How do robotic missions explore other celestial bodies, like Mars and asteroids?

Robotic missions have played a crucial role in exploring our solar system, particularly other celestial bodies like Mars and asteroids. These missions involve the use of robotic spacecraft that are sent to these celestial bodies to collect data and images that can help us better understand their composition and history.

Robotic missions to Mars typically involve landing a spacecraft on the planet's surface, where it can use a variety of instruments to study the planet's atmosphere, geology, and other characteristics. Some of the most notable robotic missions to Mars include the Mars Pathfinder mission in 1997, the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity in 2004, and the Mars Science Laboratory mission (which included the Curiosity rover) in 2011.

Robotic missions to asteroids also typically involve sending a spacecraft to orbit or land on the asteroid's surface, where it can study the asteroid's composition and other characteristics. Some notable robotic missions to asteroids include the NEAR Shoemaker mission to the asteroid Eros in 2001, the Hayabusa mission to the asteroid Itokawa in 2005, and the OSIRIS-REx mission to the asteroid Bennu, which began in 2016 and returned a sample to Earth in 2020.