CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-sticky-header-enabled vector-toc-available" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>Mars Exploration Program - Wikipedia</title> <script>(function(){var className="client-js vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-sticky-header-enabled vector-toc-available";var cookie=document.cookie.match(/(?:^|; )enwikimwclientpreferences=([^;]+)/);if(cookie){cookie[1].split('%2C').forEach(function(pref){className=className.replace(new RegExp('(^| )'+pref.replace(/-clientpref-\w+$|[^\w-]+/g,'')+'-clientpref-\\w+( |$)'),'$1'+pref+'$2');});}document.documentElement.className=className;}());RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":false,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy", "wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"f45aa6f0-0542-4e15-9188-1d2109e3a9c4","wgCanonicalNamespace":"","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":false,"wgNamespaceNumber":0,"wgPageName":"Mars_Exploration_Program","wgTitle":"Mars Exploration Program","wgCurRevisionId":1263451642,"wgRevisionId":1263451642,"wgArticleId":32506368,"wgIsArticle":true,"wgIsRedirect":false,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["Pages using the EasyTimeline extension","All articles with dead external links","Articles with dead external links from August 2021","Articles with short description","Short description is different from Wikidata","Use American English from May 2020","All Wikipedia articles written in American English","Use mdy dates from May 2020","Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images","Use American English from January 2014","Mars Exploration Program", "Exploration of Mars","NASA programs"],"wgPageViewLanguage":"en","wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgRelevantPageName":"Mars_Exploration_Program","wgRelevantArticleId":32506368,"wgIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRestrictionEdit":[],"wgRestrictionMove":[],"wgNoticeProject":"wikipedia","wgCiteReferencePreviewsActive":false,"wgFlaggedRevsParams":{"tags":{"status":{"levels":1}}},"wgMediaViewerOnClick":true,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":true,"wgPopupsFlags":0,"wgVisualEditor":{"pageLanguageCode":"en","pageLanguageDir":"ltr","pageVariantFallbacks":"en"},"wgMFDisplayWikibaseDescriptions":{"search":true,"watchlist":true,"tagline":false,"nearby":true},"wgWMESchemaEditAttemptStepOversample":false,"wgWMEPageLength":40000,"wgEditSubmitButtonLabelPublish":true,"wgULSPosition":"interlanguage","wgULSisCompactLinksEnabled":false,"wgVector2022LanguageInHeader":true,"wgULSisLanguageSelectorEmpty":false,"wgWikibaseItemId":"Q6773121", "wgCheckUserClientHintsHeadersJsApi":["brands","architecture","bitness","fullVersionList","mobile","model","platform","platformVersion"],"GEHomepageSuggestedEditsEnableTopics":true,"wgGETopicsMatchModeEnabled":false,"wgGEStructuredTaskRejectionReasonTextInputEnabled":false,"wgGELevelingUpEnabledForUser":false};RLSTATE={"ext.globalCssJs.user.styles":"ready","site.styles":"ready","user.styles":"ready","ext.globalCssJs.user":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"loading","ext.cite.styles":"ready","ext.timeline.styles":"ready","skins.vector.search.codex.styles":"ready","skins.vector.styles":"ready","skins.vector.icons":"ready","jquery.tablesorter.styles":"ready","jquery.makeCollapsible.styles":"ready","ext.wikimediamessages.styles":"ready","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript":"ready","ext.uls.interlanguage":"ready","wikibase.client.init":"ready","ext.wikimediaBadges":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["ext.cite.ux-enhancements","mediawiki.page.media","ext.scribunto.logs","site", "mediawiki.page.ready","jquery.tablesorter","jquery.makeCollapsible","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.js","ext.centralNotice.geoIP","ext.centralNotice.startUp","ext.gadget.ReferenceTooltips","ext.gadget.switcher","ext.urlShortener.toolbar","ext.centralauth.centralautologin","mmv.bootstrap","ext.popups","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.init","ext.visualEditor.targetLoader","ext.echo.centralauth","ext.eventLogging","ext.wikimediaEvents","ext.navigationTiming","ext.uls.interface","ext.cx.eventlogging.campaigns","ext.cx.uls.quick.actions","wikibase.client.vector-2022","ext.checkUser.clientHints","ext.growthExperiments.SuggestedEditSession"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.impl(function(){return["user.options@12s5i",function($,jQuery,require,module){mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); }];});});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=ext.cite.styles%7Cext.timeline.styles%7Cext.uls.interlanguage%7Cext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript%7Cext.wikimediaBadges%7Cext.wikimediamessages.styles%7Cjquery.makeCollapsible.styles%7Cjquery.tablesorter.styles%7Cskins.vector.icons%2Cstyles%7Cskins.vector.search.codex.styles%7Cwikibase.client.init&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector-2022"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.44.0-wmf.17"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin-when-cross-origin"> <meta name="robots" content="max-image-preview:standard"> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/NASA_logo.svg/1200px-NASA_logo.svg.png"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="1200"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="1004"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/NASA_logo.svg/800px-NASA_logo.svg.png"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="800"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="669"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/NASA_logo.svg/640px-NASA_logo.svg.png"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="640"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="535"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=1120"> <meta property="og:title" content="Mars Exploration Program - Wikipedia"> <meta property="og:type" content="website"> <link rel="preconnect" href="//upload.wikimedia.org"> <link rel="alternate" media="only screen and (max-width: 640px)" href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Program"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/x-wiki" title="Edit this page" href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/static/apple-touch/wikipedia.png"> <link rel="icon" href="/static/favicon/wikipedia.ico"> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/rest.php/v1/search" title="Wikipedia (en)"> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="//en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Program"> <link rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Wikipedia Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//meta.wikimedia.org" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="login.wikimedia.org"> </head> <body class="skin--responsive skin-vector skin-vector-search-vue mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject mw-editable page-Mars_Exploration_Program rootpage-Mars_Exploration_Program skin-vector-2022 action-view"><a class="mw-jump-link" href="#bodyContent">Jump to content</a> <div class="vector-header-container"> <header class="vector-header mw-header"> <div class="vector-header-start"> <nav class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-main-menu-dropdown vector-button-flush-left vector-button-flush-right" title="Main menu" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Main menu" > <label id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-label" for="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-menu mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-menu"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Main menu</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-main-menu" class="vector-main-menu vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-main-menu-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="main-menu-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-main-menu" data-pinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Main menu</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-navigation" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-navigation" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Navigation </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-mainpage-description" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Visit the main page [z]" accesskey="z"><span>Main page</span></a></li><li id="n-contents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents" title="Guides to browsing Wikipedia"><span>Contents</span></a></li><li id="n-currentevents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Current_events" title="Articles related to current events"><span>Current events</span></a></li><li id="n-randompage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:Random" title="Visit a randomly selected article [x]" accesskey="x"><span>Random article</span></a></li><li id="n-aboutsite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About" title="Learn about Wikipedia and how it works"><span>About Wikipedia</span></a></li><li id="n-contactpage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us" title="How to contact Wikipedia"><span>Contact us</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-interaction" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-interaction" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Contribute </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-help" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia"><span>Help</span></a></li><li id="n-introduction" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" title="Learn how to edit Wikipedia"><span>Learn to edit</span></a></li><li id="n-portal" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_portal" title="The hub for editors"><span>Community portal</span></a></li><li id="n-recentchanges" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]" accesskey="r"><span>Recent changes</span></a></li><li id="n-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard" title="Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia"><span>Upload file</span></a></li><li id="n-specialpages" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:SpecialPages"><span>Special pages</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <a href="/wiki/Main_Page" class="mw-logo"> <img class="mw-logo-icon" src="/static/images/icons/wikipedia.png" alt="" aria-hidden="true" height="50" width="50"> <span class="mw-logo-container skin-invert"> <img class="mw-logo-wordmark" alt="Wikipedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg" style="width: 7.5em; height: 1.125em;"> <img class="mw-logo-tagline" alt="The Free Encyclopedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-en.svg" width="117" height="13" style="width: 7.3125em; height: 0.8125em;"> </span> </a> </div> <div class="vector-header-end"> <div id="p-search" role="search" class="vector-search-box-vue vector-search-box-collapses vector-search-box-show-thumbnail vector-search-box-auto-expand-width vector-search-box"> <a href="/wiki/Special:Search" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only search-toggle" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-search mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-search"></span> <span>Search</span> </a> <div class="vector-typeahead-search-container"> <div class="cdx-typeahead-search cdx-typeahead-search--show-thumbnail cdx-typeahead-search--auto-expand-width"> <form action="/w/index.php" id="searchform" class="cdx-search-input cdx-search-input--has-end-button"> <div id="simpleSearch" class="cdx-search-input__input-wrapper" data-search-loc="header-moved"> <div class="cdx-text-input cdx-text-input--has-start-icon"> <input class="cdx-text-input__input" type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search Wikipedia" aria-label="Search Wikipedia" autocapitalize="sentences" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f" id="searchInput" > <span class="cdx-text-input__icon cdx-text-input__start-icon"></span> </div> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> </div> <button class="cdx-button cdx-search-input__end-button">Search</button> </form> </div> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-user-links vector-user-links-wide" aria-label="Personal tools"> <div class="vector-user-links-main"> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-preferences" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-userpage" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown " title="Change the appearance of the page's font size, width, and color" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Appearance" > <label id="vector-appearance-dropdown-label" for="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-appearance mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-appearance"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Appearance</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-notifications" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-overflow" class="vector-menu mw-portlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en" class=""><span>Donate</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-createaccount-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Mars+Exploration+Program" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory" class=""><span>Create account</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-login-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Mars+Exploration+Program" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o" class=""><span>Log in</span></a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-user-menu vector-button-flush-right vector-user-menu-logged-out" title="Log in and more options" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Personal tools" > <label id="vector-user-links-dropdown-label" for="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-ellipsis mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-ellipsis"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Personal tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-personal" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-personal user-links-collapsible-item" title="User menu" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en"><span>Donate</span></a></li><li id="pt-createaccount" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Mars+Exploration+Program" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-userAdd mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-userAdd"></span> <span>Create account</span></a></li><li id="pt-login" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Mars+Exploration+Program" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-logIn mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-logIn"></span> <span>Log in</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-user-menu-anon-editor" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-user-menu-anon-editor" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Pages for logged out editors <a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" aria-label="Learn more about editing"><span>learn more</span></a> </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-anoncontribs" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyContributions" title="A list of edits made from this IP address [y]" accesskey="y"><span>Contributions</span></a></li><li id="pt-anontalk" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyTalk" title="Discussion about edits from this IP address [n]" accesskey="n"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </header> </div> <div class="mw-page-container"> <div class="mw-page-container-inner"> <div class="vector-sitenotice-container"> <div id="siteNotice"></div> </div> <div class="vector-column-start"> <div class="vector-main-menu-container"> <div id="mw-navigation"> <nav id="mw-panel" class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav id="mw-panel-toc" aria-label="Contents" data-event-name="ui.sidebar-toc" class="mw-table-of-contents-container vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-toc-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-toc" class="vector-toc vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-toc-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="toc-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-toc" > <h2 class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Contents</h2> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.unpin">hide</button> </div> <ul class="vector-toc-contents" id="mw-panel-toc-list"> <li id="toc-mw-content-text" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a href="#" class="vector-toc-link"> <div class="vector-toc-text">(Top)</div> </a> </li> <li id="toc-Governance" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Governance"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1</span> <span>Governance</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Governance-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Governance subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Governance-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Objectives" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Objectives"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.1</span> <span>Objectives</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Objectives-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Challenges" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Challenges"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.2</span> <span>Challenges</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Challenges-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-History" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#History"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>History</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-History-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle History subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-History-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Background" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Background"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Background</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Background-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-2000s" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#2000s"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>2000s</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-2000s-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-2010s" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#2010s"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3</span> <span>2010s</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-2010s-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Missions" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Missions"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Missions</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Missions-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Missions subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Missions-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-List" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#List"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1</span> <span>List</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-List-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Timeline" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Timeline"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.2</span> <span>Timeline</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Timeline-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" title="Table of Contents" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Mars Exploration Program</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 11 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-11" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">11 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%AC_%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%83%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%81_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE" title="برنامج استكشاف المريخ – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="برنامج استكشاف المريخ" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Program" title="Mars Exploration Program – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Mars Exploration Program" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programa_de_Exploraci%C3%B3n_de_Marte" title="Programa de Exploración de Marte – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Programa de Exploración de Marte" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87_%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B4_%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE" title="برنامه کاوش مریخ – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="برنامه کاوش مریخ" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%ED%99%94%EC%84%B1_%ED%83%90%EC%82%AC_%EA%B3%84%ED%9A%8D" title="화성 탐사 계획 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="화성 탐사 계획" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Program" title="Mars Exploration Program – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Mars Exploration Program" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Program" title="Mars Exploration Program – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Mars Exploration Program" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Ke%C5%9Fif_Program%C4%B1" title="Mars Keşif Programı – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Mars Keşif Programı" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D1%96%D0%B4%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8F_%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D0%B0" title="Програма дослідження Марса – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Програма дослідження Марса" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C6%B0%C6%A1ng_tr%C3%ACnh_Th%C4%83m_d%C3%B2_Sao_H%E1%BB%8Fa" title="Chương trình Thăm dò Sao Hỏa – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Chương trình Thăm dò Sao Hỏa" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tiếng Việt</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%81%AB%E6%98%9F%E6%8E%A2%E7%B4%A2%E8%A8%88%E5%8A%83" title="火星探索計劃 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="火星探索計劃" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q6773121#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Program" title="View the content page [c]" accesskey="c"><span>Article</span></a></li><li id="ca-talk" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Talk:Mars_Exploration_Program" rel="discussion" title="Discuss improvements to the content page [t]" accesskey="t"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown emptyPortlet" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Change language variant" > <label id="vector-variants-dropdown-label" for="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">English</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-variants" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-variants emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> <div id="right-navigation" class="vector-collapsible"> <nav aria-label="Views"> <div id="p-views" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-views" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-view" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Program"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-edit" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-history" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=history" title="Past revisions of this page [h]" accesskey="h"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-tools-dropdown" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Tools" > <label id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-label" for="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-page-tools" class="vector-page-tools vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-page-tools-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="page-tools-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-page-tools" data-pinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Tools</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-cactions" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-cactions emptyPortlet vector-has-collapsible-items" title="More options" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Actions </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-more-view" class="selected vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Program"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-edit" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-history" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=history"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-tb" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-tb" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> General </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-whatlinkshere" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Mars_Exploration_Program" title="List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [j]" accesskey="j"><span>What links here</span></a></li><li id="t-recentchangeslinked" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/Mars_Exploration_Program" rel="nofollow" title="Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]" accesskey="k"><span>Related changes</span></a></li><li id="t-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard" title="Upload files [u]" accesskey="u"><span>Upload file</span></a></li><li id="t-permalink" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&oldid=1263451642" title="Permanent link to this revision of this page"><span>Permanent link</span></a></li><li id="t-info" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=info" title="More information about this page"><span>Page information</span></a></li><li id="t-cite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Mars_Exploration_Program&id=1263451642&wpFormIdentifier=titleform" title="Information on how to cite this page"><span>Cite this page</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMars_Exploration_Program"><span>Get shortened URL</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener-qrcode" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:QrCode&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMars_Exploration_Program"><span>Download QR code</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-coll-print_export" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-coll-print_export" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Print/export </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="coll-download-as-rl" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=show-download-screen" title="Download this page as a PDF file"><span>Download as PDF</span></a></li><li id="t-print" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&printable=yes" title="Printable version of this page [p]" accesskey="p"><span>Printable version</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-wikibase-otherprojects" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-wikibase-otherprojects" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> In other projects </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-wikibase" class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikibase-dataitem mw-list-item"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q6773121" title="Structured data on this page hosted by Wikidata [g]" accesskey="g"><span>Wikidata item</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-column-end"> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-appearance" class="vector-appearance vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-appearance-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="appearance-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-appearance" data-pinned-container-id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Appearance</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.unpin">hide</button> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Uncrewed spaceflight program by NASA</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1246091330">.mw-parser-output .sidebar{width:22em;float:right;clear:right;margin:0.5em 0 1em 1em;background:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa);border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);padding:0.2em;text-align:center;line-height:1.4em;font-size:88%;border-collapse:collapse;display:table}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .sidebar{display:table!important;float:right!important;margin:0.5em 0 1em 1em!important}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-subgroup{width:100%;margin:0;border-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-left{float:left;clear:left;margin:0.5em 1em 1em 0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-none{float:none;clear:both;margin:0.5em 1em 1em 0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-outer-title{padding:0 0.4em 0.2em;font-size:125%;line-height:1.2em;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-top-image{padding:0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-top-caption,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-pretitle-with-top-image,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-caption{padding:0.2em 0.4em 0;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-pretitle{padding:0.4em 0.4em 0;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{padding:0.2em 0.8em;font-size:145%;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{padding:0.1em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-image{padding:0.2em 0.4em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-heading{padding:0.1em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-content{padding:0 0.5em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-content-with-subgroup{padding:0.1em 0.4em 0.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-above,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-below{padding:0.3em 0.8em;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-collapse .sidebar-above,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-collapse .sidebar-below{border-top:1px solid #aaa;border-bottom:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-navbar{text-align:right;font-size:115%;padding:0 0.4em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-list-title{padding:0 0.4em;text-align:left;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6em;font-size:105%}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-list-title-c{padding:0 0.4em;text-align:center;margin:0 3.3em}@media(max-width:640px){body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .sidebar{width:100%!important;clear:both;float:none!important;margin-left:0!important;margin-right:0!important}}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .sidebar a>img{max-width:none!important}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-list-title,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{background:transparent!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-list-title,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{background:transparent!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sidebar{display:none!important}}</style><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><table class="sidebar sidebar-collapse nomobile nowraplinks"><tbody><tr><td class="sidebar-pretitle">Part of <a href="/wiki/Category:Space_program_of_the_United_States" title="Category:Space program of the United States">a series</a> on the</td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-title-with-pretitle" style="padding: 0 0.2em; font-size: 120%"><span class="wraplinks"><a href="/wiki/Space_policy_of_the_United_States" title="Space policy of the United States">United States space program</a></span></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-image"><span class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:NASA_logo.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/NASA_logo.svg/90px-NASA_logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="90" height="75" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/NASA_logo.svg/135px-NASA_logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/NASA_logo.svg/180px-NASA_logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="110" data-file-height="92" /></a></span><span class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Seal_of_the_United_States_Space_Force.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Seal_of_the_United_States_Space_Force.svg/90px-Seal_of_the_United_States_Space_Force.svg.png" decoding="async" width="90" height="90" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Seal_of_the_United_States_Space_Force.svg/135px-Seal_of_the_United_States_Space_Force.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Seal_of_the_United_States_Space_Force.svg/180px-Seal_of_the_United_States_Space_Force.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="512" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading" style="border-top: 1px solid #aaa; background: transparent; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 3px; font-size: 95%"> <div class="hlist"><ul><li><a href="/wiki/NASA" title="NASA">NASA</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/United_States_Space_Force" title="United States Space Force">U.S. Space Force</a></li></ul></div></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border-top: 1px solid #aaa; background: transparent; text-align: left; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 3px;color: var(--color-base)">Human spaceflight programs</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Project_Mercury" title="Project Mercury">Mercury</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Project_Gemini" title="Project Gemini">Gemini</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apollo_program" title="Apollo program">Apollo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Skylab" title="Skylab">Skylab</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Space_Shuttle_program" title="Space Shuttle program">Space Shuttle</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Shuttle-Mir_Program" class="mw-redirect" title="Shuttle-Mir Program">Shuttle–<i>Mir</i></a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/International_Space_Station_program" class="mw-redirect" title="International Space Station program">International Space Station</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Commercial_Crew_Program" title="Commercial Crew Program">Commercial Crew</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Constellation_program" title="Constellation program">Constellation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Artemis_program" title="Artemis program">Artemis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lunar_Gateway" title="Lunar Gateway">Lunar Gateway</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border-top: 1px solid #aaa; background: transparent; text-align: left; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 3px;color: var(--color-base)">Robotic spaceflight programs</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Commercial_Resupply_Services" title="Commercial Resupply Services">CRS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Explorers_Program" title="Explorers Program">Explorers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gateway_Logistics_Services" title="Gateway Logistics Services">GLS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Large_Strategic_Science_Missions" class="mw-redirect" title="Large Strategic Science Missions">Large Strategic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lunar_Orbiter_program" title="Lunar Orbiter program">Lunar Orbiter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lunar_Precursor_Robotic_Program" title="Lunar Precursor Robotic Program">Lunar Precursor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mariner_program" title="Mariner program">Mariner</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Mars Exploration</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/New_Millennium_program" class="mw-redirect" title="New Millennium program">New Millennium</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pioneer_program" title="Pioneer program">Pioneer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planetary_Missions_Program_Office" title="Planetary Missions Program Office">Planetary Missions</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Discovery_program" class="mw-redirect" title="Discovery program">Discovery</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/New_Frontiers_program" title="New Frontiers program">New Frontiers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planetary_Missions_Program_Office#Solar_System_Exploration" title="Planetary Missions Program Office">Solar System Exploration</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planetary_Observer_program" title="Planetary Observer program">Planetary Observer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ranger_program" title="Ranger program">Ranger</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Surveyor_program" title="Surveyor program">Surveyor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Project_Vanguard" title="Project Vanguard">Vanguard</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Viking_program" title="Viking program">Viking</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voyager_program" title="Voyager program">Voyager</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Boeing_X-37" title="Boeing X-37">X-37</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border-top: 1px solid #aaa; background: transparent; text-align: left; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 3px;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="/wiki/NASA_Astronaut_Corps" title="NASA Astronaut Corps">NASA Astronaut Corps</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mercury_Seven" title="Mercury Seven">Mercury</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Gemini_astronauts" title="List of Gemini astronauts">Gemini</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Apollo_astronauts" title="List of Apollo astronauts">Apollo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Space_Shuttle_crews" title="List of Space Shuttle crews">Space Shuttle</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border-top: 1px solid #aaa; background: transparent; text-align: left; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 3px;color: var(--color-base)">Spaceports</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Eastern_Range" title="Eastern Range">Eastern Range</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Cape_Canaveral_Space_Force_Station" title="Cape Canaveral Space Force Station">Cape Canaveral Space Force Station</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kennedy_Space_Center" title="Kennedy Space Center">Kennedy Space Center</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wallops_Flight_Facility" title="Wallops Flight Facility">Wallops Flight Facility</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_Regional_Spaceport" title="Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport">Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pacific_Spaceport_Complex_%E2%80%93_Alaska" title="Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska">Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Western_Range_(USSF)" title="Western Range (USSF)">Western Range</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Vandenberg_Space_Force_Base" title="Vandenberg Space Force Base">Vandenberg Space Force Base</a></li></ul></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border-top: 1px solid #aaa; background: transparent; text-align: left; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 3px;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="/wiki/List_of_orbital_launch_systems#United_States" title="List of orbital launch systems">Space launch vehicles</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Firefly_Alpha" title="Firefly Alpha"><i>Alpha</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Antares_(rocket)" title="Antares (rocket)">Antares</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Atlas_V" title="Atlas V">Atlas V</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rocket_Lab_Electron" title="Rocket Lab Electron">Electron</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Falcon_9" title="Falcon 9">Falcon 9</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Falcon_Heavy" title="Falcon Heavy">Falcon Heavy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/LauncherOne" title="LauncherOne">LauncherOne</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Minotaur_(rocket_family)" title="Minotaur (rocket family)">Minotaur</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Minotaur_I" title="Minotaur I">I</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Minotaur_III" title="Minotaur III"><i>III</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Minotaur_IV" title="Minotaur IV">IV</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Minotaur_V" title="Minotaur V">V</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Minotaur-C" title="Minotaur-C">C</a></li></ul></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/New_Glenn" title="New Glenn">New Glenn</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/New_Shepard" title="New Shepard">New Shepard</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_Pegasus" title="Northrop Grumman Pegasus">Pegasus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Space_Launch_System" title="Space Launch System">Space Launch System</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Starship" title="SpaceX Starship">Starship</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vulcan_Centaur" title="Vulcan Centaur">Vulcan Centaur</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border-top: 1px solid #aaa; background: transparent; text-align: left; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 3px;color: var(--color-base)">National security space</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/United_States_Space_Force" title="United States Space Force">United States Space Force</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/National_Reconnaissance_Office" title="National Reconnaissance Office">National Reconnaissance Office</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/United_States_Space_Command" title="United States Space Command">United States Space Command</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border-top: 1px solid #aaa; background: transparent; text-align: left; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 3px;color: var(--color-base)">Civil space</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Energy_national_laboratories" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Department of Energy national laboratories">Department of Energy national laboratories</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Federal_Aviation_Administration" title="Federal Aviation Administration">Federal Aviation Administration</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Office_of_Commercial_Space_Transportation" title="Office of Commercial Space Transportation">Office of Commercial Space Transportation</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/National_Oceanic_and_Atmospheric_Administration" title="National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/National_Environmental_Satellite,_Data,_and_Information_Service" title="National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service">National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Office_of_Space_Commerce" title="Office of Space Commerce">Office of Space Commerce</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Space_Weather_Prediction_Center" title="Space Weather Prediction Center">Space Weather Prediction Center</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Under_Secretary_of_State_for_Economic_Growth,_Energy,_and_the_Environment" title="Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment">Department of State Office of Space Affairs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Office_of_Science_and_Technology_Policy" title="Office of Science and Technology Policy">Office of Science and Technology Policy</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border-top: 1px solid #aaa; background: transparent; text-align: left; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 3px;color: var(--color-base)">Commercial space industry</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Astra_(American_spaceflight_company)" title="Astra (American spaceflight company)">Astra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ball_Aerospace_%26_Technologies" title="Ball Aerospace & Technologies">Ball Aerospace</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bigelow_Aerospace" title="Bigelow Aerospace">Bigelow Aerospace</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Blue_Origin" title="Blue Origin">Blue Origin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Boeing_Defense,_Space_%26_Security" title="Boeing Defense, Space & Security">Boeing</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Firefly_Aerospace" title="Firefly Aerospace">Firefly Aerospace</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_Space" title="Lockheed Martin Space">Lockheed Martin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Raytheon_Intelligence_%26_Space" title="Raytheon Intelligence & Space">Raytheon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rocket_Lab" title="Rocket Lab">Rocket Lab</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_Innovation_Systems" class="mw-redirect" title="Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems">Northrop Grumman</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sierra_Nevada_Corporation" title="Sierra Nevada Corporation">Sierra Nevada Corporation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/SpaceX" title="SpaceX">SpaceX</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/SSL_(company)" title="SSL (company)">SSL</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/United_Launch_Alliance" title="United Launch Alliance">United Launch Alliance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Virgin_Galactic" title="Virgin Galactic">Virgin Galactic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Virgin_Orbit" title="Virgin Orbit">Virgin Orbit</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:United_States_space_program_sidebar" title="Template:United States space program sidebar"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:United_States_space_program_sidebar" title="Template talk:United States space program sidebar"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:United_States_space_program_sidebar" title="Special:EditPage/Template:United States space program sidebar"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p><b>Mars Exploration Program</b> (<b>MEP</b>) is a long-term effort <a href="/wiki/Exploration_of_Mars" title="Exploration of Mars">to explore the planet Mars</a>, funded and led by <a href="/wiki/NASA" title="NASA">NASA</a>. Formed in 1993, MEP has made use of orbital <a href="/wiki/Spacecraft" title="Spacecraft">spacecraft</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lander_(spacecraft)" title="Lander (spacecraft)">landers</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Mars_rovers" class="mw-redirect" title="Mars rovers">Mars rovers</a> to explore the possibilities of <a href="/wiki/Life_on_Mars_(planet)" class="mw-redirect" title="Life on Mars (planet)">life on Mars</a>, as well as the planet's <a href="/wiki/Climate" title="Climate">climate</a> and <a href="/wiki/Natural_resource" title="Natural resource">natural resources</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-strategy9520_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-strategy9520-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The program is managed by NASA's <a href="/wiki/Science_Mission_Directorate" title="Science Mission Directorate">Science Mission Directorate</a> by <a href="/wiki/Doug_McCuistion" title="Doug McCuistion">Doug McCuistion</a> of the <a href="/wiki/Planetary_Science_Division" class="mw-redirect" title="Planetary Science Division">Planetary Science Division</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> As a result of 40% cuts to NASA's budget for fiscal year 2013, the <a href="/wiki/Mars_Program_Planning_Group" class="mw-redirect" title="Mars Program Planning Group">Mars Program Planning Group</a> (MPPG) was formed to help reformulate the MEP, bringing together leaders of NASA's technology, science, human operations, and science missions.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Governance">Governance</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Governance"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>First convening in October 1999, the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) enables the scientific community to provide input for the planning and prioritizing of the Mars Exploration Program. Mars exploration missions, as do most NASA missions, can be fairly costly. For example, NASA's <a href="/wiki/Curiosity_rover" class="mw-redirect" title="Curiosity rover"><i>Curiosity</i> rover</a> (landed on Mars in Aug 2012) has a budget exceeding $2.5 billion.<sup id="cite_ref-costs_1_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-costs_1-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> NASA also has goals of collaborating with the <a href="/wiki/European_Space_Agency" title="European Space Agency">European Space Agency</a> (ESA) in order to conduct a mission involving returning a sample of Mars soil to Earth, which would likely cost at least $5 billion and take ten years to complete.<sup id="cite_ref-costs_10_bil_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-costs_10_bil-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Objectives">Objectives</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Objectives"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1273380762/mw-parser-output/.tmulti">.mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner{display:flex;flex-direction:column}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{display:flex;flex-direction:row;clear:left;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{margin:1px;float:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .theader{clear:both;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;align-self:center;background-color:transparent;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbcaption{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-left{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-right{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-center{text-align:center}@media all and (max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbinner{width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:none!important;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{justify-content:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{float:none!important;max-width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle .thumbcaption{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow>.thumbcaption{text-align:center}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner span:not(.skin-invert-image):not(.skin-invert):not(.bg-transparent) img{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner span:not(.skin-invert-image):not(.skin-invert):not(.bg-transparent) img{background-color:white}}</style><div class="thumb tmulti tright"><div class="thumbinner multiimageinner" style="width:392px;max-width:392px"><div class="trow"><div class="tsingle" style="width:188px;max-width:188px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:148px;overflow:hidden"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:NASA_Mars_Rover.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/NASA_Mars_Rover.jpg/186px-NASA_Mars_Rover.jpg" decoding="async" width="186" height="149" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/NASA_Mars_Rover.jpg/279px-NASA_Mars_Rover.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/NASA_Mars_Rover.jpg/372px-NASA_Mars_Rover.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3000" data-file-height="2400" /></a></span></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:200px;max-width:200px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:148px;overflow:hidden"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Mars_Science_Laboratory,_2011-Present.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Mars_Science_Laboratory%2C_2011-Present.jpg/198px-Mars_Science_Laboratory%2C_2011-Present.jpg" decoding="async" width="198" height="149" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Mars_Science_Laboratory%2C_2011-Present.jpg/297px-Mars_Science_Laboratory%2C_2011-Present.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Mars_Science_Laboratory%2C_2011-Present.jpg/396px-Mars_Science_Laboratory%2C_2011-Present.jpg 2x" data-file-width="946" data-file-height="710" /></a></span></div></div></div><div class="trow" style="display:flex"><div class="thumbcaption"><a href="/wiki/Astrobiology" title="Astrobiology">Astrobiology</a>, <a href="/wiki/Climatology" title="Climatology">climatology</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Geology" title="Geology">geology</a> have been common themes in Mars Exploration Program missions, such as <a href="/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Rover" title="Mars Exploration Rover">Mars Exploration Rover</a> (left) and <a href="/wiki/Mars_Science_Laboratory" title="Mars Science Laboratory">Mars Science Laboratory</a> (right)</div></div></div></div> <p>According to NASA, there are four broad goals of the MEP, all having to do with understanding the potential for <a href="/wiki/Life" title="Life">life</a> on Mars.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ul><li><b>Determine if life ever arose on Mars</b> – In order to understand Mars' <a href="/wiki/Planetary_habitability" title="Planetary habitability">habitability potential</a>, it must be determined whether or not there ever was <a href="/wiki/Life_on_Mars" title="Life on Mars">life on Mars</a>, which begins with assessing the planet's suitability for life. The main strategy regarding the MEP, nicknamed "Follow the Water," is the general idea that where water is present, there is life (at least in instances on Earth). It is likely that if life ever did arise on Mars, there would need to be a supply of water that was present for a substantial amount of time. Therefore, a prominent goal of the MEP is to look for places where water is, was, or could possibly be, such as dried up riverbeds, under the planetary surface, and in Mars' polar ice caps. Aside from water, life also needs sources of energy to survive. The abundance of <a href="/wiki/Superoxides" class="mw-redirect" title="Superoxides">superoxides</a> makes life on the surface of Mars very unlikely, which essentially rules out sunlight as a possible source of energy for life. Therefore, alternative sources of energy must be searched for, such as <a href="/wiki/Geothermal_energy" title="Geothermal energy">geothermal</a> and <a href="/wiki/Chemical_energy" title="Chemical energy">chemical energy</a>. These sources, which are both used by life forms on Earth, could be used by <a href="/wiki/Microorganism" title="Microorganism">microscopic life forms</a> living under the Mars' surface. Life on Mars can also be searched for by finding signatures of past and present life or <a href="/wiki/Biosignature" title="Biosignature">biosignatures</a>. Relative carbon abundance and the location and forms that it can be found in can inform where and how life may have developed. Also, the presence of <a href="/wiki/Carbonate_minerals" class="mw-redirect" title="Carbonate minerals">carbonate minerals</a>, along with the fact that <a href="/wiki/Atmosphere_of_mars" class="mw-redirect" title="Atmosphere of mars">Mars' atmosphere</a> is made up largely of <a href="/wiki/Carbon_dioxide" title="Carbon dioxide">carbon dioxide</a>, would tell scientists that water may have been on the planet long enough to foster the development of life.<sup id="cite_ref-goal_1_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-goal_1-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><b>Characterize the climate of Mars</b> – Another goal of the MEP is to characterize both the current and past <a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Mars" title="Climate of Mars">climate of Mars</a>, as well as factors that influence climate change on Mars. Currently what is known is that the climate is regulated by seasonal changes of Mars' ice caps, movement of dust by the atmosphere, and the exchange of water vapor between the surface and the atmosphere. To understand these climatic phenomena means helping scientists more effectively model Mars' past climate, which brings a higher degree of understanding of the dynamics of Mars.<sup id="cite_ref-goal_2_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-goal_2-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><b>Characterize the geology of Mars</b> – The <a href="/wiki/Geology_of_Mars" title="Geology of Mars">geology of Mars</a> is differentiable from that of Earth by, among other things, its extremely large volcanoes and lack of crust movement. A goal of the MEP is to understand these differences from Earth along with the way that wind, water, volcanoes, tectonics, <a href="/wiki/Impact_crater" title="Impact crater">cratering</a> and other processes have shaped the surface of Mars. Rocks can help scientists describe the sequence of events in Mars' history, tell whether there was an abundance of water on the planet through identifying minerals that are formed only in water, and tell if Mars once had a <a href="/wiki/Magnetosphere" title="Magnetosphere">magnetic field</a> (which would point toward Mars at one point being a dynamic Earth-like planet).<sup id="cite_ref-goal_3_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-goal_3-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><b>Prepare for the human exploration of Mars</b> – A <a href="/wiki/Human_mission_to_Mars" title="Human mission to Mars">human mission to Mars</a> presents a massive engineering challenge. With Mars' surface containing superoxides and lacking a <a href="/wiki/Magnetosphere" title="Magnetosphere">magnetosphere</a> and an <a href="/wiki/Ozone_layer" title="Ozone layer">ozone layer</a> to protect from radiation from the Sun, scientists would have to thoroughly understand as much of Mars' dynamics as possible before any action can be taken toward the goal of putting humans on Mars.<sup id="cite_ref-goal_4_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-goal_4-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Challenges">Challenges</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Challenges"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Entry.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Entry.jpg/220px-Entry.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="177" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Entry.jpg/330px-Entry.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Entry.jpg/440px-Entry.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1280" data-file-height="1028" /></a><figcaption>Mars' thinner atmosphere makes <a href="/wiki/Atmospheric_entry" title="Atmospheric entry">entry, descent, and landing</a> operations of arriving in-situ surface spacecraft more challenging</figcaption></figure> <p>Mars exploration missions have historically had some of the highest failure rates for NASA missions,<sup id="cite_ref-chronology_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-chronology-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> which can be attributed to the immense engineering challenges of these missions as well as some bad luck, such as the America's <a href="/wiki/Mars_Polar_Lander" title="Mars Polar Lander">Mars Polar Lander</a>. <sup id="cite_ref-mars_curse_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mars_curse-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> With many of the goals of the MEP involving entry, descent, and landing of spacecraft (EDL) on the surface of Mars, factors like the planet's atmosphere, uneven surface terrain, and high cost of replicating Mars-like environments for testing come into play.<sup id="cite_ref-challenges_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-challenges-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Compared to the Earth, the <a href="/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Mars" title="Atmosphere of Mars">atmosphere of Mars</a> is about 100 times thinner. As a result, if a landing craft were to descend into Mars' atmosphere, it would decelerate at a much lower altitude, and depending on the object's mass, may not have enough time to reach terminal velocity. In order to deploy super- or subsonic decelerators, velocity must be below a threshold or they will not be effective. Therefore, technologies must be developed so that a landing craft can be decelerated enough to allow adequate time for other necessary landing processes to be carried out before landing.<sup id="cite_ref-challenges_14-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-challenges-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Mars' atmosphere varies significantly over the course of a <a href="/wiki/Timekeeping_on_Mars" title="Timekeeping on Mars">Mars year</a>, which prevents engineers from being able to develop a system for EDL common among all missions. Frequently-occurring dust storms increase lower atmospheric temperature and lessen atmospheric density, which, coupled with the extremely variable elevations on Mars' surface, forces a conservative selection of a landing site in order to allow for sufficient craft deceleration.<sup id="cite_ref-challenges_14-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-challenges-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> With Mars EDL sequences only lasting about 5–8 minutes, the associated systems must be unquestionably reliable. Ideally, this would be verified by data obtained by carrying out large-scale tests of various components of the EDL systems on Earth-based testing. However, the costs of reproducing environments in which this data would be relevant in terms of Mars' environment are considerably high, resulting in testing being purely ground-based or simulating results of tests involving technologies derived from past missions.<sup id="cite_ref-challenges_14-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-challenges-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Rocky_Mars_Surface.jpeg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8d/Rocky_Mars_Surface.jpeg/220px-Rocky_Mars_Surface.jpeg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8d/Rocky_Mars_Surface.jpeg/330px-Rocky_Mars_Surface.jpeg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8d/Rocky_Mars_Surface.jpeg/440px-Rocky_Mars_Surface.jpeg 2x" data-file-width="640" data-file-height="480" /></a><figcaption>The often uneven and rocky terrain of Mars makes landing on, and traversing, the planet's surface a significant challenge</figcaption></figure> <p>The surface of Mars is extremely uneven, containing <a href="/wiki/Rock_(geology)" title="Rock (geology)">rocks</a>, mountainous terrain, and craters. For a landing craft, the ideal landing area would be flat and debris-free. Since this terrain is almost impossible to find on Mars, landing gear must be very stable and have enough ground clearance to prevent problems with tipping over and instability upon landing. In addition, the deceleration systems of these landers would need to include thrusters that are pointed at the ground. These thrusters must be designed so that they only need to be active for an extremely short amount of time; if they are active and pointed at rocky ground for more than a few milliseconds, they start to dig trenches, launch small rocks up into the landing gear, and cause destabilizing backpressure to be forced upon the lander.<sup id="cite_ref-challenges_14-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-challenges-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Finding an adequate landing site means being able to estimate rock size from orbit. The technology to accurately determine rock size under 0.5 meters in diameter from orbit has not yet been developed, so instead rock size distribution is inferred from its relationship to thermal inertia, based on thermal response of the landing site measured by satellites currently orbiting Mars. The <a href="/wiki/Mars_Reconnaissance_Orbiter" title="Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter">Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter</a> also helps this cause in the sense that its cameras can see rocks larger than 0.5 m in diameter.<sup id="cite_ref-challenges_14-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-challenges-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Along with the possibility of the lander tipping over on sloped surfaces, large topographical features like hills, mesas, craters and trenches pose the problem of interference with ground sensors. Radar and Doppler radar can falsely measure altitude during descent and the algorithms that target the touchdown point of the lander can be "tricked" into releasing the lander too early or late if the craft passes over mesas or trenches while descending.<sup id="cite_ref-challenges_14-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-challenges-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Background">Background</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Background"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Mars_Observer.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Mars_Observer.jpg/220px-Mars_Observer.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="167" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Mars_Observer.jpg/330px-Mars_Observer.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Mars_Observer.jpg/440px-Mars_Observer.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1000" data-file-height="761" /></a><figcaption>The loss of <i><a href="/wiki/Mars_Observer" title="Mars Observer">Mars Observer</a></i> in 1993 prompted the formation of a cohesive Mars Exploration Program</figcaption></figure> <p>While it was observed in ancient times by the <a href="/wiki/Babylonians" class="mw-redirect" title="Babylonians">Babylonians</a>, <a href="/wiki/Egyptians" title="Egyptians">Egyptians</a>, <a href="/wiki/Greeks" title="Greeks">Greeks</a>, and others, it was not until the invention of the <a href="/wiki/Telescope" title="Telescope">telescope</a> in the 17th century that Mars was studied in depth.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The first attempt at sending a probe to the surface of Mars, nicknamed <a href="/wiki/Mars_1M" title="Mars 1M">"Marsnik 1,"</a> was by the <a href="/wiki/USSR" class="mw-redirect" title="USSR">USSR</a> in 1960. The probe failed to reach <a href="/wiki/Earth" title="Earth">Earth</a> orbit, and the mission was ultimately unsuccessful. Failure to complete mission objectives has been common in missions designed to explore Mars; roughly two-thirds of all spacecraft destined for Mars have failed before any observation could begin.<sup id="cite_ref-chronology_12-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-chronology-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Mars Exploration Program itself was formed officially in the wake of the failed <a href="/wiki/Mars_Observer" title="Mars Observer">Mars Observer</a> in September 1992,<sup id="cite_ref-strategy9520_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-strategy9520-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> which had been NASA's first Mars mission since the <a href="/wiki/Viking_1" title="Viking 1">Viking 1</a> and <a href="/wiki/Viking_2" title="Viking 2">Viking 2</a> projects in 1975. The spacecraft, which was based on a modified Earth-orbiting commercial communications <a href="/wiki/Satellite" title="Satellite">satellite</a> (i.e., SES's <a href="/wiki/Astra_1A" title="Astra 1A">Astra 1A</a> satellite), carried a payload of instruments designed to study the geology, geophysics, and climate of Mars from orbit. The mission ended in August 1993 when communications were lost three days before the spacecraft had been scheduled to enter <a href="/wiki/Orbit" title="Orbit">orbit</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-mars_obsvr_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mars_obsvr-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="2000s">2000s</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: 2000s"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In the 2000s, NASA established the <b>Mars Scout Program</b> as a campaign under the Mars Exploration Program to send a series of small, low-cost robotic missions to <a href="/wiki/Mars" title="Mars">Mars</a>, competitively selected from innovative proposals by the scientific community with a budget cap of US$485 million. The first <a href="/wiki/Robotic_spacecraft" class="mw-redirect" title="Robotic spacecraft">robotic spacecraft</a> in this program was <i><a href="/wiki/Phoenix_(spacecraft)" title="Phoenix (spacecraft)">Phoenix</a></i>, which utilized a <a href="/wiki/Lander_(spacecraft)" title="Lander (spacecraft)">lander</a> originally manufactured for the canceled <a href="/wiki/Mars_Surveyor_2001" title="Mars Surveyor 2001">Mars Surveyor 2001</a> mission. <i>Phoenix</i> was one of four finalists selected out of 25 proposals.<sup id="cite_ref-ms_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ms-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The four finalists were Phoenix, MARVEL, <a href="/wiki/Sample_Collection_for_Investigation_of_Mars" title="Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars">SCIM</a> (<a href="/wiki/Sample_Collection_for_Investigation_of_Mars" title="Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars">Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars</a>), and the <a href="/wiki/Aerial_Regional-scale_Environmental_Survey" title="Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Survey">ARES</a> ("Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Survey") Mars airplane.<sup id="cite_ref-ms_17-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ms-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> SCIM was a sample return mission that would have used a free-return trajectory and aerogel to capture Mars dust and return it to Earth<sup id="cite_ref-ms_17-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ms-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> (see also: the <i><a href="/wiki/Stardust_(spacecraft)" title="Stardust (spacecraft)">Stardust</a></i> mission). MARVEL was an orbiter that would have searched for volcanism as well as analyzed various components of the Mars atmosphere.<sup id="cite_ref-ms_17-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ms-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The name is an acronym for <i>Mars Volcanic Emission and Life Scout</i>, and it was intended to detect gases from life if it was there.<sup id="cite_ref-ms_17-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ms-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> ARES was an aircraft concept for Mars to study the lower atmosphere and surface.<sup id="cite_ref-ms_17-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ms-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> On September 15, 2008, NASA announced that it had selected <a href="/wiki/MAVEN" title="MAVEN">MAVEN</a> for the second mission.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This mission was budgeted at no more than US$475 million.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> After only two selections, the NASA Science Directorate announced in 2010 that Mars Scout would be incorporated into the <a href="/wiki/Discovery_program" class="mw-redirect" title="Discovery program">Discovery program</a>, which was re-scoped to allow Mars missions to be proposed.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <i><a href="/wiki/InSight" title="InSight">InSight</a></i>, a Mars seismology and geology mission, was ultimately chosen as the twelfth Discovery program mission. </p> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"> <tbody><tr> <th colspan="2">Proposed Mars Scout program missions (2003–10)<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </th></tr> <tr bgcolor="#efefef"> <th>Mission Name </th> <th>Description </th></tr> <tr> <td nowrap="">The Great Escape (TGE) </td> <td>The mission would have directly determined the basic processes in Martian atmospheric evolution by measuring the structure and dynamics of the upper atmosphere. In addition, potentially biogenic atmospheric constituents such as <a href="/wiki/Methane" title="Methane">methane</a> would have been measured. The principal investigator is Alan Stern, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado. Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, would have provided project management.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <td>Artemis </td> <td>This mission would launch up to four saucer-shaped landers, two feet (0.61m) in diameter, from a "mother ship" orbiting Mars. Each would parachute onto the surface, analyzing the soil and atmosphere. Two of the four landers would be targeted at the polar regions. </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Aerial_Regional-scale_Environmental_Survey" title="Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Survey">ARES</a> </td> <td>This mission concept proposed to send an unmanned airplane into the Martian atmosphere to observe the planet.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <td>Chronos </td> <td>This mission would consist of a probe designed to melt through a polar ice cap using heated jets. It would travel up to 100 yards (91m) below the surface, analyzing the melted water to determine the climatic history of Mars.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <td>KittyHawk </td> <td>This mission would create three or four winged gliders with approximately six-foot (1.83m) wingspans and would explore the <a href="/wiki/Valles_Marineris" title="Valles Marineris">Valles Marineris</a> canyon system. The gliders would carry infrared spectrometers and cameras. </td></tr> <tr> <td>MOO </td> <td>With infrared telescopes on Earth and a spectrometer on the <a href="/wiki/Mars_Express_Orbiter" class="mw-redirect" title="Mars Express Orbiter">Mars Express Orbiter</a>, <a href="/wiki/Mars#Atmosphere" title="Mars">methane</a> was discovered in the Martian atmosphere. The presence of methane on Mars is very intriguing, since as an unstable gas it indicates that there must be an active source of the gas on the planet. The latest research suggests that the methane destruction lifetime is as long ~4 Earth years and as short as ~0.6 Earth years.<sup id="cite_ref-plumes_29-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-plumes-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In either case, the destruction lifetime for methane is much shorter than the timescale (~350 years) estimated for photochemical (<a href="/wiki/UV" class="mw-redirect" title="UV">UV</a> radiation) destruction.<sup id="cite_ref-plumes_29-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-plumes-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Mars Organics Observer would use an orbiter to characterize the Martian methane: where it is being emitted, how much is being emitted and how often it is being emitted. </td></tr> <tr> <td>The Naiades </td> <td>Named for <a href="/wiki/Nymph" title="Nymph">nymphs</a> of springs, lakes, and rivers from Greek mythology, this mission would send two landers to a region which likely holds groundwater. The landers would search for the groundwater using low-frequency electromagnetics and other instruments. </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Sample_Collection_for_Investigation_of_Mars" title="Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars">SCIM</a> </td> <td>A sample return mission that would briefly pass into the Martian atmosphere to scoop up about 1000 dust grains and a few liters of air without slowing from escape velocity. </td></tr> <tr> <td><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://thor.asu.edu">THOR</a> </td> <td>Similar to NASA's <i><a href="/wiki/Deep_Impact_(spacecraft)" title="Deep Impact (spacecraft)">Deep Impact</a></i>, this mission would impact two copper spheres into Mars' surface to create craters in a region known to have water ice, and maybe liquid water, a few meters under the surface. An accompanying orbiter would analyze the craters from orbit. Although this mission was not selected, ice was later observed in fresh natural impacts.<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <td>Urey </td> <td>This mission calls for a lander/rover pair designed to analyze the ages of rocks. It would be targeted for the <a href="/wiki/Cerberus_(Martian_Albedo_Feature)" class="mw-redirect" title="Cerberus (Martian Albedo Feature)">Cerberus Highlands</a> region, and would look for specific minerals to help scientists compare the cratering of Mars with that of the Moon. </td></tr> <tr> <td>MARVEL </td> <td>Orbiter with spectrometers would look for volcanic emissions and life </td></tr> <tr> <td>CryoScout </td> <td>Melt probe for ice caps </td></tr> <tr> <td>Pascal </td> <td>24 mini weather stations. Also proposed in the <a href="/wiki/Discovery_Program" title="Discovery Program">Discovery Program</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <td>MEO </td> <td>Mars Environmental Orbiter—study atmosphere and hydrology </td></tr> <tr> <td>MACO </td> <td>Mars Atmospheric Constellation Observatory—a network of <a href="/wiki/Microsatellite_(spaceflight)" class="mw-redirect" title="Microsatellite (spaceflight)">microsatellites</a> study the atmosphere </td></tr> <tr> <td>MSR </td> <td>Mars Scout Radar—Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to study sub-surface </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="2010s">2010s</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: 2010s"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>A significant budget cut of US$300 million to NASA's planetary science division occurred in FY2013, which prompted the cancellation of the agency's participation in ESA's <a href="/wiki/ExoMars" title="ExoMars">ExoMars</a> program, as well as a reevaluation of the Mars Exploration Program as a whole.<sup id="cite_ref-where_we_been_where_goin_32-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-where_we_been_where_goin-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-about_34-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-about-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In February 2012, the Mars Program Planning Group (MPPG) was convened in Washington, D.C. to discuss candidate mission concepts for the 2018 or 2020 launch window,<sup id="cite_ref-New_Generation_35-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-New_Generation-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-about_34-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-about-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> in an initiative known as Mars Next Generation.<sup id="cite_ref-New_Generation_35-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-New_Generation-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-nature_36-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-nature-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The purpose of the MPPG was to develop foundations for a program-level architecture for robotic exploration of Mars that is consistent with the <a href="/wiki/Space_policy_of_the_Barack_Obama_administration" title="Space policy of the Barack Obama administration">Obama administration's challenge of sending humans to Mars orbit in the decade of the 2030s</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-about_34-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-about-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> yet remain responsive to the primary scientific goals of the 2011 NRC Decadal Survey for Planetary Science.<sup id="cite_ref-38" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>38<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The MPPG used non-consensus, individual inputs of both NASA civil servant and contractor employees, with resulting decisions being the exclusive responsibility of NASA. </p><p>The immediate focus of the MPPG was on the collection of multiple mission concept options for the 2018 and 2020 Mars launch window.<sup id="cite_ref-about_34-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-about-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> At a budget envelope of $700 million <a href="/wiki/USD" class="mw-redirect" title="USD">USD</a>, including a <a href="/wiki/Launch_vehicle" title="Launch vehicle">launch vehicle</a>, it was presumed that the mission would be limited to an <a href="/wiki/Orbiter" class="mw-redirect" title="Orbiter">orbiter</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-nature_36-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-nature-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-39"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>39<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Near-term ideas were taken into consideration for early mission planning in the 2018-2024 timeframe, while mid- to longer-term ideas informed program-level architecture planning for 2026 and beyond.<sup id="cite_ref-40" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-40"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>40<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Strategies explored for such a mission included a <a href="/wiki/Mars_sample-return_mission" title="Mars sample-return mission">sample-return mission</a> where soil samples are placed in Mars orbit in the late 2020s or early 2030s, an in-situ soil analysis, and a study of Mars' surface and deep interior preceding a sample-return mission and/or crewed mission.<sup id="cite_ref-about_34-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-about-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Concept missions that were studied that fit the budget requirement of US$700 million to US$800 million included the <a href="/wiki/Next_Mars_Orbiter" title="Next Mars Orbiter">Next Mars Orbiter</a> (NeMO) to replace aging satellites' telecommunication services, and a stationary lander to investigate and select samples suitable for a later return to Earth.<sup id="cite_ref-about_34-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-about-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Prior to the findings of the MPPG, the <a href="/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Appropriations" title="United States House Committee on Appropriations">House Appropriations Committee's</a> Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee approved a budget in April 2012 that reinstated US$150 million to the Planetary Science budget, with a caveat that a sample-return mission be mandated.<sup id="cite_ref-where_we_been_where_goin_32-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-where_we_been_where_goin-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The MPPG's final report was drafted in August 2012 and published in September.<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-41"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>41<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-42" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-42"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>42<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-43" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-43"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>43<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Ultimately endorsing a sample-return mission, the recommendation influenced NASA's FY2014 budget process.<sup id="cite_ref-44" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-44"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>44<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Missions">Missions</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Missions"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="List">List</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: List"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <table class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%"> <tbody><tr> <th scope="col">Mission </th> <th scope="col" class="unsortable">Patch </th> <th scope="col">Vehicle </th> <th scope="col">Launch </th> <th scope="col">Orbital insertion/<br />Landing Date </th> <th scope="col">Launch vehicle<sup id="cite_ref-serial_45-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-serial-45"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>a<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </th> <th scope="col">Status </th> <th scope="col">Duration </th></tr> <tr> <th scope="row"><a href="/wiki/Mars_Global_Surveyor" title="Mars Global Surveyor">Mars Global Surveyor</a> </th> <td><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-center" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Mars_Global_Surveyor_-_patch_transparent.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Mars_Global_Surveyor_-_patch_transparent.png/30px-Mars_Global_Surveyor_-_patch_transparent.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="29" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Mars_Global_Surveyor_-_patch_transparent.png/45px-Mars_Global_Surveyor_-_patch_transparent.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Mars_Global_Surveyor_-_patch_transparent.png/60px-Mars_Global_Surveyor_-_patch_transparent.png 2x" data-file-width="554" data-file-height="527" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </td> <td><i>MGS</i> </td> <td data-sort-value="01">November 7, 1996, 17:00 UTC </td> <td>September 11, 1997 01:17 UTC </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Delta_II" title="Delta II">Delta II 7925</a> </td> <td style="background: #9EFF9E; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-success">Completed </td> <td data-sort-value="04">3,647 days </td></tr> <tr> <th scope="row" rowspan="2"><a href="/wiki/Mars_Pathfinder" title="Mars Pathfinder">Mars Pathfinder</a><sup id="cite_ref-Discovery_46-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Discovery-46"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>b<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </th> <td rowspan="2"><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-center" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Mars_Pathfinder_Insignia.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Mars_Pathfinder_Insignia.png/30px-Mars_Pathfinder_Insignia.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="22" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Mars_Pathfinder_Insignia.png/45px-Mars_Pathfinder_Insignia.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Mars_Pathfinder_Insignia.png/60px-Mars_Pathfinder_Insignia.png 2x" data-file-width="640" data-file-height="462" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </td> <td><i>Mars Pathfinder</i> </td> <td data-sort-value="01" rowspan="2">December 4, 1996 06:58 UTC </td> <td rowspan="2">July 4, 1997 16:57 UTC </td> <td rowspan="2">Delta II 7925 </td> <td rowspan="2" style="background: #9EFF9E; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-success">Completed </td> <td rowspan="2">297 days </td></tr> <tr> <td><i><a href="/wiki/Sojourner_(rover)" title="Sojourner (rover)">Sojourner</a></i> </td></tr> <tr> <th scope="row" rowspan="2"><a href="/wiki/Mars_Surveyor_%2798" title="Mars Surveyor '98">Mars Surveyor '98</a> </th> <td rowspan="2"><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-center" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:M98patch.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/M98patch.png/30px-M98patch.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/M98patch.png/45px-M98patch.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/M98patch.png/60px-M98patch.png 2x" data-file-width="1767" data-file-height="1662" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </td> <td><i><a href="/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter" title="Mars Climate Orbiter">Mars Climate Orbiter</a></i> </td> <td data-sort-value="02">December 11, 1998, 18:45 UTC </td> <td>September 23, 1999 09:00 UTC(failed) </td> <td>Delta II 7425 </td> <td style="background: #FFC7C7; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-failure">Failure </td> <td data-sort-value="10">286 days </td></tr> <tr> <td><i><a href="/wiki/Mars_Polar_Lander" title="Mars Polar Lander">Mars Polar Lander</a></i> </td> <td data-sort-value="03">January 3, 1999, 20:21 UTC </td> <td>December 3, 1999 20:15 UTC(failed) </td> <td>Delta II 7425 </td> <td style="background: #FFC7C7; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-failure">Failure </td> <td data-sort-value="09">334 days </td></tr> <tr> <th scope="row"><a href="/wiki/2001_Mars_Odyssey" title="2001 Mars Odyssey">2001 Mars Odyssey</a> </th> <td><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-center" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:2001_Mars_Odyssey_-_mars-odyssey-logo-sm.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/2001_Mars_Odyssey_-_mars-odyssey-logo-sm.png/30px-2001_Mars_Odyssey_-_mars-odyssey-logo-sm.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="27" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/2001_Mars_Odyssey_-_mars-odyssey-logo-sm.png/45px-2001_Mars_Odyssey_-_mars-odyssey-logo-sm.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/2001_Mars_Odyssey_-_mars-odyssey-logo-sm.png/60px-2001_Mars_Odyssey_-_mars-odyssey-logo-sm.png 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="542" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </td> <td><i>Mars Odyssey</i> </td> <td data-sort-value="04">April 7, 2001, 15:02 UTC </td> <td>October 24, 2001 12:21 UTC </td> <td>Delta II 7925-9.5 </td> <td style="background: #CEF; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-success">Operational </td> <td data-sort-value="01">8,721 days </td></tr> <tr> <th scope="row" rowspan="2"><a href="/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Rover" title="Mars Exploration Rover">Mars Exploration Rover</a> </th> <td> </td> <td><i><a href="/wiki/Spirit_(rover)" title="Spirit (rover)">Spirit</a></i> </td> <td data-sort-value="05">June 10, 2003, 17:58 UTC </td> <td>January 4, 2004 04:35 UTC </td> <td>Delta II 7925-9.5 </td> <td style="background: #9EFF9E; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-success">Completed </td> <td data-sort-value="06">2,695 days </td></tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td><i><a href="/wiki/Opportunity_(rover)" title="Opportunity (rover)">Opportunity</a></i> </td> <td data-sort-value="06">July 7, 2003, 03:18 UTC </td> <td>January 25, 2004 05:05 UTC </td> <td>Delta II 7925H-9.5 </td> <td style="background: #9EFF9E; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-success">Completed </td> <td data-sort-value="02">5,498 days </td></tr> <tr> <th scope="row"><a href="/wiki/Mars_Reconnaissance_Orbiter" title="Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter">Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter</a> </th> <td><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-center" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Mars_Reconnaissance_Orbiter_insignia.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Mars_Reconnaissance_Orbiter_insignia.png/20px-Mars_Reconnaissance_Orbiter_insignia.png" decoding="async" width="20" height="30" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Mars_Reconnaissance_Orbiter_insignia.png/30px-Mars_Reconnaissance_Orbiter_insignia.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Mars_Reconnaissance_Orbiter_insignia.png/40px-Mars_Reconnaissance_Orbiter_insignia.png 2x" data-file-width="754" data-file-height="1121" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </td> <td><i>MRO</i> </td> <td data-sort-value="07">August 12, 2005, 11:43 UTC </td> <td>March 10, 2006 21:24 UTC </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Atlas_V" title="Atlas V">Atlas V 401</a> (<a href="/wiki/List_of_Atlas_launches_(2000%E2%80%932009)#2005" title="List of Atlas launches (2000–2009)">AV-007</a>) </td> <td style="background: #CEF; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-success">Operational </td> <td data-sort-value="03">7,130 days </td></tr> <tr> <th scope="row"><a href="/wiki/Phoenix_(spacecraft)" title="Phoenix (spacecraft)">Phoenix</a><sup id="cite_ref-Mars_Scout_47-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mars_Scout-47"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>c<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </th> <td><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-center" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Phoenix_mission_logo.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Phoenix_mission_logo.png/30px-Phoenix_mission_logo.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="30" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Phoenix_mission_logo.png/45px-Phoenix_mission_logo.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Phoenix_mission_logo.png/60px-Phoenix_mission_logo.png 2x" data-file-width="2400" data-file-height="2400" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </td> <td><i>Phoenix</i> </td> <td data-sort-value="08">August 4, 2007 09:26 UTC </td> <td>May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC </td> <td>Delta II 7925 </td> <td style="background: #9EFF9E; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-success">Completed </td> <td data-sort-value="08">457 days </td></tr> <tr> <th scope="row"><a href="/wiki/Mars_Science_Laboratory" title="Mars Science Laboratory">Mars Science Laboratory</a> </th> <td><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-center" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Mars_Science_Laboratory_mission_logo.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Mars_Science_Laboratory_mission_logo.png/30px-Mars_Science_Laboratory_mission_logo.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Mars_Science_Laboratory_mission_logo.png/45px-Mars_Science_Laboratory_mission_logo.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Mars_Science_Laboratory_mission_logo.png/60px-Mars_Science_Laboratory_mission_logo.png 2x" data-file-width="417" data-file-height="395" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </td> <td><i><a href="/wiki/Curiosity_(rover)" title="Curiosity (rover)">Curiosity</a></i> </td> <td data-sort-value="09">November 26, 2011, 15:02 UTC </td> <td>August 6, 2012 05:17 UTC </td> <td>Atlas V 541 (<a href="/wiki/List_of_Atlas_launches_(2010%E2%80%932019)#2012" title="List of Atlas launches (2010–2019)">AV-028</a>) </td> <td style="background: #CEF; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-success">Operational </td> <td data-sort-value="05">4,470 days </td></tr> <tr> <th scope="row"><a href="/wiki/MAVEN" title="MAVEN">MAVEN</a><sup id="cite_ref-Mars_Scout_47-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mars_Scout-47"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>c<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </th> <td><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-center" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:MAVEN_Mission_Logo.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/MAVEN_Mission_Logo.png/30px-MAVEN_Mission_Logo.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="30" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/MAVEN_Mission_Logo.png/45px-MAVEN_Mission_Logo.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/MAVEN_Mission_Logo.png/60px-MAVEN_Mission_Logo.png 2x" data-file-width="2420" data-file-height="2420" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </td> <td><i>MAVEN</i> </td> <td data-sort-value="10">November 18, 2013, 18:28 UTC </td> <td>September 22, 2014 02:24 UTC </td> <td>Atlas V 401 (<a href="/wiki/List_of_Atlas_launches_(2010%E2%80%932019)#2013" title="List of Atlas launches (2010–2019)">AV-038</a>) </td> <td style="background: #CEF; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-success">Operational </td> <td data-sort-value="07">4,113 days </td></tr> <tr> <th scope="row"><a href="/wiki/InSight" title="InSight">InSight</a><sup id="cite_ref-Discovery_46-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Discovery-46"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>b<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </th> <td><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-center" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:InSight_Mission_Logo.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/InSight_Mission_Logo.svg/30px-InSight_Mission_Logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="35" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/InSight_Mission_Logo.svg/45px-InSight_Mission_Logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/InSight_Mission_Logo.svg/60px-InSight_Mission_Logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="592" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </td> <td><i>InSight</i> </td> <td>May 5, 2018, 11:05 UTC </td> <td>November 26, 2018 19:52 UTC </td> <td>Atlas V 401 (<a href="/wiki/List_of_Atlas_launches_(2010%E2%80%932019)#2018" title="List of Atlas launches (2010–2019)">AV-078</a>) </td> <td style="background: #9EFF9E; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-success">Completed </td> <td data-sort-value="07">2,279 days </td></tr> <tr> <th scope="row" rowspan="2"><a href="/wiki/Mars_2020" title="Mars 2020">Mars 2020</a> </th> <td rowspan="2"><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-center" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Mars_2020_NASA_insignia.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Mars_2020_NASA_insignia.svg/30px-Mars_2020_NASA_insignia.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="34" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Mars_2020_NASA_insignia.svg/45px-Mars_2020_NASA_insignia.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Mars_2020_NASA_insignia.svg/60px-Mars_2020_NASA_insignia.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="195" data-file-height="222" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure><br /><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-center" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Mars_2020_JPL_second_insignia.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Mars_2020_JPL_second_insignia.svg/30px-Mars_2020_JPL_second_insignia.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="30" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Mars_2020_JPL_second_insignia.svg/45px-Mars_2020_JPL_second_insignia.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Mars_2020_JPL_second_insignia.svg/60px-Mars_2020_JPL_second_insignia.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1000" data-file-height="1000" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure><br /><figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-center" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Mars_Helicopter_JPL_insignia.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Mars_Helicopter_JPL_insignia.svg/30px-Mars_Helicopter_JPL_insignia.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Mars_Helicopter_JPL_insignia.svg/45px-Mars_Helicopter_JPL_insignia.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Mars_Helicopter_JPL_insignia.svg/60px-Mars_Helicopter_JPL_insignia.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="200" data-file-height="106" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </td> <td><i><a href="/wiki/Perseverance_(rover)" title="Perseverance (rover)">Perseverance</a></i> </td> <td rowspan="2" data-sort-value="11">July 30, 2020, 11:50 UTC </td> <td rowspan="2">February 18, 2021 20:55 UTC </td> <td rowspan="2">Atlas V 541 (<a href="/wiki/List_of_Atlas_launches_(2020%E2%80%932029)#2020" title="List of Atlas launches (2020–2029)">AV-088</a>) </td> <td style="background: #CEF; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-success">Operational </td> <td data-sort-value="07">1,464 days </td></tr> <tr> <td><i><a href="/wiki/Mars_Helicopter_Ingenuity" class="mw-redirect" title="Mars Helicopter Ingenuity">Ingenuity</a></i> </td> <td style="background: #9EFF9E; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-success">Completed </td> <td data-sort-value="07">1,026 days </td></tr> <tr> <th scope="row" rowspan="2"><a href="/wiki/International_Mars_Ice_Mapper_Mission" title="International Mars Ice Mapper Mission">International Mars Ice Mapper</a> </th> <td rowspan="2"> </td> <td><i>I-MIM</i> </td> <td data-sort-value="05">2031 </td> <td>2032 </td> <td>TBD </td> <td style="background: #E7E7FF; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-planned">Proposed </td> <td><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239334494">@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output div:not(.notheme)>.tmp-color,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output p>.tmp-color,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output table:not(.notheme) .tmp-color{color:inherit!important}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output div:not(.notheme)>.tmp-color,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output p>.tmp-color,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output table:not(.notheme) .tmp-color{color:inherit!important}}</style><span class="tmp-color" style="color:grey">N/A</span> </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Timeline">Timeline</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Timeline"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="timeline-wrapper"><map name="timeline_jqkqb40rx98px0u1eoly0z7k4zdiy8c"><area shape="rect" href="/wiki/Mars_2020" coords="712,127,804,148" title="Mars 2020" alt="Mars 2020" /><area shape="rect" href="/wiki/InSight" coords="648,110,728,131" title="InSight" alt="InSight" /><area shape="rect" href="/wiki/MAVEN" coords="519,93,583,113" title="MAVEN" alt="MAVEN" /><area shape="rect" href="/wiki/Mars_Science_Laboratory" coords="462,75,631,96" title="Mars Science Laboratory" alt="Mars Science Laboratory" /><area shape="rect" href="/wiki/Phoenix_(spacecraft)" coords="337,75,412,96" title="Phoenix (spacecraft)" alt="Phoenix (spacecraft)" /><area shape="rect" href="/wiki/Mars_Reconnaissance_Orbiter" coords="280,58,466,78" title="Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter" alt="Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter" /><area shape="rect" href="/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Rover" coords="217,40,376,61" title="Mars Exploration Rover" alt="Mars Exploration Rover" /><area shape="rect" href="/wiki/2001_Mars_Odyssey" coords="155,23,285,44" title="2001 Mars Odyssey" alt="2001 Mars Odyssey" /><area shape="rect" href="/wiki/Mars_Surveyor_%2798" coords="85,40,183,61" title="Mars Surveyor '98" alt="Mars Surveyor '98" /><area shape="rect" href="/wiki/Mars_Pathfinder" coords="29,23,149,44" title="Mars Pathfinder" alt="Mars Pathfinder" /><area shape="rect" href="/wiki/Mars_Global_Surveyor" coords="27,6,174,26" title="Mars Global Surveyor" alt="Mars Global Surveyor" /></map><img usemap="#timeline_jqkqb40rx98px0u1eoly0z7k4zdiy8c" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/jqkqb40rx98px0u1eoly0z7k4zdiy8c.png" /></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Mars_Exploration_Program" title="Template:Mars Exploration Program"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Mars_Exploration_Program" title="Template talk:Mars Exploration Program"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Mars_Exploration_Program" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Mars Exploration Program"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1266661725">.mw-parser-output .portalbox{padding:0;margin:0.5em 0;display:table;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:175px;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portalborder{border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);padding:0.1em;background:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa)}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-entry{display:table-row;font-size:85%;line-height:110%;height:1.9em;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-image{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-link{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .portalleft{margin:0.5em 1em 0.5em 0}.mw-parser-output .portalright{clear:right;float:right;margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em}}</style><ul role="navigation" aria-label="Portals" class="noprint portalbox portalborder portalright"> <li class="portalbox-entry"><span class="portalbox-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Solar_system.jpg/22px-Solar_system.jpg" decoding="async" width="22" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Solar_system.jpg/34px-Solar_system.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Solar_system.jpg/45px-Solar_system.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4500" data-file-height="5600" /></span></span></span><span class="portalbox-link"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Solar_System" title="Portal:Solar System">Solar System portal</a></span></li><li class="portalbox-entry"><span class="portalbox-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/RocketSunIcon.svg/28px-RocketSunIcon.svg.png" decoding="async" width="28" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/RocketSunIcon.svg/42px-RocketSunIcon.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/RocketSunIcon.svg/56px-RocketSunIcon.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></span></span></span><span class="portalbox-link"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Spaceflight" title="Portal:Spaceflight">Spaceflight portal</a></span></li><li class="portalbox-entry"><span class="portalbox-image"><span class="mw-image-border noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="flag" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/32px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png" decoding="async" width="32" height="17" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/48px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/64px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1235" data-file-height="650" /></span></span></span><span class="portalbox-link"><a href="/wiki/Portal:United_States" title="Portal:United States">United States portal</a></span></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Exploration_of_Mars" title="Exploration of Mars">Exploration of Mars</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_missions_to_Mars" title="List of missions to Mars">List of missions to Mars</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_NASA_missions" title="List of NASA missions">List of NASA missions</a></li></ul> <div style="clear:both;" class=""></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><b>Notes</b> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-lower-alpha"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-serial-45"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-serial_45-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Serial number displayed in parentheses.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Discovery-46"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Discovery_46-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Discovery_46-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Mission conducted as part of the <a href="/wiki/Discovery_Program" title="Discovery Program">Discovery Program</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Mars_Scout-47"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Mars_Scout_47-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Mars_Scout_47-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Mission conducted as part of the Mars Scout Program.</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <p><b>Citations</b> </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239543626"><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-strategy9520-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-strategy9520_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-strategy9520_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFShirley" class="citation web cs1"><a href="/wiki/Donna_Shirley" title="Donna Shirley">Shirley, Donna</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130511200249/http://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/dspace/bitstream/2014/23620/1/96-0064.pdf">"Mars Exploration Program Strategy: 1995–2020"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <a href="/wiki/American_Institute_of_Aeronautics_and_Astronautics" title="American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics">American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/dspace/bitstream/2014/23620/1/96-0064.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on May 11, 2013<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 18,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Mars+Exploration+Program+Strategy%3A+1995%E2%80%932020&rft.pub=American+Institute+of+Aeronautics+and+Astronautics&rft.aulast=Shirley&rft.aufirst=Donna&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Ftrs-new.jpl.nasa.gov%2Fdspace%2Fbitstream%2F2014%2F23620%2F1%2F96-0064.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMcCuistion" class="citation web cs1">McCuistion, Doug. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20151019071032/http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/people/profile.cfm?Code=McCuistionD">"Doug McCuistion, Director, NASA Mars Exploration Program"</a>. <a href="/wiki/NASA" title="NASA">NASA</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/people/profile.cfm?Code=McCuistionD">the original</a> on October 19, 2015<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 18,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Doug+McCuistion%2C+Director%2C+NASA+Mars+Exploration+Program&rft.pub=NASA&rft.aulast=McCuistion&rft.aufirst=Doug&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fsolarsystem.nasa.gov%2Fpeople%2Fprofile.cfm%3FCode%3DMcCuistionD&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHubbard2012" class="citation web cs1">Hubbard, G. Scott (August 28, 2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/g-scott-hubbard/mars-exploration_b_1837961.html">"A Next Decade Mars Program"</a>. <i>The Huffington Post</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 18,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=The+Huffington+Post&rft.atitle=A+Next+Decade+Mars+Program&rft.date=2012-08-28&rft.aulast=Hubbard&rft.aufirst=G.+Scott&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fg-scott-hubbard%2Fmars-exploration_b_1837961.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGarvin" class="citation web cs1">Garvin, James. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nasa.gov/offices/marsplanning/about/index.html">"About the Mars Program Planning Group"</a>. NASA<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 18,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=About+the+Mars+Program+Planning+Group&rft.pub=NASA&rft.aulast=Garvin&rft.aufirst=James&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Foffices%2Fmarsplanning%2Fabout%2Findex.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-costs_1-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-costs_1_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLeone" class="citation web cs1">Leone, Dan. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.today/20120526064220/http://www.spacenews.com/civil/110608-msl-needs-more-nasa-audit.html">"Mars Science Lab Needs $44M More To Fly, NASA Audit Finds"</a>. <a href="/wiki/Space_News" class="mw-redirect" title="Space News">Space News</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.spacenews.com/civil/110608-msl-needs-more-nasa-audit.html">the original</a> on May 26, 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 24,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Mars+Science+Lab+Needs+%2444M+More+To+Fly%2C+NASA+Audit+Finds&rft.pub=Space+News&rft.aulast=Leone&rft.aufirst=Dan&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spacenews.com%2Fcivil%2F110608-msl-needs-more-nasa-audit.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-costs_10_bil-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-costs_10_bil_6-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFde_Selding" class="citation web cs1">de Selding, Peter. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.spacenews.com/archive/archive08/marssamplemain_0714.html">"Study: Mars Sample Return Would Take 10 Years, Cost $5 Billion-Plus"</a>. Space News<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 24,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Study%3A+Mars+Sample+Return+Would+Take+10+Years%2C+Cost+%245+Billion-Plus&rft.pub=Space+News&rft.aulast=de+Selding&rft.aufirst=Peter&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spacenews.com%2Farchive%2Farchive08%2Fmarssamplemain_0714.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span><sup class="noprint Inline-Template"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot" title="Wikipedia:Link rot"><span title=" Dead link tagged August 2021">dead link</span></a></i><span style="visibility:hidden; color:transparent; padding-left:2px">‍</span>]</span></sup></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110806032938/http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/programmissions/science/">"The Mars Exploration Program's Science Theme"</a>. <i>Mars Exploration Program</i>. NASA. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/programmissions/science/">the original</a> on August 6, 2011<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 18,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Mars+Exploration+Program&rft.atitle=The+Mars+Exploration+Program%27s+Science+Theme&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fmars.jpl.nasa.gov%2Fprogrammissions%2Fscience%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-goal_1-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-goal_1_8-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/programmissions/science/goal1/">"Goal 1: Determine if Life Ever Arose On Mars"</a>. <i>Mars Exploration Program</i>. NASA<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 18,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Mars+Exploration+Program&rft.atitle=Goal+1%3A+Determine+if+Life+Ever+Arose+On+Mars&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fmars.jpl.nasa.gov%2Fprogrammissions%2Fscience%2Fgoal1%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-goal_2-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-goal_2_9-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/programmissions/science/goal2/">"Goal 2: Characterize the Climate of Mars"</a>. <i>Mars Exploration Program</i>. NASA<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 18,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Mars+Exploration+Program&rft.atitle=Goal+2%3A+Characterize+the+Climate+of+Mars&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fmars.jpl.nasa.gov%2Fprogrammissions%2Fscience%2Fgoal2%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-goal_3-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-goal_3_10-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/programmissions/science/goal3/">"Goal 3: Characterize the Geology of Mars"</a>. <i>Mars Exploration Program</i>. NASA<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 18,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Mars+Exploration+Program&rft.atitle=Goal+3%3A+Characterize+the+Geology+of+Mars&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fmars.jpl.nasa.gov%2Fprogrammissions%2Fscience%2Fgoal3%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-goal_4-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-goal_4_11-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/programmissions/science/goal4/">"Goal 4: Prepare for the Human Exploration of Mars"</a>. <i>Mars Exploration program</i>. NASA<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 18,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Mars+Exploration+program&rft.atitle=Goal+4%3A+Prepare+for+the+Human+Exploration+of+Mars&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fmars.jpl.nasa.gov%2Fprogrammissions%2Fscience%2Fgoal4%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-chronology-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-chronology_12-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-chronology_12-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://history.nasa.gov/marschro.htm">"A Chronology of Mars Exploration"</a>. NASA History Program Office<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 18,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=A+Chronology+of+Mars+Exploration&rft.pub=NASA+History+Program+Office&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.nasa.gov%2Fmarschro.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-mars_curse-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-mars_curse_13-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFO'Neill2008" class="citation web cs1">O'Neill, Ian (March 22, 2008). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.universetoday.com/13267/the-mars-curse-why-have-so-many-missions-failed/">"The Mars Curse"</a>. <a href="/wiki/Universe_Today" title="Universe Today">Universe Today</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 18,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Mars+Curse&rft.pub=Universe+Today&rft.date=2008-03-22&rft.aulast=O%27Neill&rft.aufirst=Ian&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.universetoday.com%2F13267%2Fthe-mars-curse-why-have-so-many-missions-failed%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-challenges-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-challenges_14-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-challenges_14-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-challenges_14-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-challenges_14-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-challenges_14-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-challenges_14-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-challenges_14-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBraun2007" class="citation journal cs1">Braun, Robert (2007). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100526014618/http://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/dspace/bitstream/2014/39664/1/05-3869.pdf">"Mars Exploration Entry, Descent and Landing Challenges"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets</i>. <b>44</b> (2): <span class="nowrap">310–</span>323. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Bibcode (identifier)">Bibcode</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2007JSpRo..44..310B">2007JSpRo..44..310B</a>. <a href="/wiki/CiteSeerX_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="CiteSeerX (identifier)">CiteSeerX</a> <span class="id-lock-free" title="Freely accessible"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.463.8773">10.1.1.463.8773</a></span>. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2514%2F1.25116">10.2514/1.25116</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/dspace/bitstream/2014/39664/1/05-3869.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on May 26, 2010<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 18,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Spacecraft+and+Rockets&rft.atitle=Mars+Exploration+Entry%2C+Descent+and+Landing+Challenges&rft.volume=44&rft.issue=2&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E310-%3C%2Fspan%3E323&rft.date=2007&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fciteseerx.ist.psu.edu%2Fviewdoc%2Fsummary%3Fdoi%3D10.1.1.463.8773%23id-name%3DCiteSeerX&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.2514%2F1.25116&rft_id=info%3Abibcode%2F2007JSpRo..44..310B&rft.aulast=Braun&rft.aufirst=Robert&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Ftrs-new.jpl.nasa.gov%2Fdspace%2Fbitstream%2F2014%2F39664%2F1%2F05-3869.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/allaboutmars/mystique/history/">"Mars Exploration History"</a>. <i>Mars Exploration Program</i>. NASA<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 18,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Mars+Exploration+Program&rft.atitle=Mars+Exploration+History&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fmars.jpl.nasa.gov%2Fallaboutmars%2Fmystique%2Fhistory%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-mars_obsvr-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-mars_obsvr_16-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/programmissions/missions/past/observer/">"Mars Observer"</a>. <i>Mars Exploration Program</i>. NASA<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 18,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Mars+Exploration+Program&rft.atitle=Mars+Observer&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fmars.jpl.nasa.gov%2Fprogrammissions%2Fmissions%2Fpast%2Fobserver%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-ms-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-ms_17-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-ms_17-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-ms_17-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-ms_17-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-ms_17-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-ms_17-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0212/06marsscouts/">"Spaceflight Now | Breaking News | NASA selects four Mars Scout mission concepts for study"</a>. <i>spaceflightnow.com</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 31,</span> 2023</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=spaceflightnow.com&rft.atitle=Spaceflight+Now+%7C+Breaking+News+%7C+NASA+selects+four+Mars+Scout+mission+concepts+for+study&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2Fnews%2Fn0212%2F06marsscouts%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/news/maven_20080915.html">"NASA Selects 'MAVEN' Mission to Study Mars Atmosphere"</a>. NASA. September 15, 2008.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=NASA+Selects+%27MAVEN%27+Mission+to+Study+Mars+Atmosphere&rft.pub=NASA&rft.date=2008-09-15&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fmission_pages%2Fmars%2Fnews%2Fmaven_20080915.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-19">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/jan/HQ_07003_Mars_missions.html">NASA Selects Proposals for Future Mars Missions and Studies</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-20">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/dec/HQ_07283_Mars_Scout_Missions.html">"NASA Delays Mars Scout Mission to 2013"</a>. NASA. December 21, 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=NASA+Delays+Mars+Scout+Mission+to+2013&rft.pub=NASA&rft.date=2007-12-21&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fhome%2Fhqnews%2F2007%2Fdec%2FHQ_07283_Mars_Scout_Missions.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2007-002">JPL.NASA.GOV: News Release</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-22">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.softpedia.com/news/NASA-s-Scout-Program-Discontinued-149866.shtml">NASA's Scout Program Discontinued.</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.marsnews.com/missions/scout/">Scout Missions - Mars News</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/text/nasa_pr_20010613.txt">NASA SELECTS FIRST MARS SCOUT CONCEPTS FOR FURTHER STUDY (2001)</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-25">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.swri.org/9what/releases/2007/marsscout.htm">Southwest Research Institute proposal for Mars Scout orbiter mission selected for study by NASA</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-26">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100328015409/http://marsairplane.larc.nasa.gov/index.html">"ARES - A Proposed Mars Scout Mission"</a>. NASA. January 17, 2007. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://marsairplane.larc.nasa.gov/index.html">the original</a> on March 28, 2010.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=ARES+-+A+Proposed+Mars+Scout+Mission&rft.pub=NASA&rft.date=2007-01-17&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fmarsairplane.larc.nasa.gov%2Findex.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-27">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmZiOKjYMyI">ARES Mars Aircraft</a> youtube.com video of model and test flight</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://planetary.chem.tufts.edu/chronos.html">CHRONOS - A Journey Through Martian History</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-plumes-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-plumes_29-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-plumes_29-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMumma2009" class="citation journal cs1">Mumma, Michael J. (February 20, 2009). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://images.spaceref.com/news/2009/Mumma_et_al_Methane_Mars_wSOM_accepted2.pdf">"Strong Release of Methane on Mars in Northern Summer 2003"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>Science</i>. <b>323</b> (5917): <span class="nowrap">1041–</span>1045. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Bibcode (identifier)">Bibcode</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009Sci...323.1041M">2009Sci...323.1041M</a>. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.1165243">10.1126/science.1165243</a>. <a href="/wiki/PMID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMID (identifier)">PMID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19150811">19150811</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:25083438">25083438</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Science&rft.atitle=Strong+Release+of+Methane+on+Mars+in+Northern+Summer+2003&rft.volume=323&rft.issue=5917&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E1041-%3C%2Fspan%3E1045&rft.date=2009-02-20&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1126%2Fscience.1165243&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A25083438%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft_id=info%3Apmid%2F19150811&rft_id=info%3Abibcode%2F2009Sci...323.1041M&rft.aulast=Mumma&rft.aufirst=Michael+J.&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.spaceref.com%2Fnews%2F2009%2FMumma_et_al_Methane_Mars_wSOM_accepted2.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-30">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=qK_4mNve1DYC&dq=mons+olympus+height&pg=PA148">Neil F. Comins -<b>Discovering the Essential Universe</b> (2012) - Page 148</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-31">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2000came.work..135H">R. Haberle, et al. - The Pascal Discovery Mission: A Mars Climate Network Mission (2000)</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-where_we_been_where_goin-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-where_we_been_where_goin_32-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-where_we_been_where_goin_32-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBrown" class="citation web cs1">Brown, Adrian. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2129/1">"MSL and the NASA Mars Exploration Program: Where we've been, where we're going"</a>. The Space Review<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 24,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=MSL+and+the+NASA+Mars+Exploration+Program%3A+Where+we%27ve+been%2C+where+we%27re+going&rft.pub=The+Space+Review&rft.aulast=Brown&rft.aufirst=Adrian&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thespacereview.com%2Farticle%2F2129%2F1&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-33">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMorning_Jr.2012" class="citation news cs1">Morning Jr., Frank (February 14, 2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=aerospacedaily&id=news/asd/2012/02/14/02.xml&headline=NASA%20Units%20Hope%20For%202018%20Robotic%20Mars%20Mission">"NASA Units Hope For 2018 Robotic Mars Mission"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Aviation_Week" class="mw-redirect" title="Aviation Week">Aviation Week</a></i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 27,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Aviation+Week&rft.atitle=NASA+Units+Hope+For+2018+Robotic+Mars+Mission&rft.date=2012-02-14&rft.aulast=Morning+Jr.&rft.aufirst=Frank&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aviationweek.com%2Faw%2Fgeneric%2Fstory_generic.jsp%3Fchannel%3Daerospacedaily%26id%3Dnews%2Fasd%2F2012%2F02%2F14%2F02.xml%26headline%3DNASA%2520Units%2520Hope%2520For%25202018%2520Robotic%2520Mars%2520Mission&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-about-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-about_34-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-about_34-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-about_34-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-about_34-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-about_34-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-about_34-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nasa.gov/offices/marsplanning/about/index.html">"About the Mars Program Planning Group"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">July 20,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=About+the+Mars+Program+Planning+Group&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Foffices%2Fmarsplanning%2Fabout%2Findex.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-New_Generation-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-New_Generation_35-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-New_Generation_35-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLeone2012" class="citation news cs1">Leone, Dan (February 24, 2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.today/20130202163657/http://www.spacenews.com/civil/120224-nasa-raids-outer-planets-budget-fund-mars.html">"NASA Raids Outer Planets Budget To Fund Fast Start on Mars Reboot"</a>. <i>Space News</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.spacenews.com/civil/120224-nasa-raids-outer-planets-budget-fund-mars.html">the original</a> on February 2, 2013<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 25,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Space+News&rft.atitle=NASA+Raids+Outer+Planets+Budget+To+Fund+Fast+Start+on+Mars+Reboot&rft.date=2012-02-24&rft.aulast=Leone&rft.aufirst=Dan&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spacenews.com%2Fcivil%2F120224-nasa-raids-outer-planets-budget-fund-mars.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-nature-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-nature_36-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-nature_36-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFEric_Hand2012" class="citation news cs1">Eric Hand (February 28, 2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://blogs.nature.com/news/2012/02/beset-by-budget-cuts-us-mars-scientists-look-to-possible-2018-mission.html">"Beset by budget cuts, US Mars scientists look to possible 2018 mission"</a>. <i>Nature</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 28,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Nature&rft.atitle=Beset+by+budget+cuts%2C+US+Mars+scientists+look+to+possible+2018+mission&rft.date=2012-02-28&rft.au=Eric+Hand&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.nature.com%2Fnews%2F2012%2F02%2Fbeset-by-budget-cuts-us-mars-scientists-look-to-possible-2018-mission.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-37">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKate_Taylor2012" class="citation news cs1">Kate Taylor (April 16, 2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.tgdaily.com/space-features/62755-nasa-calls-for-ideas-for-future-mars-missions">"NASA calls for ideas for future Mars missions"</a>. <i>TG Daily</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">April 16,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=TG+Daily&rft.atitle=NASA+calls+for+ideas+for+future+Mars+missions&rft.date=2012-04-16&rft.au=Kate+Taylor&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tgdaily.com%2Fspace-features%2F62755-nasa-calls-for-ideas-for-future-mars-missions&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-38"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-38">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110721054020/http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/2013decadal/">"Science Strategy | NASA Solar System Exploration"</a>. <i>Solarsystem.nasa.gov</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/2013decadal/">the original</a> on July 21, 2011<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 23,</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Solarsystem.nasa.gov&rft.atitle=Science+Strategy+%26%23124%3B+NASA+Solar+System+Exploration&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fsolarsystem.nasa.gov%2F2013decadal%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-39"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-39">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFStephen_Clark2012" class="citation news cs1">Stephen Clark (September 27, 2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1209/27mppg/">"Sample return remains focus of NASA's Mars program"</a>. <i>Space Flight Now</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">September 28,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Space+Flight+Now&rft.atitle=Sample+return+remains+focus+of+NASA%27s+Mars+program&rft.date=2012-09-27&rft.au=Stephen+Clark&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spaceflightnow.com%2Fnews%2Fn1209%2F27mppg%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-40"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-40">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210309185146/https://www.astrobio.net/also-in-news/concepts-for-future-mars-missions/">"Concepts for Future Mars Missions"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Astrobiology_Magazine" title="Astrobiology Magazine">Astrobiology Magazine</a></i>. May 29, 2012. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.astrobio.net/pressrelease/4785/concepts-for-future-mars-missions">the original</a> on March 9, 2021<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 23,</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Astrobiology+Magazine&rft.atitle=Concepts+for+Future+Mars+Missions&rft.date=2012-05-29&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.astrobio.net%2Fpressrelease%2F4785%2Fconcepts-for-future-mars-missions&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-41"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-41">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nasa.gov/offices/marsplanning/milestones/index.html">"NASA - Mars Program Planning Group Milestones"</a>. <i>Nasa.gov</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 23,</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Nasa.gov&rft.atitle=NASA+-+Mars+Program+Planning+Group+Milestones&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Foffices%2Fmarsplanning%2Fmilestones%2Findex.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-42"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-42">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDan_Leone2012" class="citation news cs1">Dan Leone (October 3, 2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://spacenews.com/mars-planning-group-endorses-sample-return/">"Mars Planning Group Endorses Sample Return"</a>. <a href="/wiki/Space_News" class="mw-redirect" title="Space News">Space News</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">June 4,</span> 2023</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Mars+Planning+Group+Endorses+Sample+Return&rft.date=2012-10-03&rft.au=Dan+Leone&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fspacenews.com%2Fmars-planning-group-endorses-sample-return%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-43"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-43">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/691580main_MPPG-Integrated-v13i-Summary%20Report-9-25-12.pdf">"Summary of the Final Report"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>Nasa.gov</i>. September 25, 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 23,</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Nasa.gov&rft.atitle=Summary+of+the+Final+Report&rft.date=2012-09-25&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fpdf%2F691580main_MPPG-Integrated-v13i-Summary%2520Report-9-25-12.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-44"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-44">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/654110main_CAPS%20MPPG%20May%202012%20final%20with%20MEP%20extract.pdf">"NRC Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science (CAP+S)"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>Nasa.gov</i>. May 23, 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 23,</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Nasa.gov&rft.atitle=NRC+Committee+on+Astrobiology+and+Planetary+Science+%28CAP%2BS%29&rft.date=2012-05-23&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fpdf%2F654110main_CAPS%2520MPPG%2520May%25202012%2520final%2520with%2520MEP%2520extract.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMars+Exploration+Program" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/">Mars Exploration Program</a> at the <a href="/wiki/Jet_Propulsion_Laboratory" title="Jet Propulsion Laboratory">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/">Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG)</a> at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory</li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 1em;line-height:1.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group{white-space:nowrap;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{background-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list{line-height:1.5em;border-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list-with-group{text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid}.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-group,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-image,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-list{border-top:2px solid #fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title{background-color:#ccf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-title{background-color:#ddf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-abovebelow{background-color:#e6e6ff}.mw-parser-output .navbox-even{background-color:#f7f7f7}.mw-parser-output .navbox-odd{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ul,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ul{padding:0.125em 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Mars381" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Mars" title="Template:Mars"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Mars" title="Template talk:Mars"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Mars" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Mars"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Mars381" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Mars" title="Mars">Mars</a></div></th></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div><a href="/wiki/Outline_of_Mars" title="Outline of Mars">Outline of Mars</a></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Areography" title="Areography">Geography</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Mars" title="Atmosphere of Mars">Atmosphere</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mars_general_circulation_model" title="Mars general circulation model">Circulation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Mars" title="Climate of Mars">Climate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Martian_dust_devils" title="Martian dust devils">Dust devil tracks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Natural_methane_on_Mars" title="Natural methane on Mars">Methane</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_terrae_on_Mars" title="List of terrae on Mars">Regions</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Arabia_Terra" title="Arabia Terra">Arabia Terra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cerberus_(Mars)" title="Cerberus (Mars)">Cerberus (Mars)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cydonia_(Mars)" title="Cydonia (Mars)">Cydonia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eridania_Lake" title="Eridania Lake">Eridania Lake</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iani_Chaos" title="Iani Chaos">Iani Chaos</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Olympia_Undae" title="Olympia Undae">Olympia Undae</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planum_Australe" title="Planum Australe">Planum Australe</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planum_Boreum" title="Planum Boreum">Planum Boreum</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_quadrangles_on_Mars" title="List of quadrangles on Mars">Quadrangles</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sinus_Meridiani" title="Sinus Meridiani">Sinus Meridiani</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tempe_Terra" title="Tempe Terra">Tempe Terra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Terra_Cimmeria" title="Terra Cimmeria">Terra Cimmeria</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Terra_Sabaea" title="Terra Sabaea">Terra Sabaea</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tharsis" title="Tharsis">Tharsis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_extraterrestrial_dune_fields" title="List of extraterrestrial dune fields">Undae</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_Polar_Lander#Landing_zone" title="Mars Polar Lander">Ultimi Scopuli</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vastitas_Borealis" title="Vastitas Borealis">Vastitas Borealis</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Common_surface_features_of_Mars" title="Common surface features of Mars">Physical<br />features</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Martian_canals" title="Martian canals">"Canals"</a> (<a href="/wiki/List_of_Martian_canals" title="List of Martian canals">list</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chasma#Mars" title="Chasma">Canyons</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Crater_chain" title="Crater chain">Catenae</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chaos_terrain" title="Chaos terrain">Chaos terrain</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_craters_on_Mars" title="List of craters on Mars">Craters</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fossa_(planetary_nomenclature)" title="Fossa (planetary nomenclature)">Fossae</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gullies_on_Mars" title="Gullies on Mars">Gullies</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mensa_(geology)" title="Mensa (geology)">Mensae</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planetary_nomenclature#Descriptor_terms_(feature_types)" title="Planetary nomenclature">Labyrinthi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_mountains_on_Mars" title="List of mountains on Mars">Mountains</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_mountains_on_Mars" title="List of mountains on Mars">by height</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_rocks_on_Mars" title="List of rocks on Mars">Observed rocks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Outflow_channels" title="Outflow channels">Outflow channels</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_plains_on_Mars" title="List of plains on Mars">Plains</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Valley_network_(Mars)" title="Valley network (Mars)">Valley network</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vallis_(planetary_geology)" title="Vallis (planetary geology)">Valleys</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gravity_of_Mars" title="Gravity of Mars">Gravity</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Geology_of_Mars" title="Geology of Mars">Geology</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Brain_terrain" title="Brain terrain">Brain terrain</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carbonates_on_Mars" title="Carbonates on Mars">Carbonates</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_areas_of_chaos_terrain_on_Mars" title="List of areas of chaos terrain on Mars">Chaos terrain</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_surface_color" title="Mars surface color">Color</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Composition_of_Mars" title="Composition of Mars">Composition</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Concentric_crater_fill" title="Concentric crater fill">Concentric crater fill</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dark_slope_streak" title="Dark slope streak">Dark slope streak</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Martian_dichotomy" title="Martian dichotomy">Dichotomy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fretted_terrain" title="Fretted terrain">Fretted terrain</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geysers_on_Mars" title="Geysers on Mars">Geysers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Glaciers_on_Mars" title="Glaciers on Mars">Glaciers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Groundwater_on_Mars" title="Groundwater on Mars">Groundwater</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gullies_on_Mars" title="Gullies on Mars">Gullies</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lakes_on_Mars" title="Lakes on Mars">Lakes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Martian_lava_tube" title="Martian lava tube">Lava tubes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lobate_debris_apron" title="Lobate debris apron">Lobate debris apron</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Marsquake" title="Marsquake">Marsquake</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Martian_meteorite" title="Martian meteorite">Meteorites</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Martian_meteorites" title="List of Martian meteorites">on Earth</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_rocks_on_Mars" title="List of rocks on Mars">on Mars</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mud_cracks_on_Mars" title="Mud cracks on Mars">Mud cracks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/North_Polar_Basin_(Mars)" title="North Polar Basin (Mars)">North Polar Basin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_ocean_theory" title="Mars ocean theory">Ocean theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ore_resources_on_Mars" title="Ore resources on Mars">Ore resources</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Martian_polar_ice_caps" title="Martian polar ice caps">Polar caps</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/True_polar_wander_on_Mars" title="True polar wander on Mars">polar wander</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Seasonal_flows_on_warm_Martian_slopes" title="Seasonal flows on warm Martian slopes">Recurring slope lineae (RSL)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ring_mold_crater" title="Ring mold crater">Ring mold craters</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rootless_cone" title="Rootless cone">Rootless cones</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Seasonal_flows_on_warm_Martian_slopes" title="Seasonal flows on warm Martian slopes">Seasonal flows</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Martian_regolith" title="Martian regolith">Soil</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Martian_spherules" title="Martian spherules">Spherules</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Martian_surface" title="Martian surface">Surface</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_cheese_features" title="Swiss cheese features">"Swiss cheese" feature</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Terrain_softening" title="Terrain softening">Terrain softening</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tharsis#Location_and_Size" title="Tharsis">Tharsis bulge</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Volcanism_on_Mars" title="Volcanism on Mars">Volcanism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Water_on_Mars" title="Water on Mars">Water</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yardangs_on_Mars" title="Yardangs on Mars">Yardangs</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Geological_history_of_Mars" title="Geological history of Mars">History</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Amazonian_(Mars)" title="Amazonian (Mars)">Amazonian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hesperian" title="Hesperian">Hesperian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Noachian" title="Noachian">Noachian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_Mars_observation" title="History of Mars observation">Observation history</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Classical_albedo_features_on_Mars" title="Classical albedo features on Mars">Classical albedo features</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Astronomy_on_Mars" title="Astronomy on Mars">Astronomy</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Moons_of_Mars" title="Moons of Mars">Moons</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Phobos_(moon)" title="Phobos (moon)">Phobos</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Stickney_(crater)" title="Stickney (crater)">Stickney crater</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Limtoc" title="Limtoc">Limtoc crater</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Phobos_monolith" title="Phobos monolith">Monolith</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deimos_(moon)" title="Deimos (moon)">Deimos</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Swift_(Deimian_crater)" title="Swift (Deimian crater)">Swift crater</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voltaire_(crater)" title="Voltaire (crater)">Voltaire crater</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Astronomical_transit" title="Astronomical transit">Transits</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Solar_eclipses_on_Mars" title="Solar eclipses on Mars">Solar eclipses on Mars</a></li> <li>Satellite transits <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Transit_of_Phobos_from_Mars" title="Transit of Phobos from Mars">Phobos</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Transit_of_Deimos_from_Mars" title="Transit of Deimos from Mars">Deimos</a></li></ul></li> <li>Planetary transits <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Transit_of_Earth_from_Mars" title="Transit of Earth from Mars">Earth</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Transit_of_Mercury_from_Mars" title="Transit of Mercury from Mars">Mercury</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Asteroid" title="Asteroid">Asteroids</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Impact_events_on_Mars" title="Impact events on Mars">Impacts</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Mars-crossing_minor_planets" title="List of Mars-crossing minor planets">Mars-crossers</a> <ul><li><span class="nowrap"><a href="/wiki/2007_WD5" title="2007 WD5">2007 WD<span style="position: relative; top: 0.3em;"><span style="font-size:80%;">5</span></span></a></span></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_trojan" title="Mars trojan">Trojans</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/5261_Eureka" title="5261 Eureka">5261 Eureka</a></li> <li><span class="nowrap"><a href="/wiki/(101429)_1998_VF31" title="(101429) 1998 VF31">1998 VF<sub>31</sub></a></span></li> <li><span class="nowrap"><a href="/wiki/(121514)_1999_UJ7" title="(121514) 1999 UJ7">1999 UJ<sub>7</sub></a></span></li> <li><span class="nowrap"><a href="/wiki/(311999)_2007_NS2" title="(311999) 2007 NS2">2007 NS<sub>2</sub></a></span></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Comets</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/C/2013_A1_(Siding_Spring)" title="C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring)">C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">General</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Orbit_of_Mars" title="Orbit of Mars">Orbit</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Exploration_of_Mars" title="Exploration of Mars">Exploration</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Concepts</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mars_flyby" title="Mars flyby">Flyby</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Mars_orbiters" title="List of Mars orbiters">Orbiter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_landing" title="Mars landing">Landing</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_rover" title="Mars rover">Rover</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_sample-return_mission" title="Mars sample-return mission">Sample return</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Human_mission_to_Mars" title="Human mission to Mars">Human mission</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_to_Stay" title="Mars to Stay">Permanent settlement</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Colonization_of_Mars" title="Colonization of Mars">Colonization</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Terraforming_of_Mars" title="Terraforming of Mars">Terraforming</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Template:Mars_spacecraft" title="Template:Mars spacecraft">Missions</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_missions_to_Mars" title="List of missions to Mars">List of missions to Mars</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Advocacy</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/The_Mars_Project" title="The Mars Project">The Mars Project</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/The_Case_for_Mars" title="The Case for Mars">The Case for Mars</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Inspiration_Mars_Foundation" title="Inspiration Mars Foundation">Inspiration Mars Foundation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_Institute" title="Mars Institute">Mars Institute</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_Society" title="Mars Society">Mars Society</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_race" title="Mars race">Mars race</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Related</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_artificial_objects_on_Mars" title="List of artificial objects on Mars">Artificial objects on Mars</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_extraterrestrial_memorials#Mars" title="List of extraterrestrial memorials">Memorials on Mars</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_in_fiction" title="Mars in fiction">Fiction</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_films_set_on_Mars" title="List of films set on Mars">List of films set on Mars</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Martian_scientist" title="Martian scientist">Martian scientist</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_(mythology)" title="Mars (mythology)">Mythology</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Flag_of_Mars" title="Flag of Mars">Flag of Mars</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Life_on_Mars" title="Life on Mars">Life on Mars</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sub-Earth" title="Sub-Earth">Sub-Earth</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Timekeeping_on_Mars" title="Timekeeping on Mars">Timekeeping on Mars</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mars_sol" title="Mars sol">Sol (day on Mars)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Darian_calendar" title="Darian calendar">Darian calendar</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div> <ul><li> <span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Category"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/23px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/31px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Category:Mars" title="Category:Mars">Category</a></li> <li> <span class="nowrap"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Solar_system.jpg/22px-Solar_system.jpg" decoding="async" width="22" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Solar_system.jpg/34px-Solar_system.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Solar_system.jpg/45px-Solar_system.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4500" data-file-height="5600" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Solar_System" title="Portal:Solar System">Solar System portal</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="NASA_planetary_exploration_programs138" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:NASA_planetary_exploration_programs" title="Template:NASA planetary exploration programs"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:NASA_planetary_exploration_programs" title="Template talk:NASA planetary exploration programs"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:NASA_planetary_exploration_programs" title="Special:EditPage/Template:NASA planetary exploration programs"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="NASA_planetary_exploration_programs138" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/NASA" title="NASA">NASA</a> <a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_Solar_System_exploration" title="Timeline of Solar System exploration">planetary exploration</a> programs</div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Active</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Large_strategic_science_missions" class="mw-redirect" title="Large strategic science missions">Large strategic science missions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lunar_Discovery_and_Exploration_Program" title="Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program">Lunar Discovery & Exploration</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Mars Exploration</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planetary_Missions_Program_Office" title="Planetary Missions Program Office">Planetary Missions</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Discovery_Program" title="Discovery Program">Discovery</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/New_Frontiers_program" title="New Frontiers program">New Frontiers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planetary_Missions_Program_Office#Solar_System_Exploration" title="Planetary Missions Program Office">Solar System Exploration</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ocean_Worlds_Exploration_Program" title="Ocean Worlds Exploration Program">Ocean Worlds Exploration</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voyager_program" title="Voyager program">Voyager</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Completed</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Lunar_Orbiter_program" title="Lunar Orbiter program">Lunar Orbiter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lunar_Precursor_Robotic_Program" title="Lunar Precursor Robotic Program">Lunar Precursor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mariner_program" title="Mariner program">Mariner</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MESUR" title="MESUR">MESUR</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/New_Millennium_Program" title="New Millennium Program">New Millennium</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pioneer_program" title="Pioneer program">Pioneer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planetary_Observer_program" title="Planetary Observer program">Planetary Observer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ranger_program" title="Ranger program">Ranger</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Surveyor_program" title="Surveyor program">Surveyor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Viking_program" title="Viking program">Viking</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Cancelled</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Grand_Tour_program" title="Grand Tour program">Grand Tour</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mariner_Mark_II" title="Mariner Mark II">Mariner Mark II</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Project_Prometheus" title="Project Prometheus">Project Prometheus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voyager_program_(Mars)" title="Voyager program (Mars)">Voyager (Mars)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_NASA_missions" title="List of NASA missions">List of NASA missions</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="NASA578" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2" style="text-align: center;"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:NASA_space_program" title="Template:NASA space program"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:NASA_space_program" title="Template talk:NASA space program"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:NASA_space_program" title="Special:EditPage/Template:NASA space program"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="NASA578" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/NASA" title="NASA">NASA</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align: center;;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Space_policy_of_the_United_States" title="Space policy of the United States">Policy</a> and history</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">History<br />(<a href="/wiki/Creation_of_NASA" title="Creation of NASA">creation</a>)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/National_Advisory_Committee_for_Aeronautics" title="National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics">NACA</a> (1915)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/National_Aeronautics_and_Space_Act" title="National Aeronautics and Space Act">National Aeronautics and Space Act</a> (1958)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Space_Task_Group" title="Space Task Group">Space Task Group</a> (1958)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thomas_O._Paine#National_Commission_on_Space" title="Thomas O. Paine">Paine</a> (1986)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rogers_Commission_Report" title="Rogers Commission Report">Rogers</a> (1986)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ride_Report" title="Ride Report">Ride</a> (1987)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Space_Exploration_Initiative" title="Space Exploration Initiative">Space Exploration Initiative</a> (1989)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Augustine_Committee" title="Augustine Committee">Augustine</a> (1990)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Space_policy_of_the_United_States#Clinton_administration" title="Space policy of the United States">U.S. National Space Policy</a> (1996)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Commission_on_the_Future_of_the_United_States_Aerospace_Industry" title="Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry">CFUSAI</a> (2002)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Columbia_Accident_Investigation_Board" title="Columbia Accident Investigation Board">CAIB</a> (2003)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vision_for_Space_Exploration" title="Vision for Space Exploration">Vision for Space Exploration</a> (2004)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/President%27s_Commission_on_Implementation_of_United_States_Space_Exploration_Policy" title="President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy">Aldridge</a> (2004)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Review_of_United_States_Human_Space_Flight_Plans_Committee" title="Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee">Augustine</a> (2009)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">General</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Space_Race" title="Space Race">Space Race</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_administrators_and_deputy_administrators_of_NASA" class="mw-redirect" title="List of administrators and deputy administrators of NASA">Administrator and Deputy Administrator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NASA_Chief_Scientist" title="NASA Chief Scientist">Chief Scientist</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NASA_Astronaut_Corps" title="NASA Astronaut Corps">Astronaut Corps</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Astronaut_ranks_and_positions" title="Astronaut ranks and positions">Ranks and positions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chief_of_the_Astronaut_Office" title="Chief of the Astronaut Office">Chief</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Budget_of_NASA" title="Budget of NASA">Budget</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NASA_research" title="NASA research">NASA research</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/NASA_spinoff_technologies" class="mw-redirect" title="NASA spinoff technologies">spinoff technologies</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NASA%2B" title="NASA+">NASA+</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NASA_TV" title="NASA TV">NASA TV</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NASA_Social" title="NASA Social">NASA Social</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Launch_Services_Program" class="mw-redirect" title="Launch Services Program">Launch Services Program</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mercury_Control_Center" title="Mercury Control Center">Mercury Control Center</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Manned_Space_Flight_Network" title="Manned Space Flight Network">Manned Space Flight Network</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kennedy_Space_Center" title="Kennedy Space Center">Kennedy Space Center</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Vehicle_Assembly_Building" title="Vehicle Assembly Building">Vehicle Assembly Building</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kennedy_Space_Center_Launch_Complex_39" title="Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39">Launch Complex 39</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kennedy_Space_Center_Launch_Complex_48" title="Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 48">Launch Complex 48</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Launch_Control_Center" title="Launch Control Center">Launch Control Center</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operations_and_Checkout_Building" title="Operations and Checkout Building">Operations and Checkout Building</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Johnson_Space_Center" title="Johnson Space Center">Johnson Space Center</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Christopher_C._Kraft_Jr._Mission_Control_Center" title="Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center">Mission Control</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lunar_Sample_Laboratory_Facility" title="Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility">Lunar Sample Laboratory</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Science_Mission_Directorate" title="Science Mission Directorate">Science Mission Directorate</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align: center;;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Human_spaceflight" title="Human spaceflight">Human spaceflight</a><br />programs</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Past</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/North_American_X-15" title="North American X-15">X-15</a> (<a href="/wiki/Sub-orbital_spaceflight" title="Sub-orbital spaceflight">suborbital</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Project_Mercury" title="Project Mercury">Mercury</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Project_Gemini" title="Project Gemini">Gemini</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apollo_program" title="Apollo program">Apollo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Skylab" title="Skylab">Skylab</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apollo%E2%80%93Soyuz" title="Apollo–Soyuz">Apollo–Soyuz</a> (with the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_space_program" title="Soviet space program">Soviet space program</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Space_Shuttle_program" title="Space Shuttle program">Space Shuttle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shuttle%E2%80%93Mir_program" title="Shuttle–Mir program">Shuttle–<i>Mir</i></a> (with <a href="/wiki/Roscosmos" title="Roscosmos">Roscosmos</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Constellation_program" title="Constellation program">Constellation</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Current</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/International_Space_Station_programme" title="International Space Station programme">International Space Station</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Commercial_Orbital_Transportation_Services" title="Commercial Orbital Transportation Services">Commercial Orbital Transportation Services</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Commercial_Crew_Program" title="Commercial Crew Program">Commercial Crew</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Orion_(spacecraft)" title="Orion (spacecraft)">Orion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Artemis_program" title="Artemis program">Artemis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lunar_Gateway" title="Lunar Gateway">Lunar Gateway</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align: center;;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Robotic_spacecraft" class="mw-redirect" title="Robotic spacecraft">Robotic</a> programs</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Past</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hitchhiker_Program" title="Hitchhiker Program">Hitchhiker</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mariner_program" title="Mariner program">Mariner</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mariner_Mark_II" title="Mariner Mark II">Mariner Mark II</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MESUR" title="MESUR">MESUR</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_Surveyor_%2798" title="Mars Surveyor '98">Mars Surveyor '98</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/New_Millennium_Program" title="New Millennium Program">New Millennium</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lunar_Orbiter_program" title="Lunar Orbiter program">Lunar Orbiter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pioneer_program" title="Pioneer program">Pioneer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Planetary_Observer_program" title="Planetary Observer program">Planetary Observer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ranger_program" title="Ranger program">Ranger</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Surveyor_program" title="Surveyor program">Surveyor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Viking_program" title="Viking program">Viking</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Project_Prometheus" title="Project Prometheus">Project Prometheus</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Mars Exploration</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Rover" title="Mars Exploration Rover">Mars Exploration Rover</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Current</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Living_With_a_Star" title="Living With a Star">Living With a Star</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lunar_Precursor_Robotic_Program" title="Lunar Precursor Robotic Program">Lunar Precursor Robotic Program</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Earth_Observing_System" title="Earth Observing System">Earth Observing System</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Great_Observatories_program" title="Great Observatories program">Great Observatories program</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Explorers_Program" title="Explorers Program">Explorers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voyager_program" title="Voyager program">Voyager</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Discovery_Program" title="Discovery Program">Discovery</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/New_Frontiers_program" title="New Frontiers program">New Frontiers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Solar_Terrestrial_Probes_program" title="Solar Terrestrial Probes program">Solar Terrestrial Probes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Commercial_Lunar_Payload_Services" title="Commercial Lunar Payload Services">Commercial Lunar Payload Services</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Small_Innovative_Missions_for_Planetary_Exploration" title="Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration">SIMPLEx</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align: center;;width:1%">Individual featured<br /> <a href="/wiki/List_of_NASA_missions" title="List of NASA missions">missions</a><br />(human and robotic)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Past</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Apollo_11" title="Apollo 11">Apollo 11</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cosmic_Background_Explorer" title="Cosmic Background Explorer">COBE</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mercury-Redstone_3" title="Mercury-Redstone 3">Mercury 3</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mercury-Atlas_6" title="Mercury-Atlas 6">Mercury-Atlas 6</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Magellan_(spacecraft)" title="Magellan (spacecraft)">Magellan</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Pioneer_10" title="Pioneer 10">Pioneer 10</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Pioneer_11" title="Pioneer 11">Pioneer 11</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Galileo_project" title="Galileo project"><i>Galileo</i></a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_Galileo_(spacecraft)" title="Timeline of Galileo (spacecraft)">timeline</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/GALEX" title="GALEX">GALEX</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/GRAIL" title="GRAIL">GRAIL</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wilkinson_Microwave_Anisotropy_Probe" title="Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe">WMAP</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Space_Shuttle" title="Space Shuttle">Space Shuttle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spitzer_Space_Telescope" title="Spitzer Space Telescope">Spitzer Space Telescope</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sojourner_(rover)" title="Sojourner (rover)"><i>Sojourner</i> rover</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spirit_(rover)" title="Spirit (rover)"><i>Spirit</i> rover</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/LADEE" title="LADEE">LADEE</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/MESSENGER" title="MESSENGER">MESSENGER</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aquarius_(SAC-D_instrument)" title="Aquarius (SAC-D instrument)">Aquarius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cassini%E2%80%93Huygens" title="Cassini–Huygens"><i>Cassini</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dawn_(spacecraft)" title="Dawn (spacecraft)"><i>Dawn</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kepler_space_telescope" title="Kepler space telescope">Kepler space telescope</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Opportunity_(rover)" title="Opportunity (rover)"><i>Opportunity</i> rover</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_Opportunity" title="Timeline of Opportunity">timeline</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_surface_features_of_Mars_visited_by_Spirit_and_Opportunity" title="List of surface features of Mars visited by Spirit and Opportunity">observed</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ramaty_High_Energy_Solar_Spectroscopic_Imager" class="mw-redirect" title="Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager">RHESSI</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/InSight" title="InSight">InSight</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter)" title="Ingenuity (helicopter)"><i>Ingenuity</i> helicopter</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Ingenuity_flights" title="List of Ingenuity flights">flights</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Currently<br />operating</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Mars_Reconnaissance_Orbiter" title="Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter">Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/2001_Mars_Odyssey" title="2001 Mars Odyssey">2001 Mars Odyssey</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/New_Horizons" title="New Horizons">New Horizons</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/International_Space_Station" title="International Space Station">International Space Station</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hubble_Space_Telescope" title="Hubble Space Telescope">Hubble Space Telescope</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Neil_Gehrels_Swift_Observatory" title="Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory"><i>Swift</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/THEMIS" title="THEMIS">THEMIS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Rover" title="Mars Exploration Rover">Mars Exploration Rover</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Curiosity_(rover)" title="Curiosity (rover)"><i>Curiosity</i> rover</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_Mars_Science_Laboratory" title="Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory">timeline</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/GOES_14" title="GOES 14">GOES 14</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lunar_Reconnaissance_Orbiter" title="Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter">Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/GOES_15" title="GOES 15">GOES 15</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Van_Allen_Probes" title="Van Allen Probes">Van Allen Probes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Solar_Dynamics_Observatory" title="Solar Dynamics Observatory">Solar Dynamics Observatory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Juno_(spacecraft)" title="Juno (spacecraft)"><i>Juno</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_Science_Laboratory" title="Mars Science Laboratory">Mars Science Laboratory</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_Mars_Science_Laboratory" title="Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory">timeline</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NuSTAR" title="NuSTAR">NuSTAR</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Voyager_1" title="Voyager 1">Voyager 1</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Voyager_2" title="Voyager 2">Voyager 2</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wide-field_Infrared_Survey_Explorer" title="Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer">WISE</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MAVEN" title="MAVEN">MAVEN</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Magnetospheric_Multiscale_Mission" title="Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission">MMS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/OSIRIS-REx" title="OSIRIS-REx">OSIRIS-REx</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Transiting_Exoplanet_Survey_Satellite" title="Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite">Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mars_2020" title="Mars 2020">Mars 2020</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Perseverance_(rover)" title="Perseverance (rover)"><i>Perseverance</i> rover</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_Mars_2020" title="Timeline of Mars 2020">timeline</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope" title="James Webb Space Telescope">James Webb Space Telescope</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_the_James_Webb_Space_Telescope" title="Timeline of the James Webb Space Telescope">timeline</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Plankton,_Aerosol,_Cloud,_ocean_Ecosystem" title="Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem">PACE</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Europa_Clipper" title="Europa Clipper">Europa Clipper</a></i></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Future</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/NISAR_(satellite)" title="NISAR (satellite)">NISAR</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nancy_Grace_Roman_Space_Telescope" title="Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope">Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/DAVINCI" title="DAVINCI">DAVINCI</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/VERITAS_(spacecraft)" title="VERITAS (spacecraft)">VERITAS</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align: center;;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Space_Communications_and_Navigation_Program" title="Space Communications and Navigation Program">Communications<br />and navigation</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Near_Earth_Network" title="Near Earth Network">Near Earth Network</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Space_Network" title="Space Network">Space Network</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NASA_Deep_Space_Network" title="NASA Deep Space Network">Deep Space Network</a> (<a href="/wiki/Goldstone_Deep_Space_Communications_Complex" title="Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex">Goldstone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Madrid_Deep_Space_Communications_Complex" title="Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex">Madrid</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canberra_Deep_Space_Communication_Complex" title="Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex">Canberra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Space_Flight_Operations_Facility" title="Space Flight Operations Facility">Space Flight Operations Facility</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deep_Space_Atomic_Clock" title="Deep Space Atomic Clock">Deep Space Atomic Clock</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align: center;;width:1%">NASA lists</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Astronaut" title="Astronaut">Astronauts</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_astronauts_by_name" title="List of astronauts by name">by name</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_astronauts_by_year_of_selection" title="List of astronauts by year of selection">by year</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Gemini_astronauts" title="List of Gemini astronauts">Gemini astronauts</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Apollo_astronauts" title="List of Apollo astronauts">Apollo astronauts</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Space_Shuttle_crews" title="List of Space Shuttle crews">Space Shuttle crews</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_NASA_aircraft" title="List of NASA aircraft">NASA aircraft</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_NASA_missions" title="List of NASA missions">NASA missions</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_uncrewed_NASA_missions" title="List of uncrewed NASA missions">uncrewed missions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Apollo_missions" title="List of Apollo missions">Apollo missions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Space_Shuttle_missions" title="List of Space Shuttle missions">Space Shuttle missions</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_rockets_of_the_United_States" title="List of rockets of the United States">United States rockets</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_NASA_cancellations" title="List of NASA cancellations">NASA cancellations</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_NASA_cameras_on_spacecraft" title="List of NASA cameras on spacecraft">NASA cameras on spacecraft</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align: center;;width:1%">NASA images<br />and artwork</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Earthrise" title="Earthrise">Earthrise</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/The_Blue_Marble" title="The Blue Marble">The Blue Marble</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Family_Portrait_(Voyager)" title="Family Portrait (Voyager)">Family Portrait</a></i> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Pale_Blue_Dot" title="Pale Blue Dot">Pale Blue Dot</a></i></li></ul></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Pillars_of_Creation" title="Pillars of Creation">Pillars of Creation</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Mystic_Mountain" title="Mystic Mountain">Mystic Mountain</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Family_Portrait_(MESSENGER)" title="Family Portrait (MESSENGER)"><i>Solar System Family Portrait</i></a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/The_Day_the_Earth_Smiled" title="The Day the Earth Smiled">The Day the Earth Smiled</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Fallen_Astronaut" title="Fallen Astronaut">Fallen Astronaut</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_deep_fields" title="List of deep fields">Deep fields</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lunar_plaque" title="Lunar plaque">Lunar plaques</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pioneer_plaque" title="Pioneer plaque">Pioneer plaques</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record" title="Voyager Golden Record">Voyager Golden Record</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apollo_11_goodwill_messages" title="Apollo 11 goodwill messages">Apollo 11 goodwill messages</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NASA_insignia" title="NASA insignia">NASA insignia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NASA_space-flown_Gemini_and_Apollo_medallions" title="NASA space-flown Gemini and Apollo medallions">Gemini and Apollo medallions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mission_patch" title="Mission patch">Mission patches</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Hubble_Space_Telescope_anniversary_images" title="List of Hubble Space Telescope anniversary images">Hubble Space Telescope anniversary images</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="text-align: center;;width:1%">Related</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>"<a href="/wiki/We_choose_to_go_to_the_Moon" title="We choose to go to the Moon">We choose to go to the Moon</a>"</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apollo_8_Genesis_reading" title="Apollo 8 Genesis reading">Apollo 8 Genesis reading</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apollo_15_postal_covers_incident" title="Apollo 15 postal covers incident">Apollo 15 postal covers incident</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apollo_Lunar_Module" title="Apollo Lunar Module">Apollo Lunar Module</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Space_Mirror_Memorial" title="Space Mirror Memorial">Space Mirror Memorial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Astronaut_Monument" title="The Astronaut Monument">The Astronaut Monument</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lunar_sample_displays" title="Lunar sample displays">Lunar sample displays</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Moon_rock" title="Moon rock">Moon rocks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stolen_and_missing_Moon_rocks" title="Stolen and missing Moon rocks">stolen or missing</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/United_States_Astronaut_Hall_of_Fame" title="United States Astronaut Hall of Fame">U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/U.S._space_exploration_history_on_U.S._stamps" title="U.S. space exploration history on U.S. stamps">Space program on U.S. stamps</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fe,_Fi,_Fo,_Fum,_and_Phooey" title="Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum, and Phooey">Apollo 17 Moon mice</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Moon_tree" title="Moon tree">Moon tree</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Monkeys_and_apes_in_space#United_States" title="Monkeys and apes in space">Other primates in space</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NASA_International_Space_Apps_Challenge" title="NASA International Space Apps Challenge">NASA International Space Apps Challenge</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Astronauts_Day" title="Astronauts Day">Astronauts Day</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/National_Astronaut_Day" title="National Astronaut Day">National Astronaut Day</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nikon_NASA_F4" title="Nikon NASA F4">Nikon NASA F4</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2" style="text-align: center;"><div> <ul><li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Category"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/23px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/31px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Category:NASA" title="Category:NASA"><b>Category</b></a></li> <li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Commons page"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/12px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/18px-Commons-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/24px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></span></span> <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:NASA" class="extiw" title="commons:Category:NASA"><b>Commons</b></a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=desktop&type=1x1&usesul3=0" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&oldid=1263451642">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&oldid=1263451642</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Mars_Exploration_Program" title="Category:Mars Exploration Program">Mars Exploration Program</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Exploration_of_Mars" title="Category:Exploration of Mars">Exploration of Mars</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:NASA_programs" title="Category:NASA programs">NASA programs</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Pages_using_the_EasyTimeline_extension" title="Category:Pages using the EasyTimeline extension">Pages using the EasyTimeline extension</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_articles_with_dead_external_links" title="Category:All articles with dead external links">All articles with dead external links</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_dead_external_links_from_August_2021" title="Category:Articles with dead external links from August 2021">Articles with dead external links from August 2021</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_is_different_from_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description is different from Wikidata">Short description is different from Wikidata</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Use_American_English_from_May_2020" title="Category:Use American English from May 2020">Use American English from May 2020</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_Wikipedia_articles_written_in_American_English" title="Category:All Wikipedia articles written in American English">All Wikipedia articles written in American English</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Use_mdy_dates_from_May_2020" title="Category:Use mdy dates from May 2020">Use mdy dates from May 2020</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Pages_using_multiple_image_with_auto_scaled_images" title="Category:Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images">Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Use_American_English_from_January_2014" title="Category:Use American English from January 2014">Use American English from January 2014</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 16 December 2024, at 19:15<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms_of_Use" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms of Use">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy policy">Privacy Policy</a>. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/">Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.</a>, a non-profit organization.</li> </ul> <ul id="footer-places"> <li id="footer-places-privacy"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy">Privacy policy</a></li> <li id="footer-places-about"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About">About Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-disclaimers"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer">Disclaimers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-contact"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us">Contact Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-wm-codeofconduct"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct">Code of Conduct</a></li> <li id="footer-places-developers"><a href="https://developer.wikimedia.org">Developers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-statslink"><a href="https://stats.wikimedia.org/#/en.wikipedia.org">Statistics</a></li> <li id="footer-places-cookiestatement"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Cookie_statement">Cookie statement</a></li> <li id="footer-places-mobileview"><a href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mars_Exploration_Program&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile" class="noprint stopMobileRedirectToggle">Mobile view</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-icons" class="noprint"> <li id="footer-copyrightico"><a href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><picture><source media="(min-width: 500px)" srcset="/static/images/footer/wikimedia-button.svg" width="84" height="29"><img src="/static/images/footer/wikimedia.svg" width="25" height="25" alt="Wikimedia Foundation" lang="en" loading="lazy"></picture></a></li> <li id="footer-poweredbyico"><a href="https://www.mediawiki.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><picture><source media="(min-width: 500px)" srcset="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki.svg" width="88" height="31"><img src="/w/resources/assets/mediawiki_compact.svg" alt="Powered by MediaWiki" width="25" height="25" loading="lazy"></picture></a></li> </ul> </footer> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-header-container vector-sticky-header-container"> <div id="vector-sticky-header" class="vector-sticky-header"> <div class="vector-sticky-header-start"> <div class="vector-sticky-header-icon-start vector-button-flush-left vector-button-flush-right" aria-hidden="true"> <button class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-sticky-header-search-toggle" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="ui.vector-sticky-search-form.icon"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-search mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-search"></span> <span>Search</span> </button> </div> <div role="search" class="vector-search-box-vue vector-search-box-show-thumbnail vector-search-box"> <div class="vector-typeahead-search-container"> <div class="cdx-typeahead-search cdx-typeahead-search--show-thumbnail"> <form action="/w/index.php" id="vector-sticky-search-form" class="cdx-search-input cdx-search-input--has-end-button"> <div class="cdx-search-input__input-wrapper" data-search-loc="header-moved"> <div class="cdx-text-input cdx-text-input--has-start-icon"> <input class="cdx-text-input__input" type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search Wikipedia"> <span class="cdx-text-input__icon cdx-text-input__start-icon"></span> </div> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> </div> <button class="cdx-button cdx-search-input__end-button">Search</button> </form> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-header-context-bar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-sticky-header-toc" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-sticky-header-toc vector-sticky-header-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-sticky-header-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-sticky-header-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-sticky-header-toc-label" for="vector-sticky-header-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-sticky-header-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <div class="vector-sticky-header-context-bar-primary" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="mw-page-title-main">Mars Exploration Program</span></div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-header-end" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="vector-sticky-header-icons"> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only" id="ca-talk-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="talk-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-speechBubbles mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-speechBubbles"></span> <span></span> </a> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only" id="ca-subject-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="subject-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-article mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-article"></span> <span></span> </a> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only" id="ca-history-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="history-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-history mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-wikimedia-history"></span> <span></span> </a> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only mw-watchlink" id="ca-watchstar-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="watch-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-star mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-wikimedia-star"></span> <span></span> </a> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only" id="ca-edit-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="wikitext-edit-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-wikiText mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-wikimedia-wikiText"></span> <span></span> </a> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only" id="ca-ve-edit-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="ve-edit-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-wikimedia-edit"></span> <span></span> </a> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only" id="ca-viewsource-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="ve-edit-protected-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-editLock mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-wikimedia-editLock"></span> <span></span> </a> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-header-buttons"> <button class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet mw-interlanguage-selector" id="p-lang-btn-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-wikimedia-language"></span> <span>11 languages</span> </button> <a href="#" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive" id="ca-addsection-sticky-header" tabindex="-1" data-event-name="addsection-sticky-header"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-speechBubbleAdd-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-speechBubbleAdd-progressive"></span> <span>Add topic</span> </a> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-header-icon-end"> <div class="vector-user-links"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-settings" id="p-dock-bottom"> <ul></ul> </div><script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgHostname":"mw-web.codfw.main-68f5578f8b-kwc5w","wgBackendResponseTime":137,"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"0.682","walltime":"0.987","ppvisitednodes":{"value":3784,"limit":1000000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":188333,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":3033,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":18,"limit":100},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":10,"limit":500},"unstrip-depth":{"value":1,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":175906,"limit":5000000},"entityaccesscount":{"value":0,"limit":400},"timingprofile":["100.00% 771.574 1 -total"," 33.05% 255.038 2 Template:Reflist"," 19.92% 153.721 1 Template:Mars_Exploration_Program"," 19.40% 149.655 26 Template:Cite_web"," 11.45% 88.344 1 Template:United_States_space_program_sidebar"," 11.15% 85.996 1 Template:Sidebar_with_collapsible_lists"," 9.34% 72.051 6 Template:Navbox"," 9.11% 70.255 1 Template:Short_description"," 6.82% 52.591 1 Template:Mars"," 4.97% 38.339 2 Template:Pagetype"]},"scribunto":{"limitreport-timeusage":{"value":"0.344","limit":"10.000"},"limitreport-memusage":{"value":7425868,"limit":52428800},"limitreport-logs":"table#1 {\n}\n"},"cachereport":{"origin":"mw-api-ext.codfw.main-7d44b9cd95-ghzk9","timestamp":"20250221173550","ttl":2592000,"transientcontent":false}}});});</script> <script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","name":"Mars Exploration Program","url":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mars_Exploration_Program","sameAs":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q6773121","mainEntity":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q6773121","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Contributors to Wikimedia projects"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.wikimedia.org\/static\/images\/wmf-hor-googpub.png"}},"datePublished":"2011-07-23T13:15:23Z","dateModified":"2024-12-16T19:15:14Z","image":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/e\/e5\/NASA_logo.svg","headline":"NASA's long-term effort to explore the planet Mars"}</script> </body> </html>