Which Mars mission was the first to use a sky crane to lower a rover onto the surface?

NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission was the first Mars mission to use a sky crane to lower a rover onto the surface. Its Curiosity rover landed in Gale crater on 6 August 2012 using this powered descent system.

During the final landing sequence, a descent stage fired rocket engines to slow the spacecraft and hover above the ground. It then lowered Curiosity on three bridle cables and an umbilical connection. Once the rover’s wheels touched down, the cables were cut and the descent stage flew away to crash at a safe distance.

The design avoided the large airbags used by Mars Pathfinder and the Spirit and Opportunity missions. Those airbags worked for lighter rovers, but Curiosity was too heavy for that approach. The sky crane allowed a precise touchdown without requiring a separate landing platform.

NASA later adapted the same basic architecture for Mars 2020 and its Perseverance rover. The system is therefore a major example of engineering shaped by the increasing size and capability of Mars vehicles.