Chronology of Mars Exploration

Mission Timeline


| 1960
|-- Marsnik 1 (Mars 1960A) - 10 October 1960 - Attempted Mars Flyby (Launch Failure)
|-- Marsnik 2 (Mars 1960B) - 14 October 1960 - Attempted Mars Flyby (Launch Failure)
| 1961
| 1962
|-- Sputnik 22 - 24 October 1962 - Attempted Mars Flyby
|-- Mars 1 - 1 November 1962 - Mars Flyby (Contact Lost)
|-- Sputnik 24 - 4 November 1962 - Attempted Mars Lander
| 1963
| 1964
|-- Mariner 3 - 5 November 1964 - Attempted Mars Flyby
|-- Mariner 4 - 28 November 1964 - Mars Flyby
|-- Zond 2 - 30 November 1964 - Mars Flyby (Contact Lost)
| 1965
|-- Zond 3 - 18 July 1965 - Lunar Flyby, Mars Test Vehicle
| 1966
| 1967
| 1968
| 1969
|-- Mariner 6 - 25 February 1969 - Mars Flyby
|-- Mariner 7 - 27 March 1969 - Mars Flyby
|-- Mars 1969A - 27 March 1969 - Attempted Mars Orbiter (Launch Failure)
|-- Mars 1969B - 2 April 1969 - Attempted Mars Orbiter (Launch Failure)
| 1970
| 1971
|-- Mariner 8 - 8 May 1971 - Attempted Mars Flyby (Launch Failure)
|-- Cosmos 419 - 10 May 1971 - Attempted Mars Orbiter/Lander
|-- Mars 2 - 19 May 1971 - Mars Orbiter/ Attempted Lander
|-- Mars 3 - 28 May 1971 - Mars Orbiter/ Lander
|-- Mariner 9 - 30 May 1971 - Mars Orbiter
| 1972
| 1973
|-- Mars 4 - 21 July 1973 - Mars Flyby (Attempted Mars Orbiter)
|-- Mars 5 - 25 July 1973 - Mars Orbiter
|-- Mars 6 - 5 August 1973 - Mars Lander (Contact Lost)
|-- Mars 7 - 9 August 1973 - Mars Flyby (Attempted Mars Lander)
| 1974
| 1975
|-- Viking 1 - 20 August 1975 - Mars Orbiter and Lander
|-- Viking 2 - 9 September 1975 - Mars Orbiter and Lander
| 1976
| 1977
| 1978
| 1979
| 1980
| 1981
| 1982
| 1983
| 1984
| 1985
| 1986
| 1987
| 1988
|-- Phobos 1 - 7 July 1988 - Attempted Mars Orbiter/Phobos Landers
|-- Phobos 2 - 12 July 1988 - Mars Orbiter/Attempted Phobos Landers
| 1989
| 1990
| 1991
| 1992
|-- Mars Observer - 25 September 1992 - Attempted Mars Orbiter (Contact Lost)
| 1993
| 1994
| 1995
| 1996
|-- Mars Global Surveyor - 07 November 1996 - Mars Orbiter
|-- Mars 96 - 16 November 1996 - Attempted Mars Orbiter/Landers
|-- Mars Pathfinder - 04 December 1996 - Mars Lander and Rover
| 1997
| 1998
|-- Nozomi (Planet-B) - 3 July 1998 - Mars Orbiter
|-- Mars Climate Orbiter - 11 December 1998 - Attempted Mars Orbiter
| 1999
|-- Mars Polar Lander - 3 January 1999 - Attempted Mars Lander
|-- Deep Space 2 (DS2) - 3 January 1999 - Attempted Mars Penetrators
| 2000
| 2001
|-- 2001 Mars Odyssey - 7 April 2001 - Mars Orbiter
| 2002
| 2003
|-- Mars Express - 2 June 2003 - Mars Orbiter and Lander
|-- Spirit (MER-A) - 10 June 2003 - Mars Rover
|-- Opportunity (MER-B) - 7 July 2003 - Mars Rover
| 2004
| 2005
|-- Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter - 10 August 2005 - Mars Orbiter
| 2006
| 2007
|-- Phoenix - 04 August 2007 - Mars Scout Lander
| 2008
| 2009
|-- Mars 2009 - Late 2009 - Mars Science Laboratory Rover
| 2010
| 2011
|-- Mars 2011 - 2011 - Scout Mission
| 2012
|

Other Missions

If you don't see a mission listed here, you may wish to query the NSSDC Master Catalog by typing a name in the space below.

Spacecraft Name:

[NASA Logo]
Author/Curator:
Dr. David R. Williams, dave.williams@nasa.gov
NSSDC, Mail Code 690.1
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771
+1-301-286-1258

NASA Official: Ed Grayzeck, edwin.j.grayzeck@nasa.gov
Last Updated: 20 November 2007, DRW