History of Mars exploration

Image 26 of 32

Marsnik 1 (1960)Mars 1 (1962)Mariner 4 (1964)Mars from flybyZond 2 (1964)Mars 1969AMariner 6 (1969)Mariners 8 and 9 (1971)Mars 2 (1971)Mars 5 (1973)Mars 6 (1973)Viking 1 (1975)On the groundA rocky expanseMars Global Surveyor (1996)Mars Pathfinder (1996)SojournerMartian sunsetMars Polar Lander (1999)2001 Mars OdysseyNoctis VistaMars Express/Beagle 2 (2003)Spirit (2003)Opportunity (2003)Endurance craterMars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2005)Dust stormPhoenix Mars Lander (2007)Fobos-Grunt (2011)Curiosity (2011)Curiosity (2011)Side-by-side comparison

NASA sent the Reconnaissance Orbiter to gather information on the martian climate and to identify complex terrain and water-related geography with its high resolution camera.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2005)

( NASA / JPL / Caltech )

NASA sent the Reconnaissance Orbiter to gather information on the martian climate and to identify complex terrain and water-related geography with its high resolution camera.

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As an editor and reporter, Michael Muskal has covered local, national, economic and foreign issues at three newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times. @latimesmuskal

Matt Pearce, a University of Missouri graduate, has previously written for the Kansas City Star, the Los Angeles Review of Books, The New Inquiry and The Pitch. @mattdpearce