Mars has more working spacecraft around it than any planet except the Earth. NASA’s Mars Odyssey, in orbit since 2001, is the longest-serving; Europe’s Mars Express arrived in 2003 and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2006, with a camera that can spot a rover from orbit. The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter sniffs the atmosphere for gases such as methane, the United Arab Emirates’ Hope watches the Martian weather from high up, and China’s Tianwen-1 orbiter supported its rover. Besides their own science, several of them relay the data of the rovers on the ground to the Earth. Their positions in the 3D view come from JPL Horizons.
Which spacecraft are orbiting Mars?
Computing…
| Name | Agency | Status | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Mars Odyssey | NASA | Active | … |
| Mars Express | ESA | Active | … |
| Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter | NASA | Active | … |
| ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter | ESA | Active | … |
| Emirates Mars Mission (Hope) | UAE Space Agency / MBRSC | Active | … |
| Tianwen-1 orbiter | CNSA | Active | no published trajectory |
| ESCAPADE Blue | NASA / UC Berkeley SSL / Rocket Lab | Cruise | no published trajectory |
| ESCAPADE Gold | NASA / UC Berkeley SSL / Rocket Lab | Cruise | no published trajectory |
Questions and answers
How do rovers send data from Mars?
Mostly through orbiters passing overhead, which receive the data at close range and resend it to the Earth with bigger antennas.
How long does a signal take from Mars?
Between about 3 and 22 minutes, depending on where the Earth and Mars are in their orbits.
Where the numbers come from
Values refresh every second in your browser; the published data are checked every 10 minutes and updated several times a day.