In 1971 Mariner 9 entered orbit around Mars, being the first spacecraft to orbit any body other than the Moon, Sun or Earth; following in the same year were the first uncontrolled impact (Mars 2) and first successful landing (Mars 3) on Mars. Probes have been active on Mars continuously since 1997.
Mars is one of the most explored bodies in our solar system, and it's the only planet where we've sent rovers to roam the alien landscape. NASA missions have found lots of evidence that Mars was much wetter and warmer, with a thicker atmosphere, billions of years ago.
Mars is the fourth planet in the solar system in order of distance from the Sun and the seventh in size and mass. It is a periodically conspicuous reddish object in the night sky. There are intriguing clues that billions of years ago Mars was even more Earth-like than today.
Mars can boast the largest volcano in the entire Solar System – Olympus Mons. With a height of 21 km, it stands about 2.5 times taller than Mount Everest. Mars’ larger moon, Phobos, gradually gets closer to the planet at a rate of about 2 cm per year.
Mars Facts | What Does Mars Look Like | All About Mars | Mars Pictures
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and has a distinct rusty red appearance and two unusual moons. The Red Planet is a cold, desert world within our solar system. It has a very thin...
A guide to the Red Planet, Mars, including facts about its geology, a history of Mars missions and images captured by astrophotographers.