* Future Missions *
|
Planned
Launch
Date |
Nation
of
Origin |
Mission
Name |
Planned
Mars
Arrival
Date |
Mission Goal |
| 04/2001 |
US |
Mars Surveyor '01 Lander and Rover
Cancelled |
01/2002 |
The purpose of this mission was to study soil, dust, and the radiation environment to assist in planning future manned
missions. The rover was to traverse tens of kilometers of the surface. Originally, samples were to be
collected for retrieval by a subsequent sample return mission but that was then delayed to a
later mission. An on-site propellant production plant was also to have been tested for the first time is the history of space exploration. This mission was cancelled following the failures of the Mars Polar Lander and the Mars Climate Orbiter missions. |
| 06/01/2003 |
ESA |
Mars Express
Orbiter and Lander |
12/2003 |
The orbiter, Mars Express, will collect data on meteorology, the upper atmosphere, and carry out photogeology and mineralogical mapping.
The lander, Beagle 2, will search for evidence of life, both past and present, as well as studying the local geology and weather. |
| 06/2003 |
US |
Mars Aladdin |
02-06/2005 |
This is a proposed Discovery class mission to retrieve samples from the Martian
moons Phobos and Deimos and return those samples to Earth in January 2006. |
| 05-06/2003 |
US |
Mars Surveyor 2003
Lander/Rover
Cancelled |
Sprng/2004 |
A mission to send a Lander/Rover mission to collect data on the local geology and climatic history.
The rover would have collected some samples and returned them to the lander where they were to be placed into
the MAV(Mars Ascent Vehicle). The MAV would have delivered the samples to Mars orbit where they would have
been retrieved by a subsequent sample return mission. This mission was cancelled following the failures of the Mars Polar Lander and the Mars Climate Orbiter missions. |
| 05-06/2003 |
US |
Twin Mars Exploration Rovers |
01/2004 |
This mission will send two rovers to the martian surface on a 90 day mission to explore
the local geology. The two identical rovers will be able to traverse about 100 meters per day - about the same
as the total distance travelled by the Soujourner rover from the Pathfinder mission.
This mission is a replacement for the cancelled Mars Surveyor 2003 Lander/Rover mission. |
| 07-08/2005 |
US |
Mars Surveyor 2005
Orbiter/Lander/Rover
Cancelled |
Sprng/2006 |
A Lander/Rover mission that would have collected data on the local geology and climatic history.
The rover was to collect samples and return them to the lander where they were to be placed into
the MAV(Mars Ascent Vehicle). The MAV would have delivered the samples to Mars orbit. A French-built orbiter
was planned to retrieve this MAV and the MAV from the previous mission and return their samples to Earth
by 2008. |
| 08/2005 |
US |
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter |
03/2006 |
An orbiter mission to study the martian climate and weather, search for water, and
identify potential landing sites for future missions. The planned mission duration is one martian year.
This mission is a replacement for the cancelled Mars Surveyor 2003 Lander/Rover mission.
|
| 09/2007 |
France CNES |
Netlander |
08/2008 |
A mission to send four separate landers to separate locations on Mars so that they may simultaneously collect
data on the atmosphere, local geology, and internal structure of Mars. The four landers will use an orbiter
as their communications relay. The landers are to operate for one martian year.
|
