Exploration of Mars
Exploration of Mars uses spacecraft, landers, rovers, and other methods to study the planet’s surface, atmosphere, geology, and potential for life.
Mariner 4: A NASA spacecraft that made the first successful flyby of Mars in 1965 and returned the first close-up images of another planet. Its 1965 flyby began close-range spacecraft investigation of Mars.
Mars orbiter: A spacecraft that circles Mars to map its surface, study its atmosphere, or relay communications. Orbiters survey regions beyond a rover’s reach and support surface missions.
Soviet Mars program: The Soviet Union’s series of Mars missions, including orbiters, landers, and probes launched from the 1960s onward. Its early attempts helped define the technical challenges of reaching and landing on Mars.
Astrobiology: The study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and possibility of life in the universe. Mars missions test whether environments beyond Earth could have supported life.
Life on Mars: The unresolved question of whether life exists or ever existed on Mars. Rovers search for biosignatures, but no confirmed evidence of Martian life has been found.
Viking program: A pair of NASA orbiters and landers that studied Mars in 1976, including its surface and possible microbial life. Viking combined global mapping with the first successful U.S. landings on Mars.
Mars lander: A spacecraft designed to reach the Martian surface and conduct measurements from a fixed location. Stationary landers provide long-term local measurements of soil, weather, and interior activity.
Mariner program: A NASA series of planetary missions that used robotic spacecraft to explore Venus, Mars, and Mercury. Mariner missions provided the first successful spacecraft reconnaissance of Mars.
Mars habitability: The capacity of Martian environments to support life, especially under conditions that existed in the planet’s past. Geological and chemical measurements assess whether ancient Mars was habitable.
Water on Mars: The study of water on Mars, including its ancient rivers, polar ice, and possible present-day reservoirs. Water’s history constrains the planet’s climate and potential habitability.