Timeline of Solar System exploration

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into List of planetary probes. ()

A timeline of Solar System exploration listed by date of spacecraft launch. Missions in italics are unfinished, i.e. have not yet been designated as successes or failures.

Contents 1 1950s 2 1960s 3 1970s 4 1980s 5 1990s 6 2000s 7 Planned or scheduled 8 See also 9 External links

1950s

• 1957

• • Sputnik 1 - 4 October 1957 - 1st Earth Orbiter
  • Sputnik 2 - 3 November 1957 - Earth Orbiter
  • Vanguard TV3 - 6 December 1957 - Attempted Earth Orbiter (Launch Failure)
• 1958
  • Explorer 1 - 1 February 1958 - Earth Orbiter
  • Vanguard 1 - 17 March 1958 - Earth Orbiter
  • Pioneer 0 - 17 August 1958 - Attempted Lunar Orbit (Launch Failure)
  • Luna 1958A - 23 September 1958 - Attempted Lunar Impact? (Launch Failure)
  • Pioneer 1 - 11 October 1958 - Attempted Lunar Orbit (Launch Failure)
  • Luna 1958B - 12 October 1958 - Attempted Lunar Impact? (Launch Failure)
  • Pioneer 2 - 8 November 1958 - Attempted Lunar Orbit (Launch Failure)
  • Luna 1958C - 4 December 1958 - Attempted Lunar Impact? (Launch Failure)
  • Pioneer 3 - 6 December 1958 - Attempted Lunar Flyby (Launch Failure)
• 1959
  • Luna 1 - 2 January 1959 - Lunar Flyby (Attempted Lunar Impact?) 1st Lunar Flyby
  • Pioneer 4 - 3 March 1959 - Lunar Flyby
  • Luna 1959A - 16 June 1959 - Attempted Lunar Impact? (Launch Failure)

• • Luna 2 - 12 September 1959 - 1st Lunar Impact
  • Luna 3 - 4 October 1959 - Lunar Flyby
  • Pioneer P-3 - 26 November 1959 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)

1960s

• 1960
  • Luna 1960A - 15 April 1960 - Attempted Lunar Flyby (Launch Failure)
  • Luna 1960B - 18 April 1960 - Attempted Lunar Flyby (Launch Failure)
  • Pioneer P-30 - 25 September 1960 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)
  • Marsnik 1 (Mars 1960A) - 10 October 1960 - Attempted Mars Flyby (Launch Failure)
  • Marsnik 2 (Mars 1960B) - 14 October 1960 - Attempted Mars Flyby (Launch Failure)
  • Pioneer P-31 - 15 December 1960 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)
• 1961
  • Sputnik 7 - 4 February 1961 - Attempted Venus Impact
  • Venera 1 - 12 February 1961 - Venus Flyby (Contact Lost)

• • Vostok 1 - 12 April 1961 - 1st Manned Earth Orbiter
  • Ranger 1 - 23 August 1961 - Attempted Lunar Test Flight
  • Ranger 2 - 18 November 1961 - Attempted Lunar Test Flight
• 1962
  • Ranger 3 - 26 January 1962 - Attempted Lunar Impact
  • Ranger 4 - 23 April 1962 - Lunar Impact
  • Mariner 1 - 22 July 1962 - Attempted Venus Flyby (Launch Failure)
  • Sputnik 19 - 25 August 1962 - Attempted Venus Flyby

• • Mariner 2 - 27 August 1962 - 1st Venus Flyby
  • Sputnik 20 - 1 September 1962 - Attempted Venus Flyby
  • Sputnik 21 - 12 September 1962 - Attempted Venus Flyby
  • Ranger 5 - 18 October 1962 - Attempted Lunar Impact
  • Sputnik 22 - 24 October 1962 - Attempted Mars Flyby
  • Mars 1 - 1 November 1962 - Mars Flyby (Contact Lost)
  • Sputnik 24 - 4 November 1962 - Attempted Mars Lander
• 1963
  • Sputnik 25 - 4 January 1963 - Attempted Lunar Lander
  • Luna 1963B - 2 February 1963 - Attempted Lunar Lander (Launch Failure)
  • Luna 4 - 2 April 1963 - Attempted Lunar Lander
  • Cosmos 21 - 11 November 1963 - Attempted Venera Test Flight?
• 1964
  • Ranger 6 - 30 January 1964 - Lunar Impact (Cameras Failed)
  • Venera 1964A - 19 February 1964 - Attempted Venus Flyby (Launch Failure)
  • Venera 1964B - 1 March 1964 - Attempted Venus Flyby (Launch Failure)
  • Luna 1964A - 21 March 1964 - Attempted Lunar Lander (Launch Failure)
  • Cosmos 27 - 27 March 1964 - Attempted Venus Flyby
  • Zond 1 - 2 April 1964 - Venus Flyby (Contact Lost)
  • Luna 1964B - 20 April 1964 - Attempted Lunar Lander (Launch Failure)
  • Zond 1964A - 4 June 1964 - Attempted Lunar Flyby (Launch Failure)
  • Ranger 7 - 28 July 1964 - Lunar Impact

• • Mariner 3 - 5 November 1964 - Attempted Mars Flyby
  • Mariner 4 - 28 November 1964 - 1st Mars Flyby
  • Zond 2 - 30 November 1964 - Mars Flyby (Contact Lost)
• 1965
  • Ranger 8 - 17 February 1965 - Lunar Impact
  • Cosmos 60 - 12 March 1965 - Attempted Lunar Lander
  • Ranger 9 - 21 March 1965 - Lunar Impact
  • Luna 1965A - 10 April 1965 - Attempted Lunar Lander? (Launch Failure)
  • Luna 5 - 9 May 1965 - Lunar Impact (Attempted Soft Landing)
  • Luna 6 - 8 June 1965 - Attempted Lunar Lander
  • Zond 3 - 18 July 1965 - Lunar Flyby
  • Luna 7 - 4 October 1965 - Lunar Impact (Attempted Soft Landing)
  • Venera 2 - 12 November 1965 - Venus Flyby (Contact Lost)

• • Venera 3 - 16 November 1965 - Venus Lander (Contact Lost) 1st Venus Impact
  • Cosmos 96 - 23 November 1965 - Attempted Venus Lander?
  • Venera 1965A - 23 November 1965 - Attempted Venus Flyby (Launch Failure)
  • Luna 8 - 3 December 1965 - Lunar Impact (Attempted Soft Landing?)
• 1966
  • Luna 9 - 31 January 1966 - 1st Lunar Lander
  • Cosmos 111 - 1 March 1966 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter?

• • Luna 10 - 31 March 1966 - 1st Lunar Orbiter
  • Luna 1966A - 30 April 1966 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter? (Launch Failure)
  • Surveyor 1 - 30 May 1966 - Lunar Lander
  • Explorer 33 - 1 July 1966 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter
  • Lunar Orbiter 1 - 10 August 1966 - Lunar Orbiter
  • Luna 11 - 24 August 1966 - Lunar Orbiter
  • Surveyor 2 - 20 September 1966 - Attempted Lunar Lander
  • Luna 12 - 22 October 1966 - Lunar Orbiter
  • Lunar Orbiter 2 - 6 November 1966 - Lunar Orbiter
  • Luna 13 - 21 December 1966 - Lunar Lander
• 1967
  • Lunar Orbiter 3 - 4 February 1967 - Lunar Orbiter
  • Surveyor 3 - 17 April 1967 - Lunar Lander
  • Lunar Orbiter 4 - 8 May 1967 - Lunar Orbiter
  • Venera 4 - 12 June 1967 - 1st Venus Atmospheric Probe
  • Mariner 5 - 14 June 1967 - Venus Flyby
  • Cosmos 167 - 17 June 1967 - Attempted Venus Probe
  • Surveyor 4 - 14 July 1967 - Attempted Lunar Lander
  • Explorer 35 (IMP-E) - 19 July 1967 - Lunar Orbiter
  • Lunar Orbiter 5 - 1 August 1967 - Lunar Orbiter
  • Surveyor 5 - 8 September 1967 - Lunar Lander

• • Zond 1967A - 28 September 1967 - Attempted Lunar Test Flight (Launch Failure)
  • Surveyor 6 - 7 November 1967 - Lunar Lander
  • Zond 1967B - 22 November 1967 - Attempted Lunar Test Flight (Launch Failure)
• 1968
  • Surveyor 7 - 7 January 1968 - Lunar Lander
  • Luna 1968A - 7 February 1968 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)
  • Zond 4 - 2 March 1968 - Test Flight
  • Luna 14 - 7 April 1968 - Lunar Orbiter
  • Zond 1968A - 23 April 1968 - Attempted Lunar Test Flight? (Launch Failure)
  • Zond 5 - 15 September 1968 - 1st Lunar Flyby and Return to Earth
  • Zond 6 - 10 November 1968 - Lunar Flyby and Return to Earth

• • Apollo 8 - 21 December 1968 - 1st Manned Lunar Orbiter
• 1969
  • Venera 5 - 5 January 1969 - Venus Probe
  • Venera 6 - 10 January 1969 - Venus Probe
  • Zond 1969A - 20 January 1969 - Attempted Lunar Flyby and Return (Launch Failure)
  • Luna 1969A - 19 February 1969 - Attempted Lunar Rover? (Launch Failure)
  • Zond L1S-1 - 21 February 1969 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)
  • Mariner 6 - 25 February 1969 - Mars Flyby
  • Mariner 7 - 27 March 1969 - Mars Flyby
  • Mars 1969A - 27 March 1969 - Attempted Mars Orbiter (Launch Failure)
  • Mars 1969B - 2 April 1969 - Attempted Mars Orbiter (Launch Failure)
  • Luna 1969B - 15 April 1969 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return? (Launch Failure)
  • Apollo 10 - 18 May 1969 - Manned Lunar Orbiter
  • Luna 1969C - 14 June 1969 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return? (Launch Failure)
  • Zond L1S-2 - 3 July 1969 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)
  • Luna 15 - 13 July 1969 - Lunar Orbiter (Attempted Lunar Lander?)

• • Apollo 11 - 16 July 1969 - 1st Manned Lunar Landing
  • Zond 7 - 7 August 1969 - Lunar Flyby and Return to Earth
  • Cosmos 300 - 23 September 1969 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return?
  • Cosmos 305 - 22 October 1969 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return?
  • Apollo 12 - 14 November 1969 - Manned Lunar Landing

1970s

• 1970
  • Luna 1970A - 6 February 1970 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return? (Launch Failure)
  • Luna 1970B - 19 February 1970 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter? (Launch Failure)
  • Apollo 13 - 11 April 1970 - 1st Manned Lunar Flyby and Return to Earth (Manned Lunar Mission, Landing Aborted)

• • Venera 7 - 17 August 1970 - 1st Venus Lander
  • Cosmos 359 - 22 August 1970 - Attempted Venus Probe
  • Luna 16 - 12 September 1970 - 1st Unmanned Lunar Sample Return
  • Zond 8 - 20 October 1970 - Lunar Flyby and Return to Earth
  • Luna 17/Lunokhod 1 - 10 November 1970 - 1st Lunar Rover
• 1971
  • Apollo 14 - 31 January 1971 - Manned Lunar Landing
  • Mariner 8 - 8 May 1971 - Attempted Mars Flyby (Launch Failure)
  • Cosmos 419 - 10 May 1971 - Attempted Mars Orbiter/Lander
  • Mariner 9 - 30 May 1971 - 1st Mars Orbiter
  • Mars 2 - 19 May 1971 - Attempted Lander/1st Mars Impact
  • Mars 3 - 28 May 1971 - Mars Orbiter/1st Mars Lander and 1st Mars Atmospheric Probe

1st Mars Orbiter/

• • Mariner 9 - 30 May 1971 - Mars Orbiter
  • Apollo 15 - 26 July 1971 - Manned Lunar Landing
  • Luna 18 - 2 September 1971 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return
  • Luna 19 - 28 September 1971 - Lunar Orbiter
• 1972
  • Luna 20 - 14 February 1972 - Lunar Sample Return
  • Pioneer 10 - 3 March 1972 - 1st Jupiter Flyby and 1st to leave solar system
  • Venera 8 - 27 March 1972 - Venus Probe
  • Cosmos 482 - 31 March 1972 - Attempted Venus Probe
  • Apollo 16 - 16 April 1972 - Manned Lunar Landing
  • Soyuz L3 - 23 November 1972 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)
  • Apollo 17 - 7 December 1972 - Manned Lunar Landing
• 1973
  • Luna 21/Lunokhod 2 - 8 January 1973 - Lunar Rover
  • Pioneer 11 - 5 April 1973 - Jupiter/1st Saturn Flyby
  • Skylab - 14 May 1973 - Manned Earth Orbiter
  • Explorer 49 (RAE-B) - 10 June 1973 - Lunar Orbiter/Radio Astronomy
  • Mars 4 - 21 July 1973 - Mars Flyby (Attempted Mars Orbiter)
  • Mars 5 - 25 July 1973 - Mars Orbiter
  • Mars 6 - 5 August 1973 - Mars Lander (Contact Lost)
  • Mars 7 - 9 August 1973 - Mars Flyby (Attempted Mars Lander)
  • Mariner 10 - 4 November 1973 - Venus Flyby/1st Mercury Flyby
• 1974
  • Luna 22 - 2 June 1974 - Lunar Orbiter
  • Luna 23 - 28 October 1974 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return
• 1975
  • Venera 9 - 8 June 1975 - 1st Venus Orbiter and Lander
  • Venera 10 - 14 June 1975 - Venus Orbiter and Lander
  • Viking 1 - 20 August 1975 - Mars Orbiter and Lander
  • Viking 2 - 9 September 1975 - Mars Orbiter and Lander
  • Luna 1975A - 16 October 1975 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return?
• 1976
  • Helios 2 - 15 January 1976 - Closest Solar Approach
  • Luna 24 - 9 August 1976 - Lunar Sample Return
• 1977
  • Voyager 2 - 20 August 1977 - Jupiter/Saturn/1st Uranus/1st Neptune Flyby
  • Voyager 1 - 5 September 1977 - Jupiter/Saturn Flyby
• 1978
  • Pioneer Venus 1 - 20 May 1978 - Venus Orbiter
  • Pioneer Venus 2 - 8 August 1978 - Venus Probes
  • International Cometary Explorer - 12 August 1978 - Comet Giacobini-Zinner and Comet Halley Flybys - 1st Comet flyby
  • Venera 11 - 9 September 1978 - Venus Orbiter and Lander
  • Venera 12 - 14 September 1978 - Venus Orbiter and Lander

1980s

• 1981
  • Venera 13 - 30 October 1981 - Venus Orbiter and Lander
  • Venera 14 - 4 November 1981 - Venus Orbiter and Lander
• 1983
  • Venera 15 - 2 June 1983 - Venus Orbiter
  • Venera 16 - 7 June 1983 - Venus Orbiter
• 1984
  • Vega 1 - 15 December 1984 - Venus Lander and Balloon/Comet Halley Flyby
  • Vega 2 - 21 December 1984 - Venus Lander and Balloon/Comet Halley Flyby
• 1985
  • Sakigake - 7 January 1985 - Comet Halley Flyby
  • Giotto - 2 July 1985 - Comet Halley Flyby
  • Suisei (Planet-A) - 18 August 1985 - Comet Halley Flyby
• 1988
  • Phobos 1 - 7 July 1988 - Attempted Mars Orbiter/Phobos Landers
  • Phobos 2 - 12 July 1988 - Mars Orbiter/Attempted Phobos Landers
• 1989
  • Magellan - 4 May 1989 - Venus Orbiter
  • Galileo - 18 October 1989 - 1st Asteroid Flyby, 1st Asteroid moon discovery, 1st Jupiter Orbiter and 1st Jupiter Atmospheric Probe

1990s

• 1990
  • Hiten - 24 January 1990 - Lunar Flyby and Orbiter
  • Hubble Space Telescope - 25 April 1990 - Earth Orbiting Observatory
  • Ulysses - 6 October 1990 - Jupiter Flyby and Solar Polar Orbiter
• 1992
  • Mars Observer - 25 September 1992 - Attempted Mars Orbiter (Contact Lost)
• 1994
  • Clementine - 25 January 1994 - Lunar Orbiter/Attempted Asteroid Flyby
• 1995
  • SOHO - 2 December 1995 - Solar Observatory
• 1996
  • NEAR - 17 February 1996 -1st Near-Earth asteroid Flyby, 1st Asteroid Orbit and 1st Asteroid Landing - Eros Orbiter
  • Mars Global Surveyor - 7 November 1996 - Mars Orbiter
  • Mars 96 - 16 November 1996 - Attempted Mars Orbiter/Landers
  • Mars Pathfinder - 4 December 1996 - Mars Lander and 1st Mars Rover
• 1997
  • Cassini-Huygens - 15 October 1997 - Saturn Orbiter and Titan Probe and Lander, 1st Saturn Orbiter, 1st Titan Lander
  • AsiaSat 3/HGS-1 - 24 December 1997 - Lunar Flyby
• 1998
  • Lunar Prospector - 7 January 1998 - Lunar Orbiter
  • Nozomi (Planet-B) - 3 July 1998 - Attempted Mars Orbiter (failed to enter Mars orbit)
  • Deep Space 1 (DS1) - 24 October 1998 - Asteroid and Comet Flyby
  • Mars Climate Orbiter - 11 December 1998 - Attempted Mars Orbiter
• 1999
  • Mars Polar Lander - 3 January 1999 - Attempted Mars Lander
  • Deep Space 2 (DS2) - 3 January 1999 - Attempted Mars Penetrators
  • Stardust - 7 February 1999 - 1st Comet Coma Sample Return

2000s

• 2001
  • 2001 Mars Odyssey - 7 April 2001 - Mars Orbiter
  • Genesis - 8 August 2001 - 1st Solar Wind Sample Return
• 2002
  • CONTOUR - 3 July 2002 - Attempted Fly-by of three Comet Nuclei
• 2003
  • Hayabusa (Muses-C) - 9 May 2003 - Asteroid Lander and Sample Return (expected return June 2010)
  • Mars Exploration Rovers - 10 June/7 July 2003 - Two Mars Rovers
  • Mars Express - 1 June 2003 - Mars Orbiter/Attempted Lander
  • SMART 1 - 27 September 2003 - Lunar Orbiter
• 2004
  • Rosetta - 2 March 2004 - Comet Orbiter and Lander (expected arrival 2014)
  • MESSENGER - 3 August 2004 - Mercury Orbiter (expected arrival 18 March 2011)
• 2005
  • Deep Impact - 12 January 2005 - 1st Comet Impact
  • Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter - 12 August 2005 - Mars Orbiter
  • Venus Express - 9 November 2005 - Venus Polar Orbiter
• 2006
  • New Horizons - 19 January 2006 - Pluto/Charon and Kuiper Belt Flyby (expected arrival 14 July 2015)
  • STEREO - 26 October 2006 - Two spacecraft, Solar Orbiters
• 2007
  • Phoenix - 4 August 2007 - Mars Polar Lander
  • SELENE - 14 September 2007 - Lunar Orbiter
  • Dawn - 27 September 2007 - Asteroid Ceres and Vesta Orbiter
  • Chang'e 1 - 24 October 2007 - Lunar Orbiter

Planned or scheduled

• 2008
  • Chandrayaan 1 - April 2008 - Lunar Orbiter
  • Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter - October 2008 - Lunar Polar Orbiter and Lunar Impactor
• 2009
  • Solar Dynamics Observatory - January 2009 - Continuous Solar Monitoring
  • Kepler - 2009 - Extrasolar Terrestrial Planet Detection Mission
  • Mars Science Laboratory - September 2009 - Mars Rover
  • Phobos-Grunt - October 2009 - Phobos Sample Return, Mars Orbiter
  • Yinghuo-1 - October 2009 - Mars Orbiter
  • Luna-Glob - 2009 - Russian lunar orbiter, impactors, lander
  • NEAP - 2009 - 2011 - possible Asteroid Nereus Rendezvous (delayed)
• 2010
  • PLANET-C - May 2010 - JAXA Venus Orbiter
• 2011
  • Juno - August 2011 - Jupiter Orbiter
• 2012
  • unknown - 2012 - Chinese lunar rover
• 2013
  • BepiColombo - August 2013 - ESA and ISAS Mercury Orbiters
  • Mars Scout - 2013 - scouting mission
  • ExoMars - 2013 - ESA Mars Rover
• 2015
  • Solar Orbiter - May 2015 - ESA Solar Probe
• 2016
  • Venera-D - 2016 - Russian Venus Orbiter
• 2017
  • unknown - 2017 - Chinese robotic lunar sample return mission
• 2019
  • U.S. moonwalk - using Orion

Luna 16 First unmanned lunar sample return	Lunokhod 1 First lunar rover	Mars 2 First Mars orbiter First Mars impact	Mars 3 First Mars lander First Mars atmospheric probe
Pioneer 10 First Jupiter flyby First object to leave solar system	Pioneer 11 First Saturn flyby	Mariner 10 First Mercury flyby	Venera 9 First Venus orbiter
Helios 2 Closest solar approach	Voyager 2 First Uranus flyby First Neptune flyby	International Cometary Explorer First comet flyby	Galileo First asteroid flyby First asteroid moon discovery First Jupiter orbiter First Jupiter atmospheric probe
NEAR Shoemaker First near-Earth asteroid flyby First asteroid orbiter First asteroid landing	Mars Pathfinder First successful Mars rover	Cassini–Huygens First Saturn orbiter	Huygens probe First Titan lander
Genesis First solar wind sample return	Deep Impact First comet impact

See also

• Landings on other planets
• List of artificial objects on extra-terrestrial surfaces
• List of Solar System probes (by target)
• New Frontiers Program
• Outer solar system
• Timeline of Earth science satellites

•  • e Spaceflight lists and timelines
Human space exploration	Spaceflight Portal Human spaceflights (By program) - Soviet and Russian missions - Mercury · Gemini · Apollo Mir Expeditions (Visiting spacecraft and crews · Spacewalks) ISS Expeditions (Manned spaceflights · Unmanned spaceflights · Visitors · Spacewalks) List of space shuttle missions · Timeline of Space Shuttle missions · Space Shuttle crews Space travelers by name · By nationality (timeline) · Astronauts by name (By selection · Apollo) · Spacewalks and moonwalks · Cumulative spacewalk records
Solar System exploration	Timeline of space exploration · Solar System probes · Solar System exploration · Artificial satellites and space probes · Probes by operational status · Interplanetary flights · Landings on other planets · Artificial objects on extra-terrestrial surfaces · Objects at Lagrangian points · Earth observation satellites · Earth science satellites · Magnetosphere science satellites
Other mission lists and timelines	Spaceflights (comprehensive list) · NASA missions · Constellation missions · Communications satellite firsts · Cosmos satellites · Rocket and missile technology · Milestones in space exploration, 1957–1969 · Satellites in GSO · Space Race · Spaceflight records · Timeline of first orbital launches by country
Vehicles	Manned spacecraft · Unmanned spacecraft by program · Launch vehicles · Rockets
Launches by rocket	Atlas V · Delta II · Delta IV · Long March · Proton · R-7 · V-2
Agencies, companies and facilities	Space agencies · Private spaceflight companies · Largest fixed satellite operators · Communications satellite companies · Spacecraft manufacturers · Spaceports

External links

• NASA Lunar & Planetary Science
• NASA Solar System Strategic Exploration Plans