The following table is a partiallist of artificial objects on the surface ofMars, consisting ofspacecraft which were launched from Earth. Although most are defunct after having served their purpose, theCuriosity andPerseverance rovers are active. China'sTianwen-1 spacecraft is the most recent artificial object to land safely on Mars.
The table does not include smaller objects, such as springs, fragments,parachutes andheat shields. As of February 2021[update], there are 14 missions with objects on the surface of Mars. Some of these missions contain multiple spacecraft.
An example of an additional object from a spacecraft landing is the metal shroud ejected by theViking 2 lander, as seen in this 1977 view of Mars. The shroud covered the surface sampler instrument and could be seen in images taken by the lander while it was active on the surface.[11]
Each mission left debris according to its design. For example, theSchiaparelli EDM lander likely exploded on impact, creating an unknown number of fragments at one location. At another location, there may be a lower heat shield, and at another location, a parachute and upper heat shield. Another example is thecounterweights ejected byMSL during its descent. In some cases, the nature and location of this additional debris has been determined and, in other cases, even the location of the main spacecraft has remained unknown. The identification ofBeagle 2 after 11 years is one of the greatest breakthroughs yet, since prior to that, it could not be confirmed what had happened.[12] Spacecraft that have not been precisely located includeMars 2,Mars 3,Mars 6, Mars Polar Lander, and the two Deep Space 2 probes.
The fate ofMars Climate Orbiter (1999) is unknown, but it is thought to have burnt up in the atmosphere before impacting.
Mariner 9, which entered Mars orbit in 1971, is expected to remain in orbit until approximately 2022, when the spacecraft is projected to enter the Martian atmosphere and either burn up or crash into the planet's surface.[13]
Bradbury Landing,Curiosity rover landing site (August 6, 2012).[20] (Note: Due to the nature of the landing system, there is no actual space hardware at the touchdown location of Bradbury Landing, seeCuriosity (rover))
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