List of artificial objects on Mars

List of landers and vehicles

Other objects

• Each mission left debris according to its design. For example, the Schiaparelli 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 the counterweights ejected by MSL 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 of Beagle 2 after 11 years is one of the greatest breakthroughs yet, since prior to that, it could not be confirmed what had happened. Spacecraft that have not been precisely located include Mars 2, Mars 3, Mars 6, Mars Polar Lander, and the two Deep Space 2 probes.
• Orbiters whose orbit could eventually decay and impact the surface, include: Viking 1 and Viking 2 orbiters, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, 2001 Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, Mars Global Surveyor, Phobos 2, Mars 2, Mars 3, and Mars 5 orbiters, and Mariner 9. (See also List of Mars orbiters)
• The fate of Mars 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.

Gallery

From surface

PIA05117 Empty Nest.jpg|MER-A Spirit rover lander Opportunity heat shield Sol335B P2364 L456-B339R1.jpg|MER-B Opportunitys heat shield PIA20844-MarsCuriosityRover-SelfPortrait-Sol1466-20160920.jpg|MSL Curiosity self-portrait, 2016

From orbit

PSP 001521 2025 RED VL-1 lander.png|Viking 1 lander in 2006 (HiRise) PSP 001501 2280 RED VL-2 lander.png|Viking 2 lander in 2006 (HiRise) Phoenix Lander from HiRISE.JPG|Phoenix lander and heat-shield in 2009 (HiRise) MPT Hardware on the Surface MRO picture.jpg|Mars Pathfinder seen from space by the MRO HiRISE Oppland02a.jpg|MER-B Opportunity lander in Eagle crater (2006) PIA19107-Beagle2-Found-MRO-20140629.jpg|Beagle 2, after 11 years found and showing that it made it to the surface but did not expand fully to transmit PIA15696-HiRISE-MSL-Sol11 2 -br2.jpg|Curiosity landing remnants PIA21131 - Closer Look at Schiaparelli Impact Site on Mars.jpg|Schiaparelli remnants (2016)

Landing site namings and memorials

Several landing sites have been named, either the spacecraft itself or the landing site:

• Pennants of Soviet Union on Mars 2 and Mars 3 landers (1971).
• Thomas Mutch Memorial Station, the Viking 1 lander (1976).
• Gerald Soffen Memorial Station, the Viking 2 lander (1976).
• Carl Sagan Memorial Station, Mars Pathfinder (Sojourner) base (1997).
• Challenger Memorial Station, MER-B (Opportunity) landing site area (2004).
• Columbia Memorial Station, MER-A (Spirit) landing site area (2004).
• Green Valley, the Phoenix lander (2008).
• Bradbury Landing, Curiosity rover landing site (August 6, 2012). (Note: Due to the nature of the landing system, there is no actual space hardware at the touchdown location of Bradbury Landing, see Curiosity (rover))
• InSight Landing, the InSight lander (2018)
• Octavia E. Butler Landing, Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter landing site (February 18, 2021)
• Wright Brothers Field, the initial take-off and landing site for the Ingenuity helicopter, used for five flights (April, May 2021)
• Three Forks Sample Depot, backup sample Depot of Perseverance cached samples for return to Earth by NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return Mission (2022)

References

References

1. "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Mars 2".
2. "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Mars 3".
3. "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Mars 6".
4. "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Viking 1 lander".
5. "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Viking 2 lander".
6. "Mars Pathfinder".
7. "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Mars Pathfinder".
8. "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog - Mars Pathfinder Rover".
9. "After Three Years on Mars, NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends".
10. Cheung, Rachel. (13 March 2023). "China's Mars Rover Has Not Moved Since September, NASA Images Revealed".
11. [http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/html/object_page/vl2_22g144.html Mars - Viking 2 Lander]
12. (2015-01-17). "Beagle 2 spacecraft found intact on surface of Mars after 11 years".
13. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130514043808/http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oce/appel/ask-academy/issues/volume4/ata_4-9_mariner_9_prt.htm NASA - This Month in NASA History: Mariner 9], November 29, 2011 – Vol. 4, Issue 9
14. [http://burro.cwru.edu/stu/advanced/20th_soviet_mars.html Soviet Craft - Mars (1960–1974)] {{webarchive. link. (2013-07-08)
15. [https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1975-075C NSSDC - Viking 1 lander]
16. [https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1975-083C NSSDC - Viking 2 lander]
17. [https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1996-068A NSSDC - Mars Pathfinder]
18. [http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20040128a.html NASA - Space Shuttle Challenger Crew Memorialized on Mars]
19. [http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2004/6.cfm NASA - Space Shuttle Columbia Crew Memorialized on Mars]
20. (August 22, 2012). "Curiosity Landing Site Named for Ray Bradbury". NASA.