The U.S. is still the only country to successfully land on Mars, beginning with the 1976 Vikings. Smashed Russian and European spacecraft litter the Martian landscape, meanwhile, along with NASA’s failed Mars Polar Lander from 1999. Getting into orbit around Mars is less complicated, but still no easy matter, with about a dozen spacecraft falling short. Mars fly-bys were the rage in the 1960s and most failed; NASA’s Mariner 4 was the first to succeed in 1965. Six spacecraft currently are operating around Mars: three from the U.S., two from Europe and one from India.

Source: Daily Sun February 07, 2021 15:00 UTC