  | archive-date = 2018-09-04  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180904174225/https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1964-077A  | url-status = live  }}</ref> On November 14, 1971, [[Mariner 9]] became the first space probe to orbit another planet when it entered into orbit around Mars.<ref name="nasa_mariner9">{{cite web |url=http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/profile.cfm?MCode=Mariner_09 |title=Mariner 9: Overview |publisher=NASA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120731101459/http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/profile.cfm?MCode=Mariner_09 |archive-date=2012-07-31 }}</ref> The amount of data returned by probes increased substantially as technology improved.<ref name=log>[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/programmissions/missions/ NASA PROGRAM & MISSIONS Historical Log] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120110449/http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/programmissions/missions/ |date=2011-11-20 }}. Mars.jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved on 2012-08-14.</ref>

The first to contact the surface were two Soviet probes: [[Mars 2]] [[Lander (spacecraft)|lander]] on November 27 and [[Mars 3]] lander on December 2, 1971{{mdash}}Mars 2 failed during descent and Mars 3 failed about twenty seconds after the first Martian [[soft landing (rocketry)|soft landing]].<ref name="mars2">[https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1971-045D Mars 2 Lander – NASA] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615142210/https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1971-045D |date=2020-06-15 }}. Nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved on 2012-05-10.</ref> [[Mars 6]] failed during descent but did return some corrupted atmospheric data in 1974.<ref name="nasa2">[https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1973-052A Mars 6 – NASA] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227064416/http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1973-052A |date=2017-02-27 }}. Nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved on 2012-05-10.</ref> The 1975 NASA launches of the [[Viking program]] consisted of two orbiters, each with a lander that successfully soft landed in 1976. ''[[Viking 1]]'' remained operational for six years, ''[[Viking 2]]'' for three years. The Viking landers relayed the first color panoramas of Mars.<ref name="other_missions">{{cite web|url=http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/stu/20th_far_mars.html|title=Other Mars Missions|website=Journey through the galaxy|access-date=2006-06-13|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060920021900/http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/stu/20th_far_mars.html|archive-date=2006-09-20}}</ref>

The Soviet probes [[Phobos program|Phobos 1 and 2]] were sent to Mars in 1988 to study Mars and its two moons, with a focus on Phobos. Phobos 1 lost contact on the way to Mars. Phobos 2, while successfully photographing Mars and Phobos, failed before it was set to release two landers to the surface of Phobos.<ref name="nature341">{{cite journal|author1=Sagdeev, R. Z. |author2=Zakharov, A. V. |title=Brief history of the Phobos mission|journal=Nature|volume=341|issue=6243|pages=581–585|date=October 19, 1989|doi=10.1038/341581a0|bibcode = 1989Natur.341..581S |s2cid=41464654 }}</ref>

Missions that ended prematurely after Phobos 1 and 2 (1988) include (see [[#Probe difficulties|Probe difficulties]] section for more details):
*''[[Mars Observer]]'' (launched in 1992)
*[[Mars 96]] (1996)
*''[[Mars Climate Orbiter]]'' (1999)
*[[Mars Polar Lander]] with [[Deep Space 2]] (1999)
*[[Nozomi (spacecraft)|''Nozomi'']] (2003)
*''[[Beagle 2]]'' (2003)
*[[Fobos-Grunt]] with [[Yinghuo-1]] (2011)
*[[Schiaparelli EDM|''Schiaparelli'' lander]] (2016)

Following the 1993 failure of the [[Mars Observer]] orbiter, the NASA [[Mars Global Surveyor]] achieved Mars orbit in 1997. This mission was a complete success, having finished its primary mapping mission in early 2001. Contact was lost with the probe in November 2006 during its third extended program, spending exactly 10 operational years in space. The NASA [[Mars Pathfinder]], carrying a robotic exploration vehicle ''[[Sojourner (rover)|Sojourner]]'', landed in the [[Ares Vallis]] on Mars in July 1997, returning many images.<ref name="cnn_mgs">{{cite news |title=Mars Global Surveyor |url=http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9706/pathfinder/surveyor/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060415081709/http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9706/pathfinder/surveyor/ |archive-date=2006-04-15 |access-date=2006-06-13 |work=CNN – Destination Mars}}</ref>

[[File:PIA24320-MarsLandingSites-20201216.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|<div align="center">Mars landing sites (16 December 2020)</div>]]
NASA's ''[[Mars Odyssey]]'' orbiter entered Mars orbit in 2001.<ref name="nasa081009">{{cite web|url=http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey/newsroom/pressreleases/20081009a.html|title=NASA's Mars Odyssey Shifting Orbit for Extended Mission|publisher=NASA|date=October 9, 2008|access-date=2008-11-15|archive-date=2012-03-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313183655/http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey/newsroom/pressreleases/20081009a.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Odyssey''{{'s}} [[Gamma Ray Spectrometer (2001 Mars Odyssey)|Gamma Ray Spectrometer]] detected significant amounts of hydrogen in the upper metre or so of [[regolith]] on Mars. This hydrogen is thought to be contained in large deposits of [[Water on Mars|water]] ice.<ref name="odyssey030314">{{cite web|last=Britt|first=Robert|url=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/odyssey_update_030314.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060315103112/http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/odyssey_update_030314.html|archive-date=2006-03-15|title=Odyssey Spacecraft Generates New Mars Mysteries|website=Space.com|date=March 14, 2003|access-date=2006-06-13}}</ref>

The ''[[Mars Express]]'' mission of the [[European Space Agency]] (ESA) reached Mars in 2003. It carried the ''[[Beagle 2]]'' lander, which was not heard from after being released and was declared lost in February 2004. ''Beagle 2'' was located in January 2015 by the HiRise camera on NASA's ''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' (MRO) having landed safely but failed to fully deploy its solar panels and antenna.<ref name="spotted">{{cite news |last=Pearson |first=Michael |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/16/world/mars-beagle-lander-found/index.html |title=UK's Beagle 2 lander spotted on Mars |work=CNN |date=16 January 2015 |access-date=2015-01-17 |archive-date=2015-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150117092313/http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/16/world/mars-beagle-lander-found/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="esa20040211">{{cite news | author=ESA Media Relations Division | title=UK and ESA announce Beagle 2 inquiry | work=ESA News | date=February 11, 2004 | url=http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMQ5C1PGQD_Expanding_0.html | access-date=2011-04-28 | archive-date=2012-01-30 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130051016/http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMQ5C1PGQD_Expanding_0.html | url-status=live }}</ref> In early 2004, the ''Mars Express'' [[Planetary Fourier Spectrometer]] team announced the orbiter had detected [[Methane on Mars|methane]] in the Martian atmosphere, a potential [[biosignature]]. ESA announced in June 2006 the discovery of [[aurora (astronomy)|aurorae]] on Mars by the ''Mars Express''.<ref name="aurora">{{cite journal|last=Bertaux|first=Jean-Loup|display-authors=etal|doi=10.1038/nature03603|title=Discovery of an aurora on Mars|pmid=15944698|journal=Nature|volume=435|issue=7043|pages=790–4|date=June 9, 2005|bibcode = 2005Natur.435..790B |s2cid=4430534}}</ref>

{{Multiple image
| direction = vertical
| align = right
| image1 = MarsSunset.jpg
| image2 = PhoenixSolarPanelandRoboticArm.png
| width = 200
| caption1 = Martian sunset, [[Spirit rover|''Spirit'' rover]], 2005
| caption2 = North polar view, [[Phoenix (spacecraft)|''Phoenix'' lander]], 2008
}}

In January 2004, the NASA twin [[Mars Exploration Rovers]] named ''[[Spirit rover|Spirit]]'' (MER-A) and ''[[Opportunity rover|Opportunity]]'' (MER-B) landed on the surface of Mars. Both have met and exceeded all their science objectives. Among the most significant scientific returns has been conclusive evidence that liquid water existed at some time in the past at both landing sites. [[Dust devils#Martian dust devils|Martian dust devils]] and windstorms have occasionally cleaned both rovers' solar panels, and thus increased their lifespan.<ref name="nasa_rovers">{{cite web|url=http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/science/|title=Mars Exploration Rovers- Science|website=MER website|publisher=NASA|access-date=2006-06-13|archive-date=2012-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320081308/http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/science/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Spirit'' rover (MER-A) was active until 2010, when it stopped sending data because it got stuck in a sand dune and was unable to reorient itself to recharge its batteries.<ref name=":0" />

''[[Rosetta (spacecraft)|Rosetta]]'' came within 250&nbsp;km of Mars during its 2007 flyby.<ref name="bbcfly">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6394141.stm Space probe performs Mars fly-by] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022152818/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6394141.stm |date=2013-10-22 }}. BBC News (2007-02-25). Retrieved on 2012-08-14.</ref> ''[[Dawn Mission|Dawn]]'' flew by Mars in February 2009 for a gravity assist on its way to investigate [[4 Vesta|Vesta]] and [[Ceres (dwarf planet)|Ceres]].<ref name="agle090212">{{cite web|last=Agle|first=D. C.|date=February 12, 2009|title=NASA Spacecraft Falling For Mars|url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=2031|access-date=2009-12-27|publisher=NASA/JPL|archive-date=2012-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118134850/http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=2031|url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[Phoenix (spacecraft)|Phoenix]]'' landed on the north polar region of Mars on May 25, 2008.<ref name="ua_phoenix">{{cite web|title=Mars Pulls Phoenix In|url=http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/05_25_pr.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527230312/http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/05_25_pr.php|archive-date=2008-05-27|access-date=2008-05-25|website=University of Arizona Phoenix mission Website}}</ref> Its robotic arm dug into the Martian soil and the presence of water ice was confirmed on June 20, 2008.<ref name="phoenix_water">{{cite web|title=Phoenix: The Search for Water|url=http://www.nasa.gov/missions/solarsystem/phoenix_water.html|access-date=2007-03-03|website=NASA website|archive-date=2012-01-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111131124/http://www.nasa.gov/missions/solarsystem/phoenix_water.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="uanews_frozen_water">{{cite web|title=Frozen Water Confirmed on Mars|date=20 June 2008|url=http://uanews.org/node/20276|access-date=2008-08-24|publisher=UANews.org|archive-date=2012-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320142240/http://uanews.org/node/20276|url-status=usurped}}</ref> The mission concluded on November 10, 2008, after contact was lost.<ref name="BBC_NASA_Mission_Declared_Dead">{{cite news|last=Amos|first=Jonathan|date=November 10, 2008|title=NASA Mars Mission declared dead|publisher=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7721032.stm|access-date=2008-11-10|archive-date=2012-01-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105200154/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7721032.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008, the price of transporting material from the surface of Earth to the surface of Mars was approximately [[US$]]309,000 per [[kilogram]].<ref name="universe307">{{cite episode|credits=Mitchell, Cary L.; Purdue University|series=The Universe|series-link=The Universe (TV series)|title=Living in Space|episode-link=The Universe (TV series)#Season 3 (2008–09)|season=2008–09|number=307}}</ref>

The [[Indian Space Research Organisation]] (ISRO) launched their ''[[Mars Orbiter Mission]]'' (MOM) on November 5, 2013, and it was inserted into Mars orbit on September 24, 2014. India's ISRO is the fourth space agency to reach Mars, after the Soviet space program, NASA and ESA.<ref name="fourth space agency">{{cite news | first = Sanjoy | last = Majumder | title = India launches spacecraft to Mars | date = 5 November 2013 | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24729073 | work = BBC News | access-date = 2014-01-26 | quote = If the satellite orbits the Red Planet, India's space agency is the fourth in the world after those of the US, Russia and Europe to undertake a successful Mars mission | archive-date = 2014-02-07 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140207074147/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24729073 | url-status = live }}</ref> India successfully placed a spacecraft into Mars orbit, and became the first country to do so in its maiden attempt.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Isros-Mars-mission-successful-India-makes-history/articleshow/43296484.cms | title=Isro's Mars mission successful, India makes history | website=[[The Times of India]] | date=24 September 2014 | access-date=13 December 2014 | archive-date=5 October 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141005012744/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Isros-Mars-mission-successful-India-makes-history/articleshow/43296484.cms | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Overview of missions===
The following entails a brief overview of previous missions to Mars, oriented towards orbiters and flybys; see also [[Mars landing]] and [[Mars rover]].

====Early Soviet missions====
{{Main|Mars 1M|Mars 1|Mars program}}

=====1960s=====
[[File:Mars 1M.jpg|thumb|[[Mars 1M]] spacecraft]]

Between 1960 and 1969, the Soviet Union launched nine probes intended to reach Mars. They all failed: three at launch; three failed to reach near-Earth orbit; one during the burn to put the spacecraft into trans-Mars trajectory; and two during the interplanetary orbit.

The [[Mars 1M]] programs (sometimes dubbed Marsnik in Western media) was the first Soviet uncrewed spacecraft interplanetary exploration program, which consisted of two flyby probes launched towards Mars in October 1960, [[Mars 1960A]] and [[Mars 1960B]] (also known as ''Korabl 4'' and ''Korabl 5'' respectively). After launch, the third stage pumps on both launchers were unable to develop enough pressure to commence ignition, so Earth parking orbit was not achieved. The spacecraft reached an altitude of 120&nbsp;km before reentry.

[[Sputnik 22|Mars 1962A]] was a Mars flyby mission, launched on October 24, 1962, and [[Sputnik 24|Mars 1962B]] an intended first Mars lander mission, launched in late December of the same year (1962). Both failed from either breaking up as they were going into Earth orbit or having the upper stage explode in orbit during the burn to put the spacecraft into trans-Mars trajectory.<ref name=":0" />

======The first success======
<!--Not a success if the unnamed orbiter did not enter orbit:
NASA had launched an orbiter{{what}} on 28 November 1952, it flew by Mars on 14 July 1965, it got 21 photos before it broke down.<ref name=":0" /> -->
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center; font-size:88%; float:right; margin-left:1em"
|+ Selected Soviet Mars probes
! Spacecraft !! Orbiter or flyby outcome !! Lander outcome 
|-
| [[Mars 1]] || {{Failure}} || {{Failure}}
|-
| [[Mars 2]]|| {{Success}} || {{Failure}}
|-
| [[Mars 3]] || {{Partial success}}<!-- inserted in a different orbit than planned --> || {{Partial success}}<!-- landed but returned only one unusable picture before failing -->
|-
| [[Mars 4]] || {{Failure}} || {{n/a}}
|-
| [[Mars 5]]|| {{Partial success}}<!-- mission duration limited by depressurization of the instrument compartment --> || {{n/a}}
|-
| [[Mars 6]] || {{Success}} || {{Failure}}
|-
| [[Mars 7]] || {{Success}} || {{Failure}}
|-
| [[Phobos 1]] || {{Failure}} || {{Failure|Not deployed}}
|-
| [[Phobos 2]] || {{Partial success}}<!-- orbiter failed shortly before the last phase of the mission --> || {{Failure|Not deployed}}
|-
|}
[[Mars 1]] (1962 Beta Nu 1), an automatic interplanetary spacecraft launched to Mars on November 1, 1962, was the first probe of the Soviet [[Mars probe program]] to achieve interplanetary orbit. Mars 1 was intended to fly by the planet at a distance of about 11,000&nbsp;km and take images of the surface as well as send back data on [[cosmic radiation]], [[micrometeoroid]] impacts and Mars' [[magnetic field]], radiation environment, atmospheric structure, and possible organic compounds.<ref name="Sputnik 23">{{cite web | url = http://jtgnew.sjrdesign.net/exploration_space_planetary_mars.html | title = "Journey Through the Galaxy" Mars Program: Mars ~ 1960–1974 | access-date = 2014-01-26 | last = Robbins | first = Stuart | year = 2008 | publisher = SJR Design | archive-date = 2014-02-04 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140204004556/http://jtgnew.sjrdesign.net/exploration_space_planetary_mars.html | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="Mihos 2006">{{cite web|url=http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/stu/advanced/20th_soviet_mars.html |title=Mars (1960–1974): Mars 1 |access-date=2014-01-26 |last=Mihos |first=Chris |date=11 January 2006 |website=Department of Astronomy, Case Western Reserve University. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013211415/http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/stu/advanced/20th_soviet_mars.html |archive-date=2013-10-13 }}</ref> Sixty-one radio transmissions were held, initially at 2-day intervals and later at 5-day intervals, from which a large amount of interplanetary data was collected. On 21 March 1963, when the spacecraft was at a distance of 106,760,000&nbsp;km from Earth, on its way to Mars, communications ceased due to failure of its antenna orientation system.<ref name="Sputnik 23"/><ref name="Mihos 2006"/>

In 1964, both Soviet probe launches, of [[Zond 1964A]] on June 4, and [[Zond 2]] on November 30, (part of the [[Zond program]]), resulted in failures. Zond 1964A had a failure at launch, while communication was lost with Zond 2 en route to Mars after a mid-course maneuver, in early May 1965.<ref name=":0" />

In 1969, and as part of the [[Mars probe program]], the Soviet Union prepared two identical 5-ton orbiters called M-69, dubbed by NASA as [[Mars 1969A]] and [[Mars 1969B]]. Both probes were lost in launch-related complications with the newly developed Proton rocket.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/chronology_mars.html | title= NASA A Chronology of Mars Exploration | access-date= 2007-03-28 | archive-date= 2000-10-17 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20001017100323/http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/chronology_mars.html | url-status= live }}</ref>

=====1970s=====
The USSR intended to have the first artificial satellite of Mars beating the planned American [[Mariner 8]] and [[Mariner 9]] Mars orbiters. In May 1971, one day after Mariner 8 malfunctioned at launch and failed to reach orbit, [[Kosmos 419|Cosmos 419 (Mars 1971C)]], a heavy probe of the Soviet Mars program M-71, also failed to launch. This spacecraft was designed as an orbiter only, while the next two probes of project M-71, [[Mars 2]] and [[Mars 3]], were multipurpose combinations of an orbiter and a lander with small skis-walking [[rover (space exploration)|rover]]s, [[PrOP-M]], that would be the first planet rovers outside the Moon. They were successfully launched in mid-May 1971 and reached Mars about seven months later. On November 27, 1971, the lander of Mars 2 [[Emergency landing|crash-landed]] due to an on-board computer malfunction and became the first man-made object to reach the surface of Mars. On 2 December 1971, the Mars 3 lander became the first spacecraft to achieve a [[Soft landing (rocketry)|soft landing]], but its transmission was interrupted after 14.5 seconds.<ref name="Perminov1">{{cite book |last=Perminov |first=V. G. |url=https://archive.org/details/difficultroadtom00perm/page/58 |title=The Difficult Road to Mars – A Brief History of Mars Exploration in the Soviet Union |date=July 1999 |publisher=NASA Headquarters History Division |isbn=978-0-16-058859-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/difficultroadtom00perm/page/58 58]}}</ref>

The Mars 2 and 3 orbiters sent back a relatively large volume of data covering the period from December 1971 to March 1972, although transmissions continued through to August. By 22 August 1972, after sending back data and a total of 60 pictures, Mars 2 and 3 concluded their missions. The images and data enabled creation of surface relief maps, and gave information on the Martian [[gravity]] and [[magnetic fields]].<ref>{{cite web | url= https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1971-049A | title= NASA (NSSDC) Master Catalog Display Mars 3 | access-date= 2007-03-28 | archive-date= 2019-05-14 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190514144519/https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1971-049A | url-status= live }}</ref>

In 1973, the Soviet Union sent four more probes to Mars: the [[Mars program#Mars 4|Mars 4]] and [[Mars program#Mars 5|Mars 5]] orbiters and the [[Mars program#Mars 6|Mars 6]] and [[Mars program#Mars 7|Mars 7]] flyby/lander combinations. All missions except Mars 7 sent back data, with Mars 5 being most successful. Mars 5 transmitted just 60 images before a loss of pressurization in the transmitter housing ended the mission. Mars 6 lander transmitted data during descent, but failed upon impact. Mars 4 flew by the planet at a range of 2200&nbsp;km returning one swath of pictures and radio [[occultation]] data, which constituted the first detection of the nightside [[ionosphere]] on Mars.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1973-047A | title= NASA (NSSDC) Master Catalog Display Mars 4 | access-date= 2007-03-28 | archive-date= 2017-02-27 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170227005406/http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1973-047A | url-status= live }}</ref> Mars 7 probe separated prematurely from the carrying vehicle due to a problem in the operation of one of the onboard systems ([[Spacecraft attitude control|attitude control]] or retro-rockets) and missed the planet by {{convert|1300|km|au}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=NSSDCA Archive - Mars 7 |url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1973-053A |website=NASA |access-date=May 6, 2025}}</ref>

====Mariner program====
{{Main|Mariner program|Mariner 4|Mariner 6 and 7|Mariner 9}}
[[File:Mars (Mariner 4).jpg|thumb|upright|The first close-up images taken of Mars in 1965 from Mariner 4 show an area about 330 km across by 1200 km from limb to bottom of frame.]]

In 1964, [[NASA]]'s [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] made two attempts at reaching Mars. [[Mariner 3]] and [[Mariner 4]] were identical spacecraft designed to carry out the first flybys of Mars. Mariner 3 was launched on November 5, 1964, but the shroud encasing the spacecraft atop its rocket failed to open properly, dooming the mission. Three weeks later, on November 28, 1964, Mariner 4 was launched successfully on a 7{{frac|1|2}}-month voyage to Mars.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

Mariner 4 flew past Mars on July 14, 1965, providing the first close-up photographs of another planet. The pictures, gradually played back to Earth from a small tape recorder on the probe, showed impact craters. It provided radically more accurate data about the planet; a surface [[atmospheric pressure]] of about 1% of Earth's and daytime temperatures of −100&nbsp;°C (−148&nbsp;°F) were estimated. No [[magnetic field]]<ref name="O'Gallagher">{{Cite journal |last1=O'Gallagher |first1=J. J. |last2=Simpson |first2=J. A. |date=September 10, 1965 |title=Search for Trapped Electrons and a Magnetic Moment at Mars by Mariner IV |journal=Science |series=New Series |volume=149 |issue=3689 |pages=1233–1239 |bibcode=1965Sci...149.1233O |doi=10.1126/science.149.3689.1233 |pmid=17747452 |s2cid=21249845}}</ref><ref name="Smith">{{Cite journal|title=Magnetic Field Measurements Near Mars|last1=Smith|first1=Edward J.|last2=Davis|first2=L.|last3=Coleman|first3=Paul|last4=Jones|first4=Douglas|journal=Science |series=New Series|volume=149|issue=3689|date=September 10, 1965|pages=1241–1242|doi=10.1126/science.149.3689.1241|pmid=17747454|bibcode=1965Sci...149.1241S|s2cid=43466009}}</ref> or [[Van Allen radiation belt|Martian radiation belts]]<ref name="Van Allen">{{Cite journal |last1=Van Allen |first1=J. A. |last2=Frank |first2=L. A. |last3=Krimigis |first3=S. M. |last4=Hills |first4=H. K. |date=September 10, 1965 |title=Absence of Martian Radiation Belts and Implications Thereof |journal=Science |series=New Series |volume=149 |issue=3689 |pages=1228–1233 |bibcode=1965Sci...149.1228V |doi=10.1126/science.149.3689.1228 |pmid=17747451 |s2cid=29117648 |hdl-access=free |hdl=2060/19650024318}}</ref> were detected. The new data meant redesigns for then planned Martian landers, and showed life would have a more difficult time surviving there than previously anticipated.<ref name="Leighton">{{Cite journal|title=Mariner IV Photography of Mars: Initial Results|last=Leighton|first=Robert B.|author2=Murray, Bruce C. |author3=Sharp, Robert P. |author4=Allen, J. Denton |author5= Sloan, Richard K. |journal=Science |series=New Series|volume=149|issue=3684|date=August 6, 1965|pages=627–630|doi=10.1126/science.149.3684.627|pmid=17747569|bibcode=1965Sci...149..627L|s2cid=43407530}}</ref><ref name="Kliore">{{Cite journal|title=Occultation Experiment: Results of the First Direct Measurement of Mars's Atmosphere and Ionosphere|last=Kliore|first=Arvydas|author2=Cain, Dan L. |author3=Levy, Gerald S. |author4=Eshleman, Von R. |author5=Fjeldbo, Gunnar |author6= Drake, Frank D. |journal=Science |series=New Series|volume=149|issue=3689|date=September 10, 1965|pages=1243–1248|doi=10.1126/science.149.3689.1243|pmid=17747455|bibcode=1965Sci...149.1243K|s2cid=34369864}}</ref><ref name="Salisbury">{{Cite journal|title=Martian Biology|last=Salisbury|first=Frank B.|date=April 6, 1962|journal=Science |series=New Series|volume=136|issue=3510|pages=17–26|doi=10.1126/science.136.3510.17|pmid=17779780|bibcode=1962Sci...136...17S|s2cid=39512870}}</ref><ref name="Kilston">{{Cite journal|title=A Search for Life on Earth at Kilometer Resolution|last=Kilston|first=Steven D.|author2=Drummond, Robert R. |author3=Sagan, Carl |year=1966|journal=Icarus|volume=5|issue=1–6|pages=79–98|doi=10.1016/0019-1035(66)90010-8|bibcode=1966Icar....5...79K}}</ref>

[[File:Mars m04 11e.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Mariner (crater)|Mariner Crater]], as seen by Mariner 4. The location is [[Phaethontis quadrangle]].]]
NASA continued the Mariner program with another pair of Mars flyby probes, [[Mariner 6 and 7]]. They were sent at the next launch window, and reached the planet in 1969. During the following launch window the Mariner program again suffered the loss of one of a pair of probes. [[Mariner 9]] successfully entered orbit about Mars, the first spacecraft ever to do so, after the launch time failure of its sister ship, [[Mariner 8]]. When Mariner 9 reached Mars in 1971, it and two Soviet orbiters (Mars 2 and Mars 3) found that a planet-wide dust storm was in progress. The mission controllers used the time spent waiting for the storm to clear to have the probe rendezvous with, and photograph, [[Phobos (moon)|Phobos]]. When the storm cleared sufficiently for Mars' surface to be photographed by Mariner 9, the pictures returned represented a substantial advance over previous missions. These pictures were the first to offer more detailed evidence that liquid water might at one time have flowed on the planetary surface. They also finally discerned the true nature of many Martian albedo features. For example, Nix Olympica was one of only a few features that could be seen during the planetary duststorm, revealing it to be the [[List of tallest mountains in the Solar System|highest mountain]] ([[volcano]], to be exact) on any planet in the entire [[Solar System]], and leading to its reclassification as [[Olympus Mons]].{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

====Viking program====
{{main|Viking program|Viking 1|Viking 2|Viking spacecraft biological experiments}}
The Viking program launched ''Viking 1'' and ''Viking 2'' spacecraft to Mars in 1975; The program consisted of two orbiters and two landers – these were the second and third spacecraft to successfully land on Mars. In 1976, [[Viking 1]] and [[Viking 2]] touched down on the Martian surface. These landers were significantly larger than the Soviet Mars 3 lander (Viking 1 was 3,527 kilograms compared to the 358 kg Mars 3 lander).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mars 3 |url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1971-049F |website=nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov}}</ref> They were able to take the first photographs from the surface of Mars.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Viking 1 - Mars Missions - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory |url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/viking-1/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Viking 1 - NASA Science |url=https://science.nasa.gov/mission/viking-1/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=science.nasa.gov |date=6 December 2017 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Viking 1 operated on the surface of Mars for around six years (On Nov 11, 1982 the Lander stopped operating after getting a faulty command) and Viking 2 for over three years (mission ended in early 1980). Both landers were equipped with a robotic sampler arm which successfully scooped up soil samples and tested them with instruments such as a [[Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry|Gas chromatography–mass spectrometer]]. The landers measured temperatures ranging from negative 86 degrees Celsius before dawn to negative 33 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. Both landers had issues obtaining accurate results from their [[Seismometer|seismometers]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Viking 1 - Mars Missions - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory |url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/viking-1/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Viking 2 - NASA Science |url=https://science.nasa.gov/mission/viking-2/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=science.nasa.gov |date=6 December 2017 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Viking 2 - Mars Missions - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory |url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/viking-2/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) |language=en-US}}</ref>

Photographs from the landers and orbiters surpassed expectations in quality and quantity. The total exceeded 4,500 from the landers and 52,000 from the orbiters.
[[File:PIA00572-MarsRock-BigJoe-19970228.jpg|thumb|Surface of Mars taken by Viking 1, large rock to the right was nicknamed 'Big Joe' by NASA scientists<ref>{{Cite web |title=28. "Big Joe" Boulder |url=https://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/slidesets/winds/slide_28.html |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=www.lpi.usra.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Catalog Page for PIA00572 |url=https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00572 |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov}}</ref>]]
The Viking landers recorded atmospheric pressures ranging from below 7 millibars (0.0068 bars) to over 10 millibars (0.0108 bars) over the Martian year, leading to the conclusion that atmospheric pressure varies by 30 percent during the Martian year because carbon dioxide condenses and sublimes at the polar caps. Martian winds generally blow more slowly than expected, scientists had expected them to reach speeds of several hundred miles an hour from observing global dust storms, but neither lander recorded gusts over 120 kilometers (74 miles) an hour, and average velocities were considerably lower. Nevertheless, the orbiters observed more than a dozen small dust storms. The Viking landers detected [[nitrogen]] in the atmosphere for the first time, and that it was a significant component of the Martian atmosphere. There was speculation from the atmospheric analysis that the atmosphere of Mars used to be much denser.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Viking Mission to Mars |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/internal_resources/828/ |website=mars.nasa.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Winds of Mars: Aeolian Activity and Landforms |url=https://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/slidesets/winds/index.shtml |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=www.lpi.usra.edu}}</ref>
[[File:First Image of Mars.png|center|thumb|641x641px|Taken by the Viking 1 lander shortly after it touched down on Mars, this image is the first photograph ever taken from the surface of Mars. It was taken on July 20, 1976.<ref name=":1" />]]
{|
|-
| <!-- For over 2 decades, until Pathfinder, Viking 1/2 images were our only images taken on the surface of Mars -->
 {{multiple image
| align             = left
 <!-- Set so all images have a height of 100 pixel. -->| width1            = 150
| width2            = 160
| width3            = 180
| width4            = 180
| width5            = 146
| width6            = 288
| image2            = PIA00563-Viking1-FirstColorImage-19760721.jpg
| caption2          = ''Viking&nbsp;1'' lander site (1st color, July 21, 1976)
| image3            = First Color Image of the Viking Lander 2 Site.jpg
| caption3          = ''Viking&nbsp;2'' lander site (1st color, September 5, 1976)
| image4            = Vl2 22g144-MarsViking2-19770925.gif
| caption4          = ''Viking&nbsp;2'' lander site (September 25, 1977)
| image5            = Mars Viking 21i093.png
| caption5          = (False color image) Frost at ''Viking&nbsp;2'' site (May 18, 1979)
| image6            = Mars Viking 12a240.png
| caption6          = Martian sunset over [[Chryse Planitia]] at ''Viking&nbsp;1'' site (August 20, 1976)
| image1            = 
}}

|}

The primary scientific objectives of the lander mission were to search for [[biosignature]]s and observe [[meteorology|meteorologic]], [[seismology|seismic]] and [[magnetism|magnetic]] properties of Mars. The results of the [[Viking biological experiments|biological experiments on board the Viking landers]] remain inconclusive, with a reanalysis of the Viking data published in 2012 suggesting signs of [[Microbe|microbial]] life on Mars.<ref name="Bianciardi-2012">{{cite journal |last1=Bianciardi |first1=Giorgio |last2=Miller |first2=Joseph D. |last3=Straat |first3=Patricia Ann |last4=Levin |first4=Gilbert V. |title=Complexity Analysis of the Viking Labeled Release Experiments |journal=IJASS |date=March 2012 |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=14–26 |doi=10.5139/IJASS.2012.13.1.14 |bibcode=2012IJASS..13...14B |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Discovery-20120412">{{cite news |last=Klotz |first=Irene |title=Mars Viking Robots 'Found Life' |newspaper=Discovery News |url=http://news.discovery.com/space/mars-life-viking-landers-discovery-120412.html |date=12 April 2012 |publisher=[[Discovery Channel|DiscoveryNews]] |access-date=2012-04-16 |archive-date=2012-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414195922/http://news.discovery.com/space/mars-life-viking-landers-discovery-120412.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

{|
|-
|<!-- Images important for the history of the exploration of Mars -->
 {{multiple image
| align             = left
 <!-- Set so all images have a height of 100 pixel. -->| width1            = 200
| width2            = 275
| width3            = 230
| width4            = 250
| image1            = Detail_of_Maja_Valles_Flow.jpg
| caption1          = Flood erosion at [[Dromore (crater)|Dromore]] crater
| image2            = Viking Teardrop Islands.jpg
| caption2          = Tear-drop shaped islands at [[Oxia Palus quadrangle|Oxia Palus]]
| image3            = Streamlined Islands in Maja Valles.jpg
| caption3          = Streamlined islands in [[Lunae Palus quadrangle|Lunae Palus]]
| image4            = Chryse Planitia Scour Patterns.jpg
| caption4          = Scour patterns located in Lunae Palus
}}

|}
The Viking orbiters revealed that large floods of water carved deep valleys, eroded grooves into bedrock, and traveled thousands of kilometers. Areas of branched streams, in the southern hemisphere, suggest that rain once fell.<ref>{{cite book|author=Matthews, Mildred S.|title=Mars|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ze27j5sSJVEC|access-date=14 August 2012|date=1 October 1992|publisher=University of Arizona Press|isbn=978-0-8165-1257-7|archive-date=11 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111161629/http://books.google.com/books?id=ze27j5sSJVEC|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Raeburn, P. (1998) "Uncovering the Secrets of the Red Planet Mars". National Geographic Society. Washington D.C. {{ISBN|0792273737}}.</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Moore, Patrick|author2=Hunt, Garry|title=The Atlas of the Solar System|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jb87PgAACAAJ|access-date=2012-08-14|date=1 January 1997|publisher=Chancellor Press|isbn=978-0-7537-0014-3|archive-date=2014-01-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103070140/http://books.google.com/books?id=jb87PgAACAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>

====''Mars Pathfinder'', ''Sojourner'' rover====
[[File:Pathfinder01.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|''[[Sojourner (rover)|Sojourner]]'' takes Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer measurements of the [[Yogi Rock]].]]
{{main|Mars Pathfinder|Sojourner (rover)|Mars landing}}
''Mars Pathfinder'' was a U.S. spacecraft that landed a base station with a [[rover (space exploration)|roving probe]] on Mars on July 4, 1997. It consisted of a lander and a small {{convert|10.6|kg|lb|adj=on}} wheeled robotic rover named ''Sojourner'', which was the first rover to operate on the surface of Mars.<ref name=Rover>{{cite web | url = http://www.planetary.org/programs/projects/space_information/tpr_1990_4_anderson.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110605111822/http://www.planetary.org/programs/projects/space_information/tpr_1990_4_anderson.html | archive-date = 2011-06-05 | title = The First Rover on Mars – The Soviets Did It in 1971 | access-date = 2012-04-05 | first = Charlene | last = Anderson | date = August 1990 | publisher = The Planetary Report}}</ref><ref>[http://todayinspacehistory.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/december-4-1996-first-successful-mars-rover-sojourner-was-launched-toward-mars/ December 4, 1996 – First successful Mars Rover – ''Sojourner'' – was launched] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224120045/http://todayinspacehistory.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/december-4-1996-first-successful-mars-rover-sojourner-was-launched-toward-mars/ |date=December 24, 2013 }}. Todayinspacehistory.wordpress.com (2007-12-04). Retrieved on 2012-08-14.</ref> In addition to scientific objectives, the Mars Pathfinder mission was also a "proof-of-concept" for various technologies, such as an [[Airbag#Aircraft airbag landing systems|airbag landing system]] and automated obstacle avoidance, both later exploited by the [[Mars Exploration Rovers]].<ref name=Rover/>

====''Mars Global Surveyor''====
{{Main|Mars Global Surveyor}}
[[File:Mars gullies.800px.jpg|thumb|left|alt=This image from ''Mars Global Surveyor'' spans a region about 1500 meters across. Gullies, similar to those formed on Earth, are visible from Newton Basin in Sirenum Terra.|Gullies, similar to those formed on Earth, are visible on this image from ''Mars Global Surveyor''.]]
After the 1992 failure of NASA's ''[[Mars Observer]]'' orbiter, NASA retooled and launched ''[[Mars Global Surveyor]]'' (MGS). ''Mars Global Surveyor'' launched on November 7, 1996, and entered orbit on September 12, 1997. After a year and a half trimming its orbit from a looping ellipse to a circular track around the planet, the spacecraft began its primary mapping mission in March 1999. It observed the planet from a low-altitude, nearly [[polar orbit]] over the course of one complete Martian year, the equivalent of nearly two Earth years. ''Mars Global Surveyor'' completed its primary mission on January 31, 2001, and completed several extended mission phases until communication was lost in 2007.<ref name="objectives">{{cite web |title=Mar Global Surveyor – Science Summary |url=http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/science/ |access-date=6 October 2013 |work=NASA |publisher=Jet Propulsion Laboratory}}</ref>

The mission studied the entire Martian surface, atmosphere, and interior, and returned more data about the red planet than all previous Mars missions combined. The data has been archived and remains available publicly.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/mgs/ | title=PDS Geosciences Node Data and Services: MGS | access-date=2006-08-27 | archive-date=2006-09-11 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060911005935/http://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/mgs/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Kasei Valles topolabled.JPG|thumb|upright=1.6|alt=This color-coded elevation map was produced from data collected by ''Mars Global Surveyor''. It shows an area around Northern Kasei Valles, showing relationships among [[Kasei Valles]], [[Bahram Vallis]], [[Vedra Vallis]], [[Maumee Vallis]], and [[Maja Valles]]. Map location is in [[Lunae Palus quadrangle]] and includes parts of Lunae Planum and [[Chryse Planitia]].|A color-coded elevation map produced from data collected by ''Mars Global Surveyor'' indicating the result of floods on Mars]]

Among key scientific findings, ''Global Surveyor'' took pictures of gullies and debris flow features that suggest there may be current sources of liquid water, similar to an [[aquifer]], at or near the surface of the planet. Similar channels on Earth are formed by flowing water, but on Mars the temperature is normally too cold and the atmosphere too thin to sustain liquid water. Nevertheless, many scientists hypothesize that liquid groundwater can sometimes surface on Mars, erode gullies and channels, and pool at the bottom before freezing and evaporating.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast05jan_1|title=The Case of the Missing Mars Water|publisher=NASA|date=4 January 2001|accessdate=15 April 2022|archive-date=29 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929154034/http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast05jan_1/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Magnetometer]] readings showed that the planet's [[magnetic field]] is not globally generated in the planet's core, but is localized in particular areas of the crust. New temperature data and closeup images of the Martian moon Phobos showed that its surface is composed of powdery material at least 1 metre (3&nbsp;feet) thick, caused by millions of years of meteoroid impacts. Data from the spacecraft's [[laser]] [[altimeter]] gave scientists their first 3-D views of Mars' north polar ice cap in January 1999.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia01337-laser-provides-first-3-d-view-of-mars-north-pole|title=Laser Provides First 3-D View of Mars' North Pole|author=Jet Propulsion Laboratory|publisher=NASA|date=1999-01-07}}</ref>

Faulty software uploaded to the vehicle in June 2006 caused the spacecraft to orient its solar panels incorrectly several months later, resulting in battery overheating and subsequent failure.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/human-error-caused-mars-g/| title=Human Error Caused Mars Global Surveyor Failure| author=Minkel, JR| website=[[Scientific American]]| access-date=2018-11-27| archive-date=2018-11-29| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129100053/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/human-error-caused-mars-g/| url-status=live}}</ref> On November 5, 2006, MGS lost contact with Earth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/061121_mgs_update.html|title=Mars Global Surveyor Remains Silent, Feared Lost|author=David, Leonard|website=[[Space.com]]|date=21 November 2006|access-date=2007-04-01|archive-date=2006-11-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061124232646/http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/061121_mgs_update.html|url-status=live}}</ref> NASA ended efforts to restore communication on January 28, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/mission/mgs_white_paper_20070413.pdf|title=Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Spacecraft Loss of Contact|author=Mars Global Surveyor Operations Review Board|access-date=2012-02-15|archive-date=2011-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026083725/http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/mission/mgs_white_paper_20070413.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

====''Mars Odyssey'' and ''Mars Express''====
{{Main|2001 Mars Odyssey|Mars Express}}
[[File:Animation of 2001 Mars Odyssey trajectory around Mars.gif |thumb |right |Animation of ''[[2001 Mars Odyssey]]''{{'s}} trajectory around [[Mars]] from 24 October 2001 to 24 October 2002<br />{{legend2|magenta| ''[[2001 Mars Odyssey]]''}}{{·}}{{legend2| Lime|[[Mars]]}}]]
[[File:Animation of Mars Express trajectory around Mars.gif |thumb |right |Animation of ''[[Mars Express]]''{{'s}} trajectory around [[Mars]] from 25 December 2003 to 1 January 2010<br />{{legend2|magenta| ''[[Mars Express]]''}}{{·}}{{legend2| Lime|[[Mars]]}}]]
In 2001, NASA's ''[[Mars Odyssey]]'' orbiter arrived at Mars. Its mission is to use [[spectrometer]]s and imagers to hunt for evidence of past or present [[water]] and volcanic activity on Mars. In 2002, it was announced that the probe's [[gamma-ray spectrometer]] and [[neutron spectrometer]] had detected large amounts of [[hydrogen]], indicating that there are vast deposits of water ice in the upper three meters of Mars' soil within 60° latitude of the south pole.{{Citation needed|date=August 2012}}

On June 2, 2003, the [[European Space Agency]]'s ''[[Mars Express]]'' set off from [[Baikonur Cosmodrome]] to Mars. The Mars Express craft consists of the [[Mars Express Orbiter]] and the stationary lander [[Beagle 2]]. The lander carried a digging device and the smallest mass [[spectrometer]] created to date, as well as a range of other devices, on a robotic arm in order to accurately analyze soil beneath the dusty surface to look for [[biosignature]]s and [[biomolecule]]s.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

The orbiter entered Mars orbit on December 25, 2003, and Beagle 2 entered Mars' atmosphere the same day. However, attempts to contact the lander failed. Communications attempts continued throughout January, but Beagle 2 was declared lost in mid-February, and a joint inquiry was launched by the UK and ESA. The Mars Express Orbiter confirmed the presence of water ice and carbon dioxide ice at the planet's south pole, while NASA had previously confirmed their presence at the north pole of Mars.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

The lander's fate remained a mystery until it was located intact on the surface of Mars in a series of images from the ''[[Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter]]''.<ref name="NASA-20150116">{{cite web |last=Webster |first=Guy |title='Lost' 2003 Mars Lander Found by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter |url=http://www.nasa.gov/jpl/lost-2003-mars-lander-found-by-mars-reconnaissance-orbiter/ |date=16 January 2015 |website=[[NASA]] |access-date=16 January 2015 |archive-date=24 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224145904/https://www.nasa.gov/jpl/lost-2003-mars-lander-found-by-mars-reconnaissance-orbiter/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NYT-20150116">{{cite news |agency=[[Associated Press]] |title=Mars Orbiter Spots Beagle 2, European Lander Missing Since 2003 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/17/science/space/missing-lander-beagle-2-finally-located-on-mars.html |date=16 January 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=2015-01-17 |archive-date=2018-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024142634/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/17/science/space/missing-lander-beagle-2-finally-located-on-mars.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The images suggest that two of the spacecraft's four [[solar panel]]s failed to deploy, blocking the spacecraft's communications antenna. ''Beagle 2'' is the first British and first European probe to achieve a soft landing on Mars.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

====MER, ''Opportunity'' rover, ''Spirit'' rover, ''Phoenix'' lander====
{{Main|Mars Exploration Rover|Opportunity rover|Spirit rover|Phoenix lander}}
{{See also|Mars landing}}
[[File:Mars from Phoenix.jpg|thumb|Polar surface as seen by the ''Phoenix'' lander]]
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission (MER), started in 2003, was a robotic space mission involving two rovers, ''Spirit'' (MER-A) and ''Opportunity'', (MER-B) that explored the Martian surface geology. The mission's scientific objective was to search for and characterize a wide range of rocks and soils that hold clues to past water activity on Mars. The mission was part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, which includes three previous successful landers: the two Viking program landers in 1976; and Mars Pathfinder probe in 1997.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

====''Rosetta'' and ''Dawn'' swingbys====
{{Main|Rosetta (spacecraft)|Dawn Mission}}
The [[ESA]] [[Rosetta (spacecraft)|''Rosetta'']] space probe mission to the comet [[67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko]] flew within 250&nbsp;km of Mars on February 25, 2007, in a [[gravitational slingshot]] designed to slow and redirect the spacecraft.<ref>
{{cite web | url = http://www.physorg.com/news91439922.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070225091756/http://www.physorg.com/news91439922.html| archive-date = 2007-02-25|date=2007-02-23 | title = Europe set for billion-euro gamble with comet-chasing probe | publisher = PhysOrg.com}}</ref>

The NASA [[Dawn Mission|''Dawn'']] spacecraft used the gravity of Mars in 2009 to change direction and velocity on its way to [[4 Vesta|Vesta]], and tested out ''Dawn''{{'s}} cameras and other instruments on Mars.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/090218-dawn-asteroid-mars.html |title=Asteroid-Bound Probe Zooms Past Mars |publisher=Space.com |first=Tariq |last=Malik |date=February 18, 2009 |access-date=2015-08-20 |archive-date=2010-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327123433/http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/090218-dawn-asteroid-mars.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Fobos-Grunt ====
{{main|Fobos-Grunt}}

On November 8, 2011, Russia's [[Roscosmos]] launched an ambitious mission called [[Fobos-Grunt]]. It consisted of a lander aimed to [[sample return|retrieve a sample]] back to Earth from Mars' moon [[Phobos (moon)|Phobos]], and place the Chinese [[Yinghuo-1]] probe in Mars' orbit. The Fobos-Grunt mission suffered a complete control and communications failure shortly after launch and was left stranded in [[low Earth orbit]], later falling back to Earth.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16491457 "Russia's failed Phobos-Grunt space probe heads to Earth"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517231321/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16491457 |date=2018-05-17 }}, BBC News (2012-01-14).</ref> The Yinghuo-1 satellite and Fobos-Grunt underwent destructive re-entry on January 15, 2012, finally disintegrating over the Pacific Ocean.<ref name=ABCFinished>[https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/phobos-grunt-failed-russian-mars-probe-falls-earth/story?id=15366151 "Phobos-Grunt: Failed Russian Mars Probe Falls to Earth"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701185022/https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/phobos-grunt-failed-russian-mars-probe-falls-earth/story?id=15366151 |date=2020-07-01 }}. ABC News, January 15, 2012.</ref><ref name=BBCJan15>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16491457 "Phobos-Grunt: Failed probe likely to return late Sunday"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517231321/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16491457 |date=2018-05-17 }}. [[BBC News]] (2012-01-15).</ref><ref name="DeclaredLost">Morris Jones (2011-11-17). [http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Yinghuo_Was_Worth_It_999.html "Yinghuo Was Worth It"], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126140654/http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Yinghuo_Was_Worth_It_999.html|date=2013-11-26}}. Space Daily. Retrieved 19 November 2011.</ref>

====Mars Orbiter Mission====
The [[Mars Orbiter Mission]], also called ''Mangalyaan'', was launched on 5 November 2013 by the [[Indian Space Research Organisation]] (ISRO).<ref name=mav>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/maven/main/index.html|title=Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission – MAVEN|website=NASA|access-date=12 June 2015|date=2015-02-24|archive-date=2019-02-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226073617/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/maven/main/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It was successfully inserted into Martian orbit on 24 September 2014. The mission is a technology demonstrator, and as secondary objective, it will also study the Martian atmosphere. This is India's first mission to Mars, and with it, ISRO became the fourth space agency to successfully reach Mars after the Soviet Union, [[NASA]] (USA) and [[ESA]] (Europe). It was completed in a record low budget of $71 million,<ref name="ibtimes20131105">{{cite news |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/india-successfully-launches-first-mission-to-mars-pm-congratulates-isro-team-photos-519719 |title=India Successfully Launches First Mission to Mars; PM Congratulates ISRO Team |work=[[International Business Times]] |date=5 November 2013 |access-date=13 October 2014 |archive-date=4 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304092058/https://www.ibtimes.co.in/india-successfully-launches-first-mission-to-mars-pm-congratulates-isro-team-photos-519719 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ndtv20131105">{{cite news |url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/cheat-sheet/india-s-450-crore-mission-to-mars-to-begin-today-10-facts-441410 |title=India's 450-crore mission to Mars to begin today: 10 facts |work=[[NDTV]] |first=Abhinav |last=Bhatt |date=5 November 2013 |access-date=13 October 2014 |archive-date=20 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020040954/http://www.ndtv.com/article/cheat-sheet/india-s-450-crore-mission-to-mars-to-begin-today-10-facts-441410 |url-status=live }}</ref> making it the least-expensive Mars mission to date.<ref name="csmon20131105">{{cite news |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2013/1105/India-s-Mars-mission-worth-the-cost-video |title=India's Mars mission: worth the cost? |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |first=Shivam |last=Vij |date=5 November 2013 |access-date=13 October 2014 |archive-date=5 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705133836/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2013/1105/India-s-Mars-mission-worth-the-cost-video |url-status=live }}</ref> The mission concluded on September 27, 2022, after contact was lost.

====''InSight'' and ''MarCO''====
{{main|InSight}}
In August 2012, NASA selected ''[[InSight]]'', a $425 million lander mission with a heat flow probe and seismometer, to determine the deep interior structure of Mars.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/nasa-will-send-robot-drill-to-mars-in-2016/2012/08/20/43bf1980-eaef-11e1-9ddc-340d5efb1e9c_story.html NASA will send robot drill to Mars in 2016] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619214132/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/nasa-will-send-robot-drill-to-mars-in-2016/2012/08/20/43bf1980-eaef-11e1-9ddc-340d5efb1e9c_story.html |date=2018-06-19 }}, Washington Post, By Brian Vastag, Monday, August 20</ref><ref name="usra3">[http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/marsconcepts2012/ Concepts and Approaches for Mars Exploration – LPI – USRA (2012)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811065633/http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/marsconcepts2012/ |date=2012-08-11 }}. Lpi.usra.edu. Retrieved on 2012-05-10.</ref><ref name="missionpg">{{cite web| title=InSight: Mission| url=http://insight.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111014040/http://insight.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/| url-status=dead| archive-date=11 January 2012|website=Mission Website| publisher=[[NASA]]'s [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]]|access-date=7 December 2011}}</ref> ''InSight'' landed successfully on Mars on 26 November 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last=Chang |first=Kenneth |title=Mars InSight Landing: Follow NASA's Return to the Red Planet - The NASA spacecraft will arrive at the red planet today and attempt to reach its surface in one piece. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/science/nasa-insight-mars-landing.html |date=26 November 2018 |work=The New York Times |access-date=26 November 2018 |archive-date=21 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521153154/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/science/nasa-insight-mars-landing.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Valuable data on the atmosphere,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Banfield |first1=Don |last2=Spiga |first2=Aymeric |last3=Newman |first3=Claire |last4=Forget |first4=François |last5=Lemmon |first5=Mark |last6=Lorenz |first6=Ralph |last7=Murdoch |first7=Naomi |last8=Viudez-Moreiras |first8=Daniel |last9=Pla-Garcia |first9=Jorge |last10=Garcia |first10=Raphaël F. |last11=Lognonné |first11=Philippe |last12=Karatekin |first12=Özgür |last13=Perrin |first13=Clément |last14=Martire |first14=Léo |last15=Teanby |first15=Nicholas |title=The atmosphere of Mars as observed by InSight |url=http://oro.open.ac.uk/69503/1/InSight_Atmospheres_Overview_Accepted.pdf |journal=Nature Geoscience |date=2020-02-24 |language=en |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=190–198 |doi=10.1038/s41561-020-0534-0 |bibcode=2020NatGe..13..190B |s2cid=211265854 |issn=1752-0908}}</ref> surface<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Garcia |first1=Raphael F. |last2=Daubar |first2=Ingrid J. |last3=Beucler |first3=Éric |last4=Posiolova |first4=Liliya V. |last5=Collins |first5=Gareth S. |last6=Lognonné |first6=Philippe |last7=Rolland |first7=Lucie |last8=Xu |first8=Zongbo |last9=Wójcicka |first9=Natalia |last10=Spiga |first10=Aymeric |last11=Fernando |first11=Benjamin |last12=Speth |first12=Gunnar |last13=Martire |first13=Léo |last14=Rajšić |first14=Andrea |last15=Miljković |first15=Katarina |title=Newly formed craters on Mars located using seismic and acoustic wave data from InSight |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-022-01014-0 |journal=Nature Geoscience |date=2022-09-19 |language=en |volume=15 |issue=10 |pages=774–780 |doi=10.1038/s41561-022-01014-0 |bibcode=2022NatGe..15..774G |hdl=10044/1/98460 |s2cid=252396844 |issn=1752-0908|hdl-access=free }}</ref> and the planet's interior<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Huang |first1=Quancheng |last2=Schmerr |first2=Nicholas C. |last3=King |first3=Scott D. |last4=Kim |first4=Doyeon |last5=Rivoldini |first5=Attilio |last6=Plesa |first6=Ana-Catalina |last7=Samuel |first7=Henri |last8=Maguire |first8=Ross R. |last9=Karakostas |first9=Foivos |last10=Lekić |first10=Vedran |last11=Charalambous |first11=Constantinos |last12=Collinet |first12=Max |last13=Myhill |first13=Robert |last14=Antonangeli |first14=Daniele |last15=Drilleau |first15=Mélanie |date=2022-10-18 |title=Seismic detection of a deep mantle discontinuity within Mars by InSight |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=119 |issue=42 |pages=e2204474119 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2204474119 |doi-access=free |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=9586319 |pmid=36215469|bibcode=2022PNAS..11904474H }}</ref> were gathered by Insight. Insight's mission was declared as ended on 21 December 2022.

Two flyby [[CubeSat]]s called [[Mars Cube One|MarCO]] were launched with ''InSight'' on 5 May 2018<ref name="InSight launch">{{cite news|last1=Chang|first1=Kenneth|title=NASA's Mars InSight Mission Launches for Six-Month Journey|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/05/science/nasa-mars-insight-launch.html|access-date=7 May 2018|work=The New York Times|date=5 May 2018|archive-date=19 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519094320/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/05/science/nasa-mars-insight-launch.html|url-status=live}}</ref> to provide real-time telemetry during the entry and landing of ''InSight''. The CubeSats separated from the Atlas V booster 1.5 hours after launch and traveled their own trajectories to Mars.<ref>{{Cite web|title = NASA Prepares for First Interplanetary CubeSat Mission|url = http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-prepares-for-first-interplanetary-cubesats-on-agency-s-next-mission-to-mars|access-date = 2015-06-12|date = 2015-06-12|archive-date = 2015-06-15|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150615003203/http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-prepares-for-first-interplanetary-cubesats-on-agency-s-next-mission-to-mars/|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title = The CubeSat Era in Space |website = [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] |url = http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cubesat/missions/marco.php |access-date = 2015-08-20 |archive-date = 2015-08-12 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150812043850/http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cubesat/missions/marco.php |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title = InSight| newspaper = NASA| url = http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/insight/main/index.html| access-date = 2015-06-12| date = 2015-02-23| archive-date = 2015-06-13| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150613223152/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/insight/main/index.html| url-status = live| last1 = Greicius| first1 = Tony}}</ref>