What Mars Missions has NASA Undertaken?
The Mars missions have involved three basic stages. The most primitive were the initial flyby missions. These were followed by orbiters and finally by lander and rovers. In 2009, the orbiters and rovers are both still active on the planet collecting data for scientists on Earth to study. The first types of Mars missions were flybys. These very early craft included Mariners 3, 4, 6, and 7. These aircraft literally flew by the planet, taking pictures as they went by. These pictures were the first close-up shots of a planet ever taken. They showed impact craters similar to the moon and showed that the lines seen from Earth were not the canals that some had believed they were. Orbiters were sent to Mars as technology advanced. These included Mariner 8 and 9, Viking 1 and 2, Mars Observer, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Climate Orbiter, 2001 Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. As of 2009, the Odyssey and Reconnaissance Orbiters were still consistently sending back i
