The most important missions in the exploration of Mars
The top 3 according to 3 votes from people: Mars 3 · Viking 1 · Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan). (Updated Sep 16, 2022.)
From Mariner 4's first flyby to the Curiosity, Perseverance and Zhurong rovers: the probes, landers and robots that showed us the Red Planet. Which one mattered most?
Automatically translated (original in Français). See the original
Top 21
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1
Mars 3
The Soviet probe made the first soft landing in 1971.
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2
Viking 1
The first American lander, in 1976, looking for life.
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3
Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan)
India reached Mars orbit on its first try, in 2014.
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4
Mariner 4
First successful flyby of Mars in 1965 and the first close-up photos.
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5
Mariner 9
First spacecraft to orbit another planet, in 1971.
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6
Viking 2
Viking 1's twin, set down on Utopia Planitia.
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7
Mars Pathfinder and Sojourner
An airbag landing and the first Mars rover, in 1997.
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8
Mars Global Surveyor
It mapped the whole planet for almost ten years.
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9
2001 Mars Odyssey
It found water ice under the surface and still serves as a relay.
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10
Mars Express
The European Space Agency's first Mars mission, in 2003.
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11
Spirit
Opportunity's twin rover, landed in 2004.
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12
Opportunity
Planned for 90 days, it drove for almost fifteen years.
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13
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Its HiRISE camera photographs Mars in unmatched detail.
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14
Phoenix
It touched water ice near the north pole in 2008.
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15
Curiosity
NASA's big rolling laboratory, in Gale Crater since 2012.
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16
MAVEN
It studies how Mars lost its atmosphere.
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17
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
The European-Russian mission tracking methane.
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18
InSight
It listened to marsquakes from 2018 to 2022.
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19
Hope
The United Arab Emirates' probe, in orbit since 2021.
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20
Tianwen-1 and Zhurong
China landed its first rover on Mars in 2021.
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21
Perseverance and Ingenuity
The rover collecting samples and the first helicopter on another planet.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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