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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 2026-06-28Trust: Agency-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | NASA/JPL | NASA/JPL | NASA/JPL |
| Status | Mission Complete | Active | Active |
| Vehicle type | rover | rover | rover |
| Launch date | 2003-06-10 | 2011-11-26 | 2020-07-30 |
| Landing date | 2004-01-04 | 2012-08-06 | 2021-02-18 |
| Landing site | Gusev Crater | Bradbury Landing, Gale Crater | Octavia E. Butler Landing, Jezero Crater |
| Launch mass | 185 kgas of [1] | 899 kgas of [1] | 1,025 kgas of [1] |
| Power system | Solar panels + lithium-ion battery | Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) | Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) |
| Instruments | 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 | 7 primary science instruments + 19 cameras + 2 microphonesas of [1]Mastcam-Z, SuperCam, PIXL, SHERLOC, RIMFAX, MEDA, MOXIE; MOXIE completed Oct 2023 |
| Distance traveled | 7.73 kmas of [1]Final odometry before contact lost; rover became stuck in soft soil in 2009 | 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 | 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 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). The NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return campaign lost its funding in January 2026, but retrieval is not off the table: China's Tianwen-3 (2028 launch, ~2031 return) is now the leading active sample-return effort, and the FY26 appropriation redirected ~$110M into a 'Mars Future Missions' technology pool. 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.