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Six missions have operated on the Martian surface since 1997 — three simultaneously in 2022.
| Attribute | Curiosity (MSL) Mars Science Laboratory Active · Last updated 2026-06-12Trust: Agency-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | Perseverance (Mars 2020) Mars 2020 Active · Last updated 2026-06-12Trust: Agency-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | ESA | NASA/JPL | NASA/JPL |
| Status | upcoming | Active | Active |
| Vehicle type | rover | rover | rover |
| Launch date | NET late 2028 (Falcon Heavy from LC-39A) | 2011-11-26 | 2020-07-30 |
| Landing date | TBD ~2030 (post-2028 launch window) | 2012-08-06 | 2021-02-18 |
| Landing site | Oxia Planum | Bradbury Landing, Gale Crater | Octavia E. Butler Landing, Jezero Crater |
| Launch mass | ~310 kgas of [2] | 899 kgas of [1] | 1,025 kgas of [1] |
| Power system | Solar panels + NASA-supplied radioisotope heater units (RHUs) for night/winter survival | Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) | Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) |
| Instruments | 9 Pasteur payload instruments + 2 m sub-surface drillas of [2]Includes PanCam, ISEM, CLUPI, WISDOM radar, ADRON-RM, Ma_MISS, MicrOmega, RLS Raman, MOMA organic molecule analyser | 10 science instrumentsas of [1]Mastcam, ChemCam, MAHLI, APXS, CheMin, SAM, DAN, REMS, RAD, MARDI | 7 primary science instruments + 19 cameras + 2 microphonesas of [1]Mastcam-Z, SuperCam, PIXL, SHERLOC, RIMFAX, MEDA, MOXIE; MOXIE completed Oct 2023 |
| Distance traveled | — | 36.86 kmas of [3]Actively driving; figure grows with each drive ↑ Farthest | >30 kmas of [3]Passed the 30 km odometry milestone in October 2024; actively driving |
| Mission outcome | Europe's first Mars rover, designed to drill 2 m below the surface — deeper than any previous Mars mission — to search for biosignatures shielded from surface radiation. After the 2022 suspension of Russian cooperation, ESA rebuilt the mission with NASA support: on April 16, 2026, NASA formally began implementation of its contributions (Falcon Heavy launch services from LC-39A, braking engines for the landing platform, and radioisotope heater units), targeting a late-2028 launch and a ~2030 landing at Oxia Planum. | 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 June 2026 (~4,921 sols, 36.86 km), ascending the foothills of Mount Sharp. | First spacecraft to demonstrate oxygen production on Mars (MOXIE). Has collected 33 sample tubes (including the Three Forks depot cache) — samples that currently have no retrieval plan after the NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return campaign lost its funding in January 2026. Documented diverse rock types in Jezero's ancient river delta. Deployed and supported Ingenuity through 72 flights. |
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.