Science & Technology

List of NASA Mars Rovers

Every robotic rover NASA has successfully landed and operated on the surface of Mars, from Sojourner in 1997 to Perseverance.

5 itemsUpdated May 30, 2026

NASA has successfully placed five robotic rovers on the surface of Mars, each more capable than the last. The journey began in 1997 with Sojourner, a microwave-oven-sized proof of concept delivered by the Mars Pathfinder mission. The twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity arrived in 2004 on a planned 90-day mission, but Opportunity famously survived for nearly 15 years. Curiosity, a car-sized nuclear-powered laboratory, landed in 2012 and continues to climb Mount Sharp. The most advanced rover, Perseverance, touched down in 2021 to search for signs of ancient microbial life and cache rock samples for a future return to Earth, and it carried the Ingenuity helicopter, the first aircraft to fly on another planet.

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#	Name	Status	Mass kg	Mission	Landing year
1	Sojourner Mars Pathfinder mission (1997) The first rover to operate on Mars, a small six-wheeled robot that demonstrated the feasibility of roving exploration during the Mars Pathfinder mission.	Mission complete	11.5	Mars Pathfinder	1,997
2	Spirit Mars Exploration Rover A (2004) One of the twin Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit explored Gusev Crater and operated for over six years before becoming stuck in soft soil.	Mission ended 2010	185	Mars Exploration Rover	2,004
3	Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover B (2004) The long-lived twin of Spirit, Opportunity far outlasted its 90-day mission, exploring Meridiani Planum for nearly 15 years and finding strong evidence of past water.	Mission ended 2018	185	Mars Exploration Rover	2,004
4	Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory (2012) A car-sized, nuclear-powered rover that landed in Gale Crater to assess whether Mars could ever have supported microbial life; it remains operational.	Active	899	Mars Science Laboratory	2,012
5	Perseverance Mars 2020 mission (2021) NASA's most advanced Mars rover, searching for signs of ancient life in Jezero Crater and collecting rock samples for a future return mission; it carried the Ingenuity helicopter.	Active	1,025	Mars 2020	2,021

This list is compiled from verified public records and reference sources. Last verified: May 30, 2026.

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