List of rovers on extraterrestrial bodies

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A rover is a planetary surface exploration vehicle designed to move over the rough surface of a planet or other celestial body. Rovers are used to explore, collect information, and take samples of the surface. This is a list of all rovers on extraterrestrial bodies in the Solar System. Since 1970, there have been seven lunar rovers, seven Mars rovers, and three asteroid rovers that have successfully landed and explored these extraterrestrial surfaces. In addition, a small helicopter on Mars, Ingenuity , operated from 2021 to 2024.

Contents

Moon

Mars

MissionRoverCountry/AgencyDate of landingCoordinatesOperational timeDistance travelled
Mars 2 PrOP-M Flag of the Soviet Union.svg USSR 27 November 1971 45°S47°E / 45°S 47°E / -45; 47 (Mars 2 lander) --
First rover to reach Mars. Lost when Mars 2 landing system crash landed on Mars.
Mars 3 PrOP-M Flag of the Soviet Union.svg USSR 2 December 1971 45°S202°E / 45°S 202°E / -45; 202 (Mars 3 lander) --
First rover to successfully land on Mars. The lander stopped communicating about 110 seconds after landing, before the rover was deployed.
Mars Pathfinder Sojourner Flag of the United States.svg NASA 4 July 1997 38°14′16″N35°00′06″W / 38.2378°N 35.0017°W / 38.2378; -35.0017 (Sojourner) 85 days100 m (330 ft)
First rover to successfully run on Mars.
Mars Exploration Rover Spirit Flag of the United States.svg NASA 4 January 2004 14°34′06″S175°28′21″E / 14.5684°S 175.472636°E / -14.5684; 175.472636 (Spirit) 6 years 79 days7.73 km (4.80 mi)
Mission ended after rover got stuck in Martian sand.
Opportunity Flag of the United States.svg NASA 25 January 2004 1°56′46″S354°28′24″E / 1.9462°S 354.4734°E / -1.9462; 354.4734 (Opportunity) 14 years 140 days45.16 km (28.06 mi)
Longest distance travelled by any rover and most days operated.
Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Flag of the United States.svg NASA 6 August 2012 4°35′22″S137°26′30″E / 4.5895°S 137.4417°E / -4.5895; 137.4417 (Curiosity) 12 years 122 days32.40 km (20.13 mi)
as of 24 September 2024 [12]
Rover for investigating past and present habitability, climate and geology.
Mars 2020 Perseverance Flag of the United States.svg NASA 18 February 2021 18°26′41″N77°27′03″E / 18.4447°N 77.4508°E / 18.4447; 77.4508 (Mars 2020) 3 years 292 days29.06 km (18.06 mi)
as of 24 September 2024 [13]
Ingenuity 3 April 2021 (deployment)2 years 340 days17.242 km (10.714 mi) in 72 flights [14]
The Ingenuity helicopter is the first aircraft to fly on an extraterrestrial body.
Tianwen-1 Zhurong Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg CNSA 14 May 2021 25°06′N109°54′E / 25.1°N 109.9°E / 25.1; 109.9 (Zhurong) 356 days1.921 km (1.194 mi)
as of 1 May 2022 [15]
Inactive after dust storm and Martian winter.
MMX IDEFIX Flag of France.svg Flag of Germany.svg CNES/DLR 2027TBD
Rover for studying the surface of Phobos.
Mars Sample Return Mars Sample Recovery Helicopters Flag of the United States.svg NASA 2030TBD
Two Ingenuity class helicopters designed to retrieve Martian surface samples.

Asteroids

BodyMissionRoverCountry/AgencyDate of landingLocationOperational timeDistance travelled
162173 Ryugu Hayabusa2 MINERVA-II Rover-1A Flag of Japan.svg JAXA 21 September 2019Tritonis36 days [16]
MINERVA-II Rover-1B3 days [16]
Successfully landed, returned images, and hopped along surface. First rovers on an asteroid.
MASCOT Flag of Germany.svg Flag of France.svg DLR/CNES 3 October 2018Alice's Wonderland17 h 14 min [17] ~17.9 m (59 ft) [17]
Successfully landed, returned images from the surface, and performed multiple hops along surface.
MINERVA-II Rover-2 Flag of Japan.svg JAXA October 2019Unknown0 days0 m
Failed before deployment, so it was released into orbit around the asteroid to perform gravitational measurements before it impacted a few days later.

Titan

MissionRoverCountry/AgencyDate of landingLocationOperational timeDistance travelled
Dragonfly Flag of the United States.svg NASA 2034 Shangri-La 10 years (planned)8 km per flight
Rotorcraft to be sent to Titan in 5-25 July 2028.

Crewed rovers

MissionRoverCountry/AgencyDate of landingCoordinatesOperational timeDistance travelledNotes
Apollo 15 Lunar Roving Vehicle Flag of the United States.svg NASA 7 August 1971 26.1322°N 3.6339°E 3 h 02 min27.76 km

(7.75 mi)

First crewed lunar rover
Apollo 16 Lunar Roving Vehicle Flag of the United States.svg NASA 21 April 1972 8.97301°S 15.50019°E 3 h 26 min26.55 km

(16.50 mi)

Apollo 17 Lunar Roving Vehicle Flag of the United States.svg NASA 11 December 1972 20.1908°N 30.7717°E 4 h 26 min35.89 km

(22.30 mi)

Furthest distance travelled by crewed lunar rover
Artemis V Lunar Terrain Vehicle Flag of the United States.svg NASA 2030TBDUnpressurised crewed rover for the Artemis program
Chinese Crewed Lunar Mission Chinese Crewed Rover Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg CNSA 2030TBDRover shown at the National Museum of China on 24 February 2023
Artemis VII Lunar Cruiser Flag of Japan.svg JAXA 2032TBDDeveloped jointly between JAXA and Toyota

Proposed rovers

RoverCountry/AgencyProposed Date of launchedLocationNotes
MPR-1 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg STELLS2025In range of a craterRover under study for power supply for future mining rovers
Canadensys Rover Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canadensys 2026 Lunar South Pole Rover funded by CSA to scout for water ice on the Moon
Lunar Trailblazer Flag of Australia (converted).svg Flag of the Netherlands.svg Delft University of Technology 2026 Lunar South Pole Small rover studying swarm technologies
Luna-Grunt Flag of Russia.svg Roscosmos 2028Rover for proposed Luna 29 sample return mission, details of rover are unknown
LIBER Flag of Singapore.svg Qosmosys 2027TBDLunar Integrated Bulk Extraction Rover (LIBER) will mine on the lunar surface.[ citation needed ]
ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Flag of Europe.svg ESA NET 2028 18°16′30″N335°22′05″E / 18.275°N 335.368°E / 18.275; 335.368 (Rosalind Franklin) Rover will search for previous signs of life on Mars.
HERACLES Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg CSA 2030 Schrödinger basin Part of European Large Logistic Lander program, will be used to transport samples and scout for resources on the Moon.
TBD Flag of South Korea.svg KARI 2031KARI has requested a budget of $459 million for a lander and rover mission. [18]
Asagumo Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Spacebit TBDSpider-like rover was planned to launch with Peregrine Mission One but its status is currently unknown
CELV Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Jilin University/CAST TBDNear a Lunar base The Cubic Emergency Lunar Vehicle is an emergency crewed rover that will be stored on a larger crewed rover. [19]
MoonRanger Flag of the United States.svg Astrobotic/Carnegie Mellon University TBD Lunar South Pole Was intended to launch in November 2023 but lunar lander provider Masten Space Systems declared bankruptcy and the rover is on hold
Rashid 2 Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg MBRSC TBDTBDRover development announced after failure of first rover.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lander (spacecraft)</span> Type of spacecraft

A lander is a spacecraft that descends towards, then comes to rest on the surface of an astronomical body other than Earth. In contrast to an impact probe, which makes a hard landing that damages or destroys the probe upon reaching the surface, a lander makes a soft landing after which the probe remains functional.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moon landing</span> Arrival of a spacecraft on the Moons surface

A Moon landing or lunar landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon, including both crewed and robotic missions. The first human-made object to touch the Moon was Luna 2 in 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lunar lander</span> Spacecraft intended to land on the surface of the Moon

A lunar lander or Moon lander is a spacecraft designed to land on the surface of the Moon. As of 2024, the Apollo Lunar Module is the only lunar lander to have ever been used in human spaceflight, completing six lunar landings from 1969 to 1972 during the United States' Apollo Program. Several robotic landers have reached the surface, and some have returned samples to Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sample-return mission</span> Spacecraft mission

A sample-return mission is a spacecraft mission to collect and return samples from an extraterrestrial location to Earth for analysis. Sample-return missions may bring back merely atoms and molecules or a deposit of complex compounds such as loose material and rocks. These samples may be obtained in a number of ways, such as soil and rock excavation or a collector array used for capturing particles of solar wind or cometary debris. Nonetheless, concerns have been raised that the return of such samples to planet Earth may endanger Earth itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exploration of the Moon</span> Missions to the Moon

The physical exploration of the Moon began when Luna 2, a space probe launched by the Soviet Union, made a deliberate impact on the surface of the Moon on September 14, 1959. Prior to that the only available means of lunar exploration had been observations from Earth. The invention of the optical telescope brought about the first leap in the quality of lunar observations. Galileo Galilei is generally credited as the first person to use a telescope for astronomical purposes, having made his own telescope in 1609, the mountains and craters on the lunar surface were among his first observations using it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese Lunar Exploration Program</span> Lunar research program (2004 – present)

The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, also known as the Chang'e Project after the Chinese Moon goddess Chang'e, is an ongoing series of robotic Moon missions by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of space exploration</span> Overview of and topical guide to space exploration

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to space exploration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rover (space exploration)</span> Space exploration vehicle designed to move across the surface of a planet or other celestial body

A rover is a planetary surface exploration device designed to move over the rough surface of a planet or other planetary mass celestial bodies. Some rovers have been designed as land vehicles to transport members of a human spaceflight crew; others have been partially or fully autonomous robots. Rovers are typically created to land on another planet via a lander-style spacecraft, tasked to collect information about the terrain, and to take crust samples such as dust, soil, rocks, and even liquids. They are essential tools in space exploration.

<i>Hayabusa2</i> Japanese space mission to asteroid Ryugu

Hayabusa2 is an asteroid sample-return mission operated by the Japanese state space agency JAXA. It is a successor to the Hayabusa mission, which returned asteroid samples for the first time in June 2010. Hayabusa2 was launched on 3 December 2014 and rendezvoused in space with near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu on 27 June 2018. It surveyed the asteroid for a year and a half and took samples. It left the asteroid in November 2019 and returned the samples to Earth on 5 December 2020 UTC. Its mission has now been extended through at least 2031, when it will rendezvous with the small, rapidly-rotating asteroid 1998 KY26.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lunar rover</span> Vehicle that travels on the Moons surface

A lunar rover or Moon rover is a space exploration vehicle designed to move across the surface of the Moon. The Apollo program's Lunar Roving Vehicle was driven on the Moon by members of three American crews, Apollo 15, 16, and 17. Other rovers have been partially or fully autonomous robots, such as the Soviet Union's Lunokhods, Chinese Yutus, Indian Pragyan, and Japan's LEVs. Five countries have had operating rovers on the Moon: the Soviet Union, the United States, China, India, and Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandrayaan programme</span> Indian Lunar exploration programme

The Chandrayaan programme also known as the Indian Lunar Exploration Programme is an ongoing series of outer space missions by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the exploration of the Moon. The program incorporates a lunar orbiter, an impactor, a soft lander and a rover spacecraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Planetary Exploration of China</span> Chinese Solar System exploration program

The Planetary Exploration of China, also known as Tianwen, is the robotic interplanetary spaceflight program conducted by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The program aims to explore planets of the Solar System, starting from Mars, and will be expanded to Jupiter and more in the future.

References

  1. ↑ Siddiqi, Asif A. (2002). "1969" (PDF). Deep Space Chronicle: A Chronology of Deep Space and Planetary Probes 1958–2000. Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 24. NASA History Office. pp. 73–80. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  2. ↑ Andrew Jones (2021-10-05). "1,000 days on the moon! China's Chang'e 4 lunar far side mission hits big milestone". Space.com. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  3. ↑ Chandrayaan 3 - After The Landing What Happens Next?, 27 August 2023, retrieved 2023-08-28
  4. ↑ "Chandrayaan-3 Mission: All planned Rover movements have been verified. The Rover has successfully traversed a distance of about 100 meters. Rover payloads LIBS and APXS are turned ON. All payloads on the propulsion module, lander module, and rover are performing nominally. #Chandrayaan_3 #Ch3". Twitter. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
  5. ↑ Fisher, Jackie Wattles, Kristin (2024-01-08). "Peregrine mission abandons Moon landing attempt after suffering 'critical' fuel loss". CNN. Retrieved 2024-01-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ Jones, Andrew (6 May 2024). "China's Chang'e-6 is carrying a surprise rover to the moon". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  7. ↑ "AstroAnt". MIT Media Lab . Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  8. ↑ Dinner, Josh (April 1, 2023). "SpaceX Starship will launch this new private moon rover in 2026 (video)". Space.com. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  9. ↑ Foust, Jeff (November 21, 2023). "Astrolab announces first customers for commercial lunar rover mission". SpaceNews . Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  10. ↑ "Moon to Mars Initiative: Trailblazer Stage 1". business.gov.au. 2024-09-18. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  11. ↑ published, Samantha Mathewson (2023-12-06). "Australia votes to name its 1st moon rover 'Roo-ver'". Space.com. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  12. ↑ "Where Is Curiosity?". mars.nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved 24 September 2024.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  13. ↑ "Where is Perseverance?". Mars 2020 Mission Perseverance Rover. NASA. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  14. ↑ "Mars Helicopter Flight Log". Mars Helicopter Tech Demo. NASA. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  15. ↑ "中欧火星探测器成功开展在轨中继通信试验". 新华网. 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  16. 1 2 Yoshimitsu, Tetsuo; Kubota, Takashi; Tomiki, Atsushi; Yoshikaw, Kent (2019-10-24). Operation results of MINERVA-II twin rovers onboard Hayabusa2 asteroid explorer (PDF). 70th International Astronautical Congress. International Astronautical Federation . Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  17. 1 2 Davis, Jason (28 August 2019). "Hayabusa2 Lander Mania: Results from MASCOT, Plans for MINERVA-II2". The Planetary Society . Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  18. ↑ "South Korea seeks $459 million for lunar lander project". 30 August 2022.
  19. ↑ "MSN". MSN .
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