And, for those space-cadets who still dream of a manned mission to the planet, there is also the Mars radiation environment experiment.

ECONOMIST: Mars Odyssey

The mission of the mobile science laboratory is to determine whether Mars ever had an environment capable of supporting life.

CNN: Mars rover captures nearby rocket 'footprint'

The rover's mission is to determine whether Mars ever had an environment capable of supporting life, and its prime target is Mount Sharp, the 18, 000-foot (5, 500-meter) peak about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) to the south.

CNN: Mars panorama shows Curiosity's prime target

In 2012, Curiosity examined the dusty soils that gave it an insight into the processes that drive the dry and cold environment that dominates Mars today.

BBC: Mars rover finally looks set to drill

Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, said scientists believe the object originated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

CNN: Planet of sound: Meteor blast resonated around Earth