List of artificial objects on Mars

The following table is a partial list of artificial objects on the surface of Mars, consisting of spacecraft which were launched from Earth. Most are defunct after having served their purpose, but the Opportunity and the Curiosity rovers are still operational as of 2015. Curiosity is the most recent artificial object to land safely on Mars. The list does not currently include smaller objects such as springs, fragments, parachutes or heatshields. The landers of the MER rovers, or other mission objects may be included in the future.

Legend

Colors
No data collection
Transmitted data
Operational

Table of objects

Artificial object Image Nationality Landed Mass (kg) Status Location
Mars 2
USSR 1971 1210 Failure during descent; crashed on surface 45°S 313°W / 45°S 313°W / -45; -313 (Mars 2) [1]
Mars 3
USSR 1971 1210 Transmission failure 14.5 seconds after soft landing Sirenum Terra, 45°S 158°W / 45°S 158°W / -45; -158 (Mars 3) [2]
Mars 6
USSR 1973 635 Insufficient thrust during landing; crashed on surface Margaritifer Terra, 23°54′S 19°25′W / 23.90°S 19.42°W / -23.90; -19.42 (Mars 6) [3]
Viking 1 lander
United States 1976 657 Operated 2245 sols. Last contact Nov 11, 1982 Chryse Planitia, 22°41′49″N 48°13′19″W / 22.697°N 48.222°W / 22.697; -48.222 (Viking 1) [4]
Viking 2 lander
United States 1976 657 Operated 1281 sols. Last contact Apr 11, 1980 Utopia Planitia, 48°16′08″N 225°59′24″W / 48.269°N 225.990°W / 48.269; -225.990 (Viking 2) [5]
Mars Pathfinder lander & Sojourner rover
United States 1997 360 Operated 83 sols. Last contact Sep 27, 1997[6] Ares Vallis, 19°20′N 33°33′W / 19.33°N 33.55°W / 19.33; -33.55 (Mars Pathfinder and Sojourner) [7][8]
Mars Climate Orbiter
United States 1999 629 Destroyed by atmospheric stresses & friction.[9] Unknown
Mars Polar Lander & Deep Space 2
United States 1999 500 Unknown failure during descent; crashed on surface Ultimi Scopuli, 76°S 195°W / 76°S 195°W / -76; -195 (Mars Polar Lander and Deep Space 2) [10][11]
Beagle 2
United Kingdom 2003 33.2 Landed safely; solar panels failed to deploy Isidis Planitia, 11°31′35″N 90°25′46″E / 11.5265°N 90.4295°E / 11.5265; 90.4295 (Beagle 2 landing site)
Spirit rover (MER-A)
United States 2004 185 Operated 2210 sols. Last contact Mar 22, 2010 Gusev crater, 14°34′18″S 175°28′43″E / 14.5718°S 175.4785°E / -14.5718; 175.4785 (Spirit rover) [12][13]
Opportunity rover (MER-B)
United States 2004 185 Still in operation, 4277 sols Meridiani Planum, 1°56′46″S 354°28′24″E / 1.9462°S 354.4734°E / -1.9462; 354.4734 (Opportunity rover) [14][15]
Phoenix Mars Lander
United States 2008 350 Operated 155 sols. Last contact Nov 2, 2008 Vastitas Borealis, unofficially named Green Valley, 68°09′N 125°54′W / 68.15°N 125.9°W / 68.15; -125.9 (Phoenix) [16]
Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity)
United States 2012 900 Still in operation, 1245 sols Aeolis Palus in Gale Crater, 4°36′0″S 137°12′0″E / 4.60000°S 137.20000°E / -4.60000; 137.20000
Total estimated dry mass (kg) 9,303

Locations of selected landers and rovers

Tharsis Montes Hellas Planitia Olympus Mons Valles Marineris Arabia Terra Amazonis Planitia Elysium Mons Isidis Planitia Terra Cimmeria Argyre Planitia Alba MonsMap of Mars
Interactive imagemap of the global topography of Mars, overlain with locations of Mars landers and rovers. Hover your mouse to see the names of prominent geographic features, and click to link to them. Coloring of the base map indicates relative elevations, based on data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor. Reds and pinks are higher elevation (+3 km to +8 km); yellow is 0 km; greens and blues are lower elevation (down to −8 km). Whites (>+12 km) and browns (>+8 km) are the highest-most elevations. Axes are latitude and longitude; note poles are not shown.
Spirit (2004) >
Opportunity (2004) >
< Sojourner (1997)
Viking 1 (1976) >
Viking 2 (1976) >
< Phoenix (2008)
< Mars 3 (1971)
Curiosity (2012) >
< Beagle 2 (2003)

Examples

MER-A Spirit rover lander
MER-B Opportunity's heat shield

See also

References

  1. ↑ "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Mars 2". Retrieved 2010-12-24.
  2. ↑ "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Mars 3". Retrieved 2010-12-24.
  3. ↑ "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Mars 6". Retrieved 2010-12-24.
  4. ↑ "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Viking 1 lander". Retrieved 2010-12-24.
  5. ↑ "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Viking 2 lander". Retrieved 2010-12-24.
  6. ↑ "Mars Pathfinder". Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  7. ↑ "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Mars Pathfinder". Retrieved 2010-12-24.
  8. ↑ "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Mars Pathfinder Rover". Retrieved 2010-12-24.
  9. ↑ "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Mars Climate Orbiter". Retrieved 2010-12-24.
  10. ↑ "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Mars Polar Lander". Retrieved 2010-12-24.
  11. ↑ "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Deep Space 2". Retrieved 2010-12-24.
  12. ↑ "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Spirit Rover (MER-A)". Retrieved 2010-12-24.
  13. ↑ "ESA Mars Express - Spirit Rover landing site image and coordinates". Retrieved 2010-12-24.
  14. ↑ "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Opportunity Rover (MER-B)". Retrieved 2010-12-24.
  15. ↑ Squyres, S. W.; Arvidson, R. E.; Bollen, D.; Bell, J. F.; Brückner, J.; Cabrol, N. A.; Calvin, W. M.; Carr, M. H.; Christensen, P. R.; Clark, B. C.; Crumpler, L.; Des Marais, D. J.; d'Uston, C.; Economou, T.; Farmer, J.; Farrand, W. H.; Folkner, W.; Gellert, R.; Glotch, T. D.; Golombek, M.; Gorevan, S.; Grant, J. A.; Greeley, R.; Grotzinger, J.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Hviid, S.; Johnson, J. R.; Klingelhöfer, G.; Knoll, A. H.; et al. (2006). "Overview of the Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover Mission to Meridiani Planum: Eagle Crater to Purgatory Ripple" (PDF). Journal of Geophysical Research 111. doi:10.1029/2006JE002771. E12S12. Retrieved 2010-12-24. Opportunity Rover (MER-B) coordinates on pg. 2.
  16. ↑ "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Phoenix Mars Lander". Retrieved 2010-12-24.
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