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Six missions have operated on the Martian surface since 1997 — three simultaneously in 2022.
| Attribute | Perseverance (Mars 2020) Mars 2020 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 | rover | rover | rover |
| Launch date | 1996-12-04 | 2003-07-07 | 2020-07-30 |
| Landing date | 1997-07-04 | 2004-01-25 | 2021-02-18 |
| Landing site | Ares Vallis, Chryse Planitia | Eagle Crater, Meridiani Planum | Octavia E. Butler Landing, Jezero Crater |
| Launch mass | 10.6 kgas of [1] | 185 kgas of [1] | 1,025 kgas of [1] |
| Power system | Solar panels + non-rechargeable lithium thionyl chloride batteries | Solar panels + lithium-ion battery | Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) |
| Instruments | 3 science instruments (APXS ×2, ASI/MET) + 3 camerasas of [1]Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (fore/aft), Atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology Package | 5 science instruments + RAT drill + Magnet arraysas of [1]Same instrument suite as Spirit: Pancam, Mini-TES, Mössbauer, APXS, MI | 7 primary science instruments + 19 cameras + 2 microphonesas of [1]Mastcam-Z, SuperCam, PIXL, SHERLOC, RIMFAX, MEDA, MOXIE; MOXIE completed Oct 2023 |
| Distance traveled | 0.1 km (100 metres)as of [1]Traveled ~100 m over 83 sols; contact lost when lander base station batteries depleted | 45.16 kmas of [1]Mars distance record for a surface vehicle; final odometry at last contact ↑ Farthest | ~22 kmas of [1]Actively driving; cached 24 sample tubes for future Mars Sample Return |
| Mission outcome | First Mars rover in history. Deployed by the Mars Pathfinder lander on July 4, 1997, Sojourner operated 83 sols — nearly 12× its 7-sol design lifetime. Its APXS instrument analyzed 16 rocks and soil patches, including 'Barnacle Bill' and 'Yogi', revealing andesite-like compositions suggesting a more geochemically differentiated volcanic history than expected. The mission proved roving exploration on Mars was feasible. | Traversed 45.16 km across Meridiani Planum — a world distance record for surface vehicles. Found sedimentary evidence of standing liquid water at Eagle Crater. Reached Endeavour Crater rim in 2011, 9 km from landing site. Contact lost in a 2018 global dust storm after 14+ years of operations. | First spacecraft to demonstrate oxygen production on Mars (MOXIE). Collected and cached 24 sample tubes for eventual Mars Sample Return. 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.