By now, you’ve probably seen photos of the “Land of Stories,” the new Martian landing site where SpaceX and the NASA rover Curiosity have been preparing for the arrival of the landing craft and its first humans.
If you haven’t, let me introduce you to a few of the stories.1.
In 2007, NASA landed a small, orange craft on Mars.
It was the first lander to orbit the Red Planet.2.
In 2016, NASA successfully landed a robot on Mars, the first humanoid to walk on the Red Moon.3.
In 2019, a robot successfully landed on the surface of Mars, and it landed on a rock that has never been imaged.4.
In 2020, NASA launched a robotic spacecraft to explore Mars, but the mission was canceled before it could go into orbit.5.
In 2021, NASA and Japan’s Hayabusa mission landed a robotic rover on Mars and returned it to Earth.6.
In 2022, the Japanese spacecraft JAXA landed a rover on the red planet and sent it to a moon.7.
In 2023, the European Space Agency landed a landing module on Mars after the spacecraft’s parachute failed.8.
In 2024, the Russian space agency Roscosmos landed a lander on Mars in 2024.9.
In 2025, the International Space Station landed on orbit.10.
In 2018, NASA’s Cassini mission flew by Mars in 2019.11.
In 2015, NASA sent a robotic rovers on a two-year mission to Mars.12.
In 2013, NASA, ESA and Japan launched the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission, which successfully sent a probe to the surface.13.
In 2017, NASA announced that the first landing of a landable robotic rover had been made on Mars on March 12, 2020.14.
In 2009, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and its twin rover Spirit arrived on Mars for the first time.15.
In 2008, NASA returned a spacecraft to Earth to search for signs of life.16.
In 2005, NASA flew a spacecraft back to Earth from Mars.17.
In 2004, NASA became the first U.S. government agency to land a spacecraft on Mars with the Curiosity rover.18.
In 2003, NASA confirmed that the Martian surface was once habitable.19.
In 2002, NASA used a satellite to detect water ice on Mars (and to measure its composition).20.
In 2001, NASA reported a landing on Mars as the first human-made landing on the planet.21.
In 2000, NASA received permission from the U.N. General Assembly to use the International Earth Observation Mission (IoMO) for its Mars orbiter mission.22.
In 1999, NASA deployed the Viking landers and Mars Global Surveyor rover for the Mars Pathfinder mission.23.
In 1998, NASA completed the first flyby of the surface at Mars, sending the first pictures of the Red Sea in the Martian sky.24.
In 1997, NASA made the first orbit of Mars and landed the rover on a crater in Gale Crater.25.
In 1996, NASA provided the first images of the planet’s surface to the public.26.
In 1995, NASA released the first photographs of the Martian atmosphere and landed a spacecraft in orbit around Mars.27.
In 1994, NASA was awarded a NASA Planetary Science Program grant to launch the Viking orbiter to explore the Red Mars and Mars Pathfinder missions.28.
In 1993, NASA took the first photos of Mars from the surface and sent the first image of Mars to the world in November 1993.29.
In 1992, NASA gave NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover a name change: Mars Odyssey.30.
In 1991, NASA named a space shuttle flight that had been cancelled as the Mars-Bound Space Shuttle, the Space Shuttle Discovery.31.
In 1990, NASA put two astronauts on the moon for the very first time: Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom.32.
In 1989, NASA revealed that the International Phased Observational Survey Explorer (IPSE) would be sending its data to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) for analysis.33.
In 1987, NASA conducted the first orbital rendezvous between the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) and the Mars Orbiter (MA).34.
In 1986, NASA began the first direct human-rated mission to the moon, sending its first spacecraft to orbit around the moon.35.
In 1985, NASA awarded NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Satellite the NASA Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter Mission (LRO) contract.36.
In 1984, NASA acquired the Mars Odyssey orbiter for use in a robotic mission to search the planet for signs that life might exist.37.
In 1983, NASA selected the Mars Express spacecraft as the successor to the Mars rovers.38.
In 1982, NASA designated the first Martian summer as the Martian Summer Solstice.39.
In 1981, NASA declared the second Martian summer, the Martian
