The Mars Rovers: Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, Perseverance

  1. NASA’s twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars in 2004.
  2. Spirit explored Gusev Crater for 6 years before getting stuck in sand.
  3. Opportunity outlasted its 90-day mission, operating for nearly 15 years.
  4. In 2012, Curiosity landed in Gale Crater to study Mars’ habitability.
  5. Curiosity found evidence that Mars once had liquid water.
  6. The Perseverance rover touched down in 2021 with cutting-edge tools.
  7. Perseverance carries the first drone helicopter, Ingenuity, which achieved powered flight on another planet.
  8. Its mission includes searching for signs of ancient microbial life.
  9. Perseverance is collecting samples that could one day be returned to Earth.
  10. Together, the rovers turned Mars from a red dot in the sky into a world of discovery.