Exploration of Mars over the Pacific Ocean. The NASA Mars Science Laboratory mission with its rover named "Curiosity", was launched on November 26, 2011, and landed on Mars on August 6, 2012 on Aeolis Palus in Gale Crater. The rover carries instruments designed to look for past or present conditions relevant to the past or present habitability of Mars. NASA's MAVEN is an orbiter mission to study the upper atmosphere of Mars. It will also serve as a communications relay satellite for robotic landers and rovers on the surface of Mars. MAVEN was launched 18 November 2013 and reached Mars on 22 September
Crewed Mars rover the 2010s. The 1980s era Case for Mars design suggest a medium range rover with two compartments, one which could be depressurized and opened up to the Mars atmosphere, and a driving compartments which could remain pressurized during this time. The same study also suggested a bigger long duration rover with tracks and robotic arms, in addition to other types in that Mars surface human mission concept. Airlock design, especially for EVA is an area of study for pressurized rovers. Design ideas for crewed and/or pressurized rovers: Additional possible technologies: A 2004 analysis of a human Mars surface mission suggested