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Timeline Of The U.S. Mission To Mars

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Research by MICHAEL MESSANO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 23, 2008

1965: Mariner 4 passes within 6,100 miles and sends back the first close-up images.

1969: Mariners 6 and 7 pass within 2,300 miles and send back 200 images.

1971: Mariner 9 becomes the first U.S. spacecraft to enter orbit of another planet.

1976: Viking 1 and 2 make history by landing on Mars.

1993: The $1 billion Mars Observer is lost en route.

1996: Mars Global Surveyor makes a high-resolution map of the planet's surface.

1997: Mars Pathfinder delivers lander and rover.

1998-99: Mars Climate Orbiter and Polar Lander are lost en route.

2001: Odyssey lands, conducts mineral research and serves as a communications relay for future missions.

2004: Twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity land and continue to explore terrain today.

2005: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter begins a mission that returns more data than all previous ventures combined.

Source: NASA

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