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Alphabetical index
Timeline of planetary exploration
Timeline of planetary exploration
by date of launch.
Already-launched missions in
italic
have not yet achieved success or failure.
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
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)
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 Sept 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)
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 Lander (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
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 - 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
Mars 2
- 19 May 1971 -
1st Mars Orbiter
/Attempted Lander/
1st Mars Impact
Mars 3
- 28 May 1971 - Mars Orbiter/
1st Mars Lander
and
1st Mars Atmospheric Probe
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
ISEE-3/ICE - 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
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 Jupiter Orbiter
and
1st Jupiter Atmospheric Probe
1990
Hiten - 24 January 1990 - Lunar Flyby and Orbiter
Hubble Space Telescope
- 25 April 1990 - Earth Orbiting Observatory
Ulysses
- 06 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
1996
NEAR
- 17 February 1996 -
1st
Asteroid
Flyby
,
1st Asteroid Orbit
and
1st Asteroid Landing
-
Eros
Orbiter
Mars Global Surveyor
- 07 November 1996 - Mars Orbiter
Mars 96 - 16 November 1996 - Attempted Mars Orbiter/Landers
Mars Pathfinder
- 04 December 1996 - Mars Lander and
1st Mars Rover
1997
Cassini
- 15 October 1997 -
Saturn Orbiter
Huygens
- 15 October 1997 -
Titan
Probe and 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 -
Comet Coma Sample Return
2001
2001 Mars Odyssey - 7 April 2001 - Mars Orbiter
Genesis
- 8 August 2001 -
Solar Wind Sample Return
2002
CONTOUR
- 3 July 2002 - Attempted Fly-by of three Comet Nuclei
Muses-C - Nov/Dec 2002 -
Asteroid Lander and Sample Return
2003
Rosetta
- 12 January 2003 - Comet Orbiter and Lander (delayed)
Champollion/DS4 - 19 April 2003 - Comet Orbiter and Lander (Cancelled)
Mars Exploration Rover Mission
- 10 June/7 July 2003 - Two Mars Rovers
Mars Express
- 1 June 2003 - Mars Orbiter/Attempted Lander
Lunar-A - 2003 - Lunar Orbiter and Penetrators (delayed)
SMART 1 - 27 September 2003 - Lunar Orbiter
2004
Deep Impact - 2 January 2004 -
Comet Rendezvous and Impact
MESSENGER - 23 March 2004 - Mercury Orbiter
NEAP - 2004 - Asteroid Nereus Rendezvous
2005
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter - July 2005 - Mars Orbiter
Selene
- 2005 - Lunar Orbiter
2006
New Horizons
- 9 January 2006 - Pluto/Charon and Kuiper Belt Flyby
Dawn
- 27 May 2006 - Asteroid Ceres and Vesta Orbiter
Kepler
- October 2006 - Extrasolar Terrestrial Planet Detection Mission
Europa Orbiter - 2006 - Proposed Europa Orbiter
2007
Planet-C - February 2007 - ISAS Venus Orbiter
Mars 2007 - Late 2007 - Mobile Scientific Laboratory, Small Scout Missions
Netlanders - Late 2007 - Mars Netlanders
Phobos-Grunt - 2007 - Phobos Sample Return
2009
BepiColombo - August 2009 - ESA Mercury Orbiters
Mercury Orbiter - August 2009 - ISAS Mercury Orbiter
Mars 2009 - Late 2009 - Possible Communications Satellite, Small Net-Landers