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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 | 2003-06-10 | 1996-12-04 | 2020-07-30 |
| Landing date | 2004-01-04 | 1997-07-04 | 2021-02-18 |
| Landing site | Gusev Crater | Ares Vallis, Chryse Planitia | Octavia E. Butler Landing, Jezero Crater |
| Launch mass | 185 kgas of [1] | 10.6 kgas of [1] | 1,025 kgas of [1] |
| Power system | Solar panels + lithium-ion battery | Solar panels + non-rechargeable lithium thionyl chloride batteries | Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) |
| Instruments | 5 science instruments + RAT drill + Magnet arraysas of [1]Pancam, Mini-TES, Mössbauer Spectrometer, APXS, Microscopic Imager | 3 science instruments (APXS ×2, ASI/MET) + 3 camerasas of [1]Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (fore/aft), Atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology Package | 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 | 0.1 km (100 metres)as of [1]Traveled ~100 m over 83 sols; contact lost when lander base station batteries depleted | ~22 kmas of [1]Actively driving; cached 24 sample tubes for future Mars Sample Return ↑ Farthest |
| 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. | 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. | 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.