The next Low Cost attempt to visit Mars will come in 2007 or 2009 and will be a project of AMSAT, an organization of Amateur Radio operators who have successfully launched and managed over 40 ORCAR (Orbiting Satellite Carrying an Amateur Radio) Satellites.

Amsat is pretty amazing in that they build high tech space probes for a fraction (and I mean a fraction) of the costs of government or other privately funded missions. The craft are designed and built “in house” or with the assistance of colleges or universities...

The missions are launched at a reduced costs (many times ABSOLUTELY FREE) by being launched as secondary payload on commerical or military flights. Hams all over the world will be able to monitor the mission LIVE via ATV repeaters or the net.

There is a good chance that the Mars Society will be involved with the mission and may even provide a lander.

There is an excellent chance of success for this mission. Moreover, I believe that AMSAT could, (if it had the funding) launch 10-15 missions to Mars for the cost of 1 major NASA probe (really)....

You can find the complete story of AMSAT Here:

The Story Of Amsat

For particulars on the Planned Mars Mission, please find this pdf.

P5A to Mars