Pick up to 4 vehicles to compare side-by-side. State lives in the URL — share the link and the comparison loads exactly as you left it.
Six missions have operated on the Martian surface since 1997 — three simultaneously in 2022.
| Attribute | Curiosity (MSL) Mars Science Laboratory Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Agency-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | NASA/JPL | NASA/JPL | NASA/JPL |
| Status | Mission Complete | Mission Complete | Active |
| Vehicle type | helicopter | rover | rover |
| Launch date | 2020-07-30 | 2003-06-10 | 2011-11-26 |
| Landing date | 2021-02-18 | 2004-01-04 | 2012-08-06 |
| Landing site | Wright Brothers Field, Jezero Crater (deployed from Perseverance) | Gusev Crater | Bradbury Landing, Gale Crater |
| Launch mass | 1.8 kgas of [1] | 185 kgas of [1] | 899 kgas of [1] |
| Power system | Solar panels + 6 lithium-ion batteries | Solar panels + lithium-ion battery | Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) |
| Instruments | 2 cameras (color + navigation)as of [1]Navigation camera + color camera; no science instruments beyond imaging | 5 science instruments + RAT drill + Magnet arraysas of [1]Pancam, Mini-TES, Mössbauer Spectrometer, APXS, Microscopic Imager | 10 science instrumentsas of [1]Mastcam, ChemCam, MAHLI, APXS, CheMin, SAM, DAN, REMS, RAD, MARDI |
| Distance traveled | ~11.6 kmas of [1]Total distance across 72 flights; final flight January 18, 2024 | 7.73 kmas of [1]Final odometry before contact lost; rover became stuck in soft soil in 2009 | ~33 kmas of [1]Actively driving; figure grows with each drive ↑ Farthest |
| Mission outcome | First powered controlled flight on another planet — technology demonstration that exceeded all expectations. Originally planned for 5 test flights, completed 72 before a rotor blade broke in January 2024. Achieved altitudes up to 24 m and flight durations up to 169.5 seconds. | Landed in Gusev Crater and traversed 7.73 km over 2,208 sols — 24× its design lifetime. Found evidence of ancient hydrothermal activity at Home Plate. Became permanently immobile in soft soil in 2009; contact lost March 2010. | Confirmed ancient habitable environment at Gale Crater — lake sediments billions of years old with all ingredients for life. Discovered complex organic molecules and seasonal methane fluctuations. Still driving as of 2026, ascending the foothills of Mount Sharp. |
All 6 surface vehicles with primary-source citations from NASA JPL, NASA NSSDCA, and CNSA. Pure URL state — bookmark or share the link and the comparison reproduces exactly.