Search the Kids Internet
Encyclopedia
> Timeline of planetary exploration
Article Content
Timeline of planetary exploration
1957
Sputnik 1
- 4 October 1957 - 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?)
Pioneer 4
- 3 March 1959 - Lunar Flyby
Luna 1959A[?]
- 16 June 1959 - Attempted Lunar Impact? (Launch Failure)
Luna 2
- 12 September 1959 - 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 - 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 - 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)
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 - Lunar Lander
Cosmos 111[?]
- 1 March 1966 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter?
Luna 10
- 31 March 1966 - 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 - Venus 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 - Lunar Flyby and Return to Earth
Zond 6
- 10 November 1968 - Lunar Flyby and Return to Earth
Apollo 8
- 21 December 1968 - Crewed 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 - Crewed 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 - Crewed 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 - Crewed 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 - Crewed Lunar Mission (Landing Aborted)
Venera 7[?]
- 17 August 1970 - Venus Lander
Cosmos 359[?]
- 22 August 1970 - Attempted Venus Probe
Luna 16
- 12 September 1970 - Lunar Sample Return
Zond 8
- 20 October 1970 - Lunar Flyby and Return to Earth
Luna 17/Lunokhod 1[?]
- 10 November 1970 - Lunar Rover
1971
Apollo 14
- 31 January 1971 - Crewed 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 - Mars Orbiter/ Attempted Lander
Mars 3
- 28 May 1971 - Mars Orbiter/ Lander
Mariner 9
- 30 May 1971 - Mars Orbiter
Apollo 15
- 26 July 1971 - Crewed 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 - Jupiter Flyby
Venera 8[?]
- 27 March 1972 - Venus Probe
Cosmos 482[?]
- 31 March 1972 - Attempted Venus Probe
Apollo 16
- 16 April 1972 - Crewed Lunar Landing
Soyuz L3[?]
- 23 November 1972 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)
Apollo 17
- 7 December 1972 - Crewed Lunar Landing
1973
Luna 21
- 8 January 1973 - Lunar Rover
Pioneer 11
- 5 April 1973 - Jupiter/Saturn Flyby
Skylab
- 14 May 1973 - Crewed 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/Mercury Flybys
1974
Luna 22
- 2 June 1974 - Lunar Orbiter
Luna 23
- 28 October 1974 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return
1975
Venera 9[?]
- 8 June 1975 - 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
Luna 24
- 9 August 1976 - Lunar Sample Return
1977
Voyager 2
- 20 August 1977 - Jupiter/Saturn/Uranus/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 Halley Flybys
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 - Jupiter Orbiter/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 - Asteroid 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 Rover
1997
Cassini
- 15 October 1997 - Saturn Orbiter
Huygens[?]
- 15 October 1997 - Titan Probe
AsiaSat 3/HGS-1[?]
- 24 December 1997 - Lunar Flyby
1998
Lunar Prospector[?]
- 7 January 1998 - Lunar Orbiter
Nozomi (Planet-B)[?]
- 3 July 1998 - Mars Orbiter
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 - 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 Rovers[?]
- 22 May/4 June 2003 - Two Mars Rovers
Mars Express
- 1 June 2003 - Mars Orbiter and Lander
Lunar-A[?]
- 2003 - Lunar Orbiter and Penetrators
SMART 1[?]
- 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 Reconnaisance 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
2009
BepiColombo[?]
- August 2009 - ESA Mercury Orbiters and Lander
Mercury Orbiter[?]
- August 2009 - ISAS Mercury Orbiter
Mars 2009[?]
- Late 2009 - Possible Communications Satellite, Small Net-Landers
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
Search Encyclopedia
Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
Featured Article
Ludvika
... | Borlänge | Falun | Gagnef | Hedemora | Leksand | LudvikaMalung | Mora | ...