Perseverance
Explores Jezero Crater, investigates ancient environments, and collects samples for possible future study on Earth. Finding a potentially habitable setting does not establish that life existed.
Official mission source ↗FIELD GUIDE / Exploration
Curiosity takes us further.
From orbit and on the ground, robotic explorers turn distant landscapes into places we can study. Meet a selection of the missions behind the discoveries.
THE MISSION GUIDE
Many journeys. One planet.
Reviewed November 3, 2026. Dates below indicate arrival or the period described, not live status.
Showing 5 missions
Curiosity
Studies Gale Crater and Mount Sharp, where sedimentary rocks preserve clues to ancient water and environmental change. Its instruments assess the chemistry of rocks and soils.
Official mission source ↗Mars Express
ESA’s orbiter has mapped terrain, investigated the atmosphere, and studied minerals and subsurface structure. Explore ESA’s mission page for current operations.
Official mission source ↗MAVEN
Studied atmospheric escape and interactions with the solar wind. NASA announced its conclusion on June 3, 2026, after loss of contact in December 2025.
Official mission source ↗Ingenuity
Demonstrated powered flight on another planet and completed 72 flights. Rotor damage during its final landing in January 2024 ended its flying mission.
Official mission source ↗This is a selected mission guide, not a complete inventory of every Mars spacecraft. Follow the official sources for operational updates.