Mars 

is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, being

larger than only Mercury. In English, Mars carries the name of the Roman god of war and is often
referred to as the "Red Planet".[16][17] The latter refers to the effect of the iron oxide prevalent on
Mars's surface, which gives it a reddish appearance distinctive among the astronomical bodies
visible to the naked eye.[18] Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere, with surface features
reminiscent of the impact craters of the Moon and the valleys, deserts and polar ice caps of Earth.
The days and seasons are comparable to those of Earth, because the rotational period as well as
the tilt of the rotational axis relative to the ecliptic plane are similar. Mars is the site of Olympus
Mons, the largest volcano and highest known mountain on any planet in the Solar System, and
of Valles Marineris, one of the largest canyons in the Solar System. The smooth Borealis basin in
the Northern Hemisphere covers 40% of the planet and may be a giant impact feature.[19][20] Mars
has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, which are small and irregularly shaped. These may be
captured asteroids, similar to 5261 Eureka, a Mars trojan.[21][22]
Mars has been explored by several uncrewed spacecraft. Mariner 4 was the first spacecraft to visit
Mars; launched by NASA on 28 November 1964, it made its closest approach to the planet on 15
July 1965. Mariner 4 detected the weak Martian radiation belt, measured at about 0.1% that of Earth,
and captured the first images of another planet from deep space.[23] The Soviet Mars 3 mission
included a lander, which achieved a soft landing in December 1971; however, contact was lost
seconds after touchdown.[24] On 20 July 1976, Viking 1 performed the first successful landing on the
Martian surface.[25] On 4 July 1997, the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft landed on Mars and on 5 July
released its rover, Sojourner, the first robotic rover to operate on Mars.[26] The Mars Express orbiter,
the first European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft to visit Mars, arrived in orbit on 25 December
2003.[27] In January 2004, NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers, named Spirit and Opportunity, both
landed on Mars; Spirit operated until 22 March 2010 and Opportunity lasted until 10 June 2018.
[28]
 NASA landed its Curiosity rover on August 6, 2012, as a part of its Mars Science Laboratory
(MSL) mission to investigate Martian climate and geology.[29] On 24 September 2014, the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) became the fourth space agency to visit Mars when its
maiden interplanetary mission, the Mars Orbiter Mission spacecraft, arrived in orbit.[30] The United
Arab Emirates became the fifth to successfully undertake a mission to Mars, having inserted an
orbiter in to the Martian atmosphere on 9 February 2021.[31] NASA's Perseverance rover
and Ingenuity helicopter successfully landed on Mars on 18 February 2021.