Japan to launch probe for Mars moons in October: Space agency

Japan's ambitious mission to collect and bring back samples from one of Mars' moons will lift off Oct. 20, the space agency announced Thursday.

The top 3

  1. First Nations to Successfully Orbit Mars: The United States achieved the first successful Mars orbiter with Mariner 9 in 1971, followed by the European Space Agency's Mars Express in 2003 and India's Mangalyaan in 2014.
  2. Nations with First Successful Mars Landings: The Soviet Union achieved the first partial successful Mars landing with Mars 3 in 1971, with the United States making the first fully successful landings with Viking 1 and 2 in 1976, and China following with Tianwen-1 in 2021.
  3. Nations with Successful Mars Rovers: The United States has successfully operated multiple rovers on Mars, starting with Sojourner in 1997, followed by Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance; China's Zhurong rover successfully landed and operated in 2021.

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