KLEOS I · Ghosts of the Solar System
Glory That Outlives The Mission: Robots Left Behind
Every mission leaves something behind. Meet the landers and rovers NASA left on the Moon and Mars, and hear their stories in their own words.
- 6Apollo descent stages still on the Moon
- 5of 7 Surveyor probes landed safely
- 2,200+sols Spirit worked, on a 90-sol warranty
- 28.06miles Opportunity drove on Mars
Pick up where you left off:
Choose your expedition
Four machine stories. Two worlds. One extraordinary legacy.
Start with the earliest launch and follow the story forward. Each mission opens as its own experience with seven story chapters, NASA imagery and, where NASA provides one, an interactive 3D model.
Surveyor 3
Meet the lander that bounced twice, dug into lunar soil and helped prove the Moon could carry an Apollo landing.
Enter mission 7 chapters · NASA photo→Apollo 11
Follow Eagle's descent, the first footsteps, the science station left behind and the ascent stage's journey home. Includes a NASA 3D model.
Enter mission 7 chapters · 3D model→Spirit & Opportunity
Two identical rovers, two opposite sides of Mars, one question: was there once liquid water here? They outlived their warranty by years.
Enter mission 7 chapters · 3D model→The final exhibition
Where the machines' stories meet
Step into the Legacy Room to compare their achievements, explore how their missions ended and leave a reflection.
The big picture
Why these machines are still out there
The Moon: a quiet parking lot
Between 1966 and 1972, NASA sent robot landers and human crews to the Moon. Nobody has come back to pick up what they left, so it is all still there.
Mars: the twin robot geologists
In January 2004, two identical rovers landed on opposite sides of Mars. Their question: was there once liquid water here? NASA built each one to work for about 90 Martian days, called sols.
More ways to explore
Go beyond the chapters
Ghost timeline
Follow the robots from the first soft landing in 1966 to today's driving records.
Gallery & 3D models
Rotate NASA's Lunar Module and rover models and browse mission photographs.
Quiz & glossary
Ten questions across all three missions, plus quick definitions of lander, rover and sol.
The people behind the mission
Meet Team KLEOS I
KLEOS I was built by Team KLEOS I to tell the stories of the landers and rovers left behind on the Moon and Mars.
- Van-Ess Adu KingsleyTeam KLEOS I
- David Mawuko AhoseTeam KLEOS I
- Nhyira Adjoa Adu-GyamfiTeam KLEOS I
- Jessica Adjoa ManuTeam KLEOS I
