From Mariner to Perseverance: Successes and Failures of Mars Probes

A Conquest Fraught with Challenges

The exploration of Mars is marked by ambitious attempts, often crowned with success, but also by spectacular failures. The red planet, a privileged target of space agencies since the 1960s, has long been nicknamed the "graveyard of probes" due to the numerous initial failures. Out of nearly fifty missions, more than a third have failed, sometimes at launch, sometimes on approach to Mars, and others during landing. These failures have helped understand the complexities of Martian atmospheric entry, interplanetary communication delays, and the subtleties of orbital navigation.

A Succession of Technical Innovations

Since Mariner 4 in 1965, the first probe to transmit images of Mars, progress has been constant. The Viking missions of the 1970s demonstrated the feasibility of robotic landings. The Spirit and Opportunity rovers showed the robustness of mobile robots, while Curiosity perfected the sky crane landing. Finally, Perseverance represents the pinnacle of current Martian robotics, with its ability to collect samples and test in situ oxygen production thanks to the MOXIE experiment.

Comprehensive Catalog of Missions to Mars

Main sources: NASA mission chronology, IMEWG, Wikipedia "List of missions to Mars".