Future Missions to Mars

Missions in 2001 and 2003 are envisioned as being joint exercises between the United States and Russia.

In 2005, NASA hopes to have a mission in which a Mars craft will actually return to the Earth -- carrying rock samples that can be analyzed and examined to answer more conclusively the age-old questions about life on Mars.

Finally, under NASA's current timetable, 2012 is the target date for landing the first person on Mars.