The Mars Microphone project aims at sending a microphone to Mars to hear the noise of the planet’s atmosphere. This has never been done and yet Mars Microphone is an old project. The first attempt was in 1999 when a microphone was set up on the Mars Polar Lander. Unfortunately, the communication with this probe was lost while it was entering the Martian atmosphere.

Two other microphones were to be sent on the CNES NetLander Mission in 2007. But this mission was canceled in 2001. Another attempt was made with the Phoenix mission in 2008. The microphone had successfully landed on Mars. However it has interfered with the lander so it was never switched on. Now, we are trying to launch again this mission with MSL2, the heir of Curiosity. Mars Microphone 2020 will be set up with the laser SuperCam, which is one of the greatest instruments on MSL2!