Trumbull_Mars Landing/Roving Missions

When I was at JPL on Friday what I became most interested in was the Landing and Rover missions on Mars by NASA. But what I found most interesting was not just the missions, how they got there, or what they were doing but what happens when the missions are finished or completed. I started to think and make connections and thoughts of pollution and waste here on earth.


I research and created a list of the NASA successful missions of Landers and Rovers. This list does not include foreign space agencies or failed missions by NASA.

Viking 1 Lander           20 AUG 1975           

Viking 2 Lander           9 Sept 1975

Mars Pathfinder            4 December 1996            Lander/Rover            Operated 84 days

Spirit                            10 June 2003                    Rover                        Operted for 2208 sols

Opportunity                  8 July 2003                      Rover                        Operational

Phoenix                        4 AUG 2004                    Lander                      Successful

Curiosity                      26 NOV 2011                   Rover                       Operational

While looking up about what is done with the Landers and Rovers when the missions are completed I was a little expected of what I found, or the lack of. I didn’t easily find information or what I wanted to find about what is done to the crafts when finished. Because information was not easily found I took this as something that is not discussed because it almost becomes ‘space pollution’. Is this something that human beings will find to be a problem in the future? Is NASA concerned at all when they think of space pollution? These are all questions that I would like to find out and will make a point to find answers to when back at JPL. I plan to update information as it comes to me.