Missions to the Moon and Mars
Although charting the planetary maps is relatively straightforward and leverages NASA open data and Quantum GIS open source software, the complexity lies in the coordination with national space agencies, including NASA. A minimum viable product might include only the 32 roads I have identified, but any realistic map will incorporate roads from other countries that have a stake in the surface exploration of the Moon and Mars.
There are several space agencies that have led successful missions to planet Mars. This includes not only landers and rovers, but also orbiters and flyby missions
NASA (USA) - More than 20 successful missions and 5 active missions to Mars. Landers - Perseverance, Curiosity and orbiters - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) , Maven and Mars Odyssey. Past missions include Mariner missions, Viking missions and landers Spirit and Opportunity
Roscosmos (Russia/USSR) - In 1971, Mars 3 became the first ever spacecraft to make soft landing on Mars. Phobos was the mission that landed on Mars and captured images of the Martian moon Phobos.
ESA (Europe) - The European Space Agency has one successful mission to Mars called Mars Express which was an orbiter around the planet Mars.
JAXA (Japan) - Nozomi was a partially successful mission which became a flyby mission to Mars after it failed to achieve orbit.
CNSA (China) - Tianwen 1 was the first ever mission to Mars by China which included an orbiter and a lander, with a rover called Zurong.
ISRO - (India) Mars Orbiter Mission - MOM - This was India’s first orbiter mission to Mars.
UAE Space Agency (UAE) - Hope was an orbiter mission to Mars by UAE.
ONE MOON. DECADES OF EXPLORATION.
The Moon may look peaceful from Earth but reaching it has been one of humanity’s greatest technological challenges.
Over the decades, just a handful of spacefaring nations and organizations have sent missions toward our nearest celestial neighbor — from daring failures to historic firsts and groundbreaking discoveries.
USA — 44 missions
The United States has led the modern lunar exploration effort, from the Ranger and Surveyor programs to Apollo, Artemis, and today’s commercial lunar missions. It remains the only nation to have sent humans to the lunar surface.
USSR — 22 missions
The Soviet Union opened the lunar age with Luna 2, the first human-made object to reach the Moon, and Luna 9, the first successful soft landing. Its Luna program also returned the first samples from another world.
CHINA — 10 missions
China entered the lunar race much later, but moved remarkably fast. The Chang’e program achieved the first soft landing on the Moon’s far side and later returned samples from it — another historic first.
INDIA — 3 missions
India’s Chandrayaan missions transformed the country into a major lunar exploration power. Chandrayaan-3 made history in 2023 by becoming the first spacecraft to successfully land near the Moon’s south polar region.
JAPAN — 6 missions
Japan has been exploring the Moon since Hiten in 1990, followed by missions such as Kaguya and SLIM. Japan’s precision-landing technology has opened a new chapter in lunar exploration.
EUROPE — 2 missions
Europe’s first independent lunar adventure was ESA’s SMART-1, which reached lunar orbit in 2004 using revolutionary ion propulsion. Europe is now preparing for a much bigger role in future lunar exploration.
And this is only the beginning.
The next chapter is no longer just about reaching the Moon.
It’s about staying there.
