Below you'll find a summary of all of the spacecraft that have been sent to Mars. Credit for this list goes to Calvin J. Hamilton author of Views of the Solar System.
- Mars 1960A - USSR Mars Probe - (October 10, 1960)
- Mars 1960B - USSR Mars Probe - (October 14, 1960)
- Mars 1962A - USSR Mars Flyby - (October 24, 1962)
- Mars 1 - USSR Mars Flyby - 893 kg - (November 1, 1962)
- Mars 1962B - USSR Mars lander - (November 4, 1962)
- Mariner 3 - USA Mars Flyby - 260 kg - (November 5, 1964)
- Mariner 4 - USA Mars Flyby - 260 kg - (November 28, 1964 - December 20, 1967)
- Zond 2 - USSR Mars Flyby - (November 30, 1964)
- Mariner 6 - USA Mars Flyby - 412 kg - (February 24, 1969)
- Mariner 7 - USA Mars Flyby - 412 kg - (March 27, 1969)
- Mariner 8 - USA Mars Flyby - (May 8, 1971)
- Kosmos 419 - USSR Mars Probe - (May 10, 1971)
- Mars 2 - USSR Mars Orbiter/Soft Lander - 4,650 kg - (May 19, 1971)
- Mars 3 - USSR Mars Orbiter/Soft Lander - 4,643 kg - (May 28, 1971)
- Mariner 9 - USA Mars Orbiter - 974 kg - (May 30, 1971 - 1972)
- Mars 4 - USSR Mars Orbiter - 4,650 kg - (July 21, 1973)
- Mars 5 - USSR Mars Orbiter - 4,650 kg - (July 25, 1973)
- Mars 6 - USSR Mars Orbiter/Soft Lander - 4,650 kg - (August 5, 1973)
- Mars 7 - USSR Mars Orbiter/Soft Lander - 4,650 kg - (August 9, 1973)
Failed to reach Earth orbit.
Failed to reach Earth orbit.
Spacecraft failed to leave Earth orbit after the final rocket stage exploded.
Communications failed en route.
Failed to leave Earth orbit.
Mars flyby attempt. Solar panels did not open, preventing flyby. Mariner 3 is now in a solar orbit.
Mariner 4 arrived at Mars on July 14, 1965 and passed within 9,920 kilometers of the planet's surface. It returned 22 close-up photos showing a cratered surface. The thin atmosphere was confirmed to be composed of carbon dioxide in the range of 5-10 mbar. A small intrinsic magnetic field was detected. Mariner 4 is now in a solar orbit.
Contact was lost en route.
Mariner 6 arrived at Mars on February 24, 1969, and passed within 3,437 kilometers of the planet's equatorial region. Mariner 6 and 7 took measurements of the surface and atmospheric temperature, surface molecular composition, and pressure of the atmosphere. In addition, over 200 pictures were taken. Mariner 6 is now in a solar orbit.
Mariner 7 arrived at Mars on August 5, 1969, and passed within 3,551 kilometers of the planet's south pole region. Mariner 6 and 7 took measurements of the surface and atmospheric temperature, surface molecular composition, and pressure of the atmosphere. In addition, over 200 pictures were taken. Mariner 7 is now in a solar orbit.
Failed to reach Earth orbit.
Failed to leave Earth orbit.
The Mars 2 lander was released from the orbiter on November 27, 1971. It crashed-landed because its breaking rockets failed - no data was returned and the first human artifact was created on Mars. The orbiter returned data until 1972.
Mars 3 arrived at Mars on December 2, 1971. The lander was released and became the first successful landing on Mars. It failed after relaying 20 seconds of video data to the orbiter. The Mars 3 orbiter returned data until August, 1972. It made measurements of surface temperature and atmospheric composition.
Mariner 9 arrived at Mars on November 3, 1971 and was placed into orbit on November 24. This was the first US spacecraft to enter an orbit around a planet other than the Moon. At the time of its arrival a huge dust storm was in progress on the planet. Many of the scientific experiments were delayed until the storm had subsided. The first hi-resolution images of the moons Phobos and Deimos were taken. River and channel like features were discovered. Mariner 9 is still in Martian orbit.
Mars 4 arrived at Mars on February, 1974, but failed to go into orbit due to a malfunction of its breaking engine. It flew past the planet with in 2,200 kilometers of the surface. It returned some images and data.
Mars 5 entered into orbit around Mars on February 12, 1974. It acquired imaging data for the Mars 6 and 7 missions.
On March 12, 1974, Mars 6 entered into orbit and launched its lander. The lander returned atmospheric descent data, but failed on its way down.
On March 6, 1974, Ma
Torna all' indice di Marte