A planetary flyby is the act of sending a space probe past a planet or a dwarf planet close enough to record scientific data. [1] This is a subset of the overall concept of a flyby in spaceflight.
The first flyby of another planet with a functioning spacecraft took place on December 14, 1962, when Mariner 2 zoomed by the planet Venus. [2]
Planetary flybys are commonly used as gravity assist maneuvers to "slingshot" a space probe toward its primary target without expending fuel, but in some cases (such as with New Horizons), flybys are the primary objectives of a mission in of themselves. Flybys modify the direction of the probe and adds to its heliocentric velocity. [3]
A relatively recent example of a flyby spacecraft is New Horizons, which performed flyby maneuvers of Jupiter, Pluto and its moons in the 21st century. The flyby of Jupiter, used as a gravity assist, allowed the craft to reach Pluto at high velocity without the complications of slowing down, after which it proceeded further into the Kuiper Belt on an escape trajectory out of the Solar System. [4]
Flyby date | Launch date | Operator | Spacecraft | Details | Mission result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
19 May 1961 | 12 February 1961 | Venera 1 | First Venus flyby (contact lost before flyby) [5] | Failure | |
14 December 1962 | 27 August 1962 | Mariner 2 | First successful non-lunar planetary encounter and first successful Venus flyby [6] | Success | |
19 June 1963 | 1 November 1962 | Mars 1 | First Mars flyby (contact lost) [7] | Failure | |
19 July 1964 | 2 April 1964 | Zond 1 | Venus flyby (contact lost) [8] | Failure | |
15 July 1965 | 28 November 1964 | Mariner 4 | First successful Mars flyby [9] | Success | |
6 August 1965 | 30 November 1964 | Zond 2 | Mars flyby (contact lost) [10] | Failure | |
27 February 1966 | 12 November 1965 | Venera 2 | Venus flyby (contact lost) [11] | Failure | |
19 October 1967 | 14 June 1967 | Mariner 5 | Venus flyby [12] | Success | |
31 July 1969 | 25 February 1969 | Mariner 6 | Mars flyby [13] | Success | |
5 August 1969 | 27 March 1969 | Mariner 7 | Mars flyby [14] | Success | |
3 December 1973 | 3 March 1972 | Pioneer 10 | First Jupiter flyby [15] | Success | |
5 February 1974 | 4 November 1973 | Mariner 10 | Venus flyby [16] | Success | |
10 February 1974 | 21 July 1973 | Mars 4 | Mars flyby (inadvertent; attempted Mars orbiter) [17] | Failure | |
9 March 1974 | 9 August 1973 | Mars 7 | Mars flyby (inadvertent; attempted Mars lander) [18] | Failure | |
12 March 1974 | 5 August 1973 | Mars 6 | Mars flyby (flyby succeeded but lander failed) [19] | Failure | |
29 March 1974 | 4 November 1973 | Mariner 10 | First Mercury flyby [16] | Success | |
21 September 1974 | 4 November 1973 | Mariner 10 | Mercury flyby [16] | Success | |
3 December 1974 | 5 April 1973 | Pioneer 11 | Jupiter flyby [20] | Success | |
16 March 1975 | 4 November 1973 | Mariner 10 | Mercury flyby [16] | Success | |
19 December 1978 | 14 September 1978 | Venera 12 | Venus flyby and lander [21] | Success | |
25 December 1978 | 9 September 1978 | Venera 11 | Venus flyby and lander [22] | Success | |
5 March 1979 | 5 September 1977 | Voyager 1 | Jupiter flyby [23] | Success | |
9 July 1979 | 20 August 1977 | Voyager 2 | Jupiter flyby [24] | Success | |
1 September 1979 | 5 April 1973 | Pioneer 11 | First Saturn flyby [20] | Success | |
12 November 1980 | 5 September 1977 | Voyager 1 | Saturn flyby [23] | Success | |
25 August 1981 | 20 August 1977 | Voyager 2 | Saturn flyby [24] | Success | |
1 March 1982 | 30 October 1981 | Venera 13 | Venus flyby and lander [25] | Success | |
5 March 1982 | 4 November 1981 | Venera 14 | Venus flyby and lander [26] | Success | |
11 June 1985 | 15 December 1984 | Vega 1 | Venus flyby, lander, and first balloon [27] | Success | |
15 June 1985 | 21 December 1984 | Vega 2 | Venus flyby, lander, and balloon [28] | Success | |
24 January 1986 | 20 August 1977 | Voyager 2 | First and only Uranus flyby [24] | Success | |
25 August 1989 | 20 August 1977 | Voyager 2 | First and only Neptune flyby [24] | Success | |
10 February 1990 | 13 October 1989 | Galileo | Venus flyby, first of three gravity assists to Jupiter [29] | Success | |
2 July 1990 | 2 July 1985 | Giotto | First Earth flyby, gravity assist for extended mission to 26P/Grigg–Skjellerup [30] | Success | |
8 October 1990 | 13 October 1989 | Galileo | Earth flyby, second of three gravity assists to Jupiter [29] | Success | |
8 January 1992 | 7 January 1985 | Sakigake | Earth flyby [31] | Success | |
8 February 1992 | 6 October 1990 | Ulysses | Jupiter flyby, inclination change gravity assist for solar mission [32] | Success | |
8 December 1992 | 13 October 1989 | Galileo | Earth flyby, last of three gravity assists to Jupiter [29] | Success | |
24 August 1993 | 25 September 1992 | Mars Observer | Mars flyby (inadvertent; attempted Mars orbiter) [33] | Failure | |
23 January 1998 | 17 February 1996 | NEAR Shoemaker | Earth flyby, gravity assist to 433 Eros [34] | Success | |
26 April 1998 | 15 October 1997 | Cassini–Huygens | Venus flyby, first of four gravity assists to Saturn [35] | Success | |
24 June 1999 | 15 October 1997 | Cassini–Huygens | Venus flyby, second of four gravity assists to Saturn [36] | Success | |
18 August 1999 | 15 October 1997 | Cassini–Huygens | Earth flyby, third of four gravity assists to Saturn [37] | Success | |
30 December 2000 | 15 October 1997 | Cassini–Huygens | Jupiter flyby, last of four gravity assists to Saturn [38] | Success | |
15 January 2001 | 27 February 1999 | Stardust | Earth flyby, gravity assist to 81P/Wild [39] | Success | |
21 April 2002 | 4 July 1998 | Nozomi | Earth flyby, first of two gravity assists to Mars [40] | Success | |
19 June 2003 | 4 July 1998 | Nozomi | Earth flyby, last of two gravity assists to Mars [40] | Success | |
14 December 2003 | 4 July 1998 | Nozomi | Mars flyby (inadvertent; planned Mars orbiter) [40] | Failure | |
19 May 2004 | 9 May 2003 | Hayabusa | Earth flyby, gravity assist to 25143 Itokawa [41] | Success | |
4 March 2005 | 2 March 2004 | Rosetta | Earth flyby, first of four gravity assists to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko [42] | Success | |
2 August 2005 | 3 August 2004 | MESSENGER | Earth flyby, first gravity assist to Mercury [43] | Success | |
15 January 2006 | 27 February 1999 | Stardust | Earth flyby and sample return capsule reentry [39] | Success | |
24 October 2006 | 3 August 2004 | MESSENGER | Venus flyby, second gravity assist to Mercury [43] | Success | |
25 February 2007 | 2 March 2004 | Rosetta | Mars flyby, second of four gravity assists to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko [42] | Success | |
28 February 2007 | 19 January 2006 | New Horizons | Jupiter flyby, gravity assist to Pluto/Charon system | Success | |
5 June 2007 | 3 August 2004 | MESSENGER | Venus flyby, third gravity assist to Mercury. Also characterized the planet's atmosphere. [43] | Success | |
13 November 2007 | 2 March 2004 | Rosetta | Earth flyby, third of four gravity assists to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko [42] | Success | |
31 December 2007 | 12 January 2005 | Deep Impact (EPOXI) | Earth flyby [44] | Success | |
14 January 2008 | 3 August 2004 | MESSENGER | Mercury flyby, fourth gravity assist before orbital insertion and primary mission [43] | Success | |
6 October 2008 | 3 August 2004 | MESSENGER | Mercury flyby, fifth gravity assist before orbital insertion and primary mission [43] | Success | |
29 December 2008 | 12 January 2005 | Deep Impact (EPOXI) | Earth flyby [44] | Success | |
14 January 2009 | 27 February 1999 | Stardust | Earth flyby, gravity assist to 9P/Tempel [39] | Success | |
18 February 2009 | 27 September 2007 | Dawn | Mars flyby, gravity assist to 4 Vesta [45] | Success | |
29 June 2009 | 12 January 2005 | Deep Impact (EPOXI) | Earth flyby (distant) [46] | Success | |
29 September 2009 | 3 August 2004 | MESSENGER | Mercury flyby, sixth and final gravity assist before orbital insertion and primary mission [43] | Success | |
13 November 2009 | 2 March 2004 | Rosetta | Earth flyby, last of four gravity assists to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko [42] | Success | |
28 December 2009 | 12 January 2005 | Deep Impact (EPOXI) | Earth flyby (distant) [46] | Success | |
27 June 2010 | 12 January 2005 | Deep Impact (EPOXI) | Earth flyby [44] | Success | |
6 December 2010 | 20 May 2010 | Akatsuki | Venus flyby (inadvertent; was intended to be orbit insertion; later successfully inserted into orbit in 2015) [47] | Failure | |
8 December 2010 | 20 May 2010 | IKAROS | Venus flyby, probe was a technological demonstrator that launched with Akatsuki [48] | Success | |
9 October 2013 | 5 August 2011 | Juno | Earth flyby, gravity assist to Jupiter [49] | Success | |
14 July 2015 | 19 January 2006 | New Horizons | First and only Pluto/Charon flyby [Note 1] [50] | Success | |
3 December 2015 | 3 December 2014 | Hayabusa2 | Earth flyby, gravity assist to 162173 Ryugu [51] | Success | |
22 September 2017 | 8 September 2016 | OSIRIS-REx | Earth flyby, gravity assist to 101955 Bennu | Success | |
3 October 2018 | 12 August 2018 | Parker Solar Probe | Venus flyby | Success | |
26 November 2018 | 5 May 2018 | Mars Cube One | Mars flyby | Success | |
10 April 2020 | 20 October 2018 | BepiColombo | Earth flyby | Success | |
23 July 2020 | ~10 February 2021 | Tianwen 1 deployable camera | Mars flyby | Success | |
15 October 2020 | 20 October 2018 | BepiColombo | Venus flyby | Success | |
5 December 2020 | 3 December 2014 | Hayabusa2 | Earth flyby, gravity assist to (98943) 2001 CC21 | Success | |
27 December 2020 | 10 February 2020 | Solar Orbiter | Venus flyby | Success | |
9 August 2021 | 10 February 2020 | Solar Orbiter | Venus flyby | Success | |
10 August 2021 | 20 October 2018 | BepiColombo | Venus flyby | Success | |
1 October 2021 | 20 October 2018 | BepiColombo | Mercury flyby | Success | |
27 November 2021 | 10 February 2020 | Solar Orbiter | Earth flyby | Success | |
23 June 2022 | 20 October 2018 | BepiColombo | Mercury flyby | Success | |
4 September 2022 | 10 February 2020 | Solar Orbiter | Venus flyby | Success | |
16 October 2022 | 16 October 2021 | Lucy | Earth flyby | Success | |
19 June 2023 | 20 October 2018 | BepiColombo | Mercury flyby | Success | |
24 September 2023 | 8 September 2016 | OSIRIS-REx/ApEx | Earth flyby, gravity assist to 99942 Apophis | Success | |
May 2026 | 13 October 2023 | Psyche | Mars flyby | Planned |
The Mariner program was conducted by the American space agency NASA to explore other planets. Between 1962 and late 1973, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) designed and built 10 robotic interplanetary probes named Mariner to explore the inner Solar System – visiting the planets Venus, Mars and Mercury for the first time, and returning to Venus and Mars for additional close observations.
Space exploration is the use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space. While the exploration of space is currently carried out mainly by astronomers with telescopes, its physical exploration is conducted both by uncrewed robotic space probes and human spaceflight. Space exploration, like its classical form astronomy, is one of the main sources for space science.
The Mars program was a series of uncrewed spacecraft launched by the Soviet Union between 1960 and 1973. The spacecraft were intended to explore Mars, and included flyby probes, landers and orbiters.
This is a timeline of Solar System exploration ordering events in the exploration of the Solar System by date of spacecraft launch. It includes:
Kosmos 21 was a Soviet spacecraft. This mission has been tentatively identified by NASA as a technology test of the Venera series space probes. It may have been an attempted Venus impact, presumably similar to the later Kosmos 27 mission, or it may have been intended from the beginning to remain in geocentric orbit. In any case, the spacecraft never left Earth orbit after insertion by the Molniya launcher. The orbit decayed on 14 November 1963, three days after launch.
Kosmos 27, also known as Zond 3MV-1 No.3 was a space mission intended as a Venus impact probe. The spacecraft was launched by a Molniya 8K78 carrier rocket from Baikonur. The Blok L stage and probe reached Earth orbit successfully, but the attitude control system failed to operate.
A gravity assist, gravity assist maneuver, swing-by, or generally a gravitational slingshot in orbital mechanics, is a type of spaceflight flyby which makes use of the relative movement and gravity of a planet or other astronomical object to alter the path and speed of a spacecraft, typically to save propellant and reduce expense.
New Horizons is an interplanetary space probe launched as a part of NASA's New Frontiers program. Engineered by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), with a team led by Alan Stern, the spacecraft was launched in 2006 with the primary mission to perform a flyby study of the Pluto system in 2015, and a secondary mission to fly by and study one or more other Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) in the decade to follow, which became a mission to 486958 Arrokoth. It is the fifth space probe to achieve the escape velocity needed to leave the Solar System.
Pluto Kuiper Express was an interplanetary space probe that was proposed by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) scientists and engineers and under development by NASA. The spacecraft was intended to be launched to study Pluto and its moon Charon, along with one or more other Kuiper belt objects (KBOs). The proposal was the third of its kind, after the Pluto 350 and a proposal to send a Mariner Mark II spacecraft to Pluto.
The Discovery Program is a series of Solar System exploration missions funded by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through its Planetary Missions Program Office. The cost of each mission is capped at a lower level than missions from NASA's New Frontiers or Flagship Programs. As a result, Discovery missions tend to be more focused on a specific scientific goal rather than serving a general purpose.
Mariner Mark II was NASA's planned family of uncrewed spacecraft for the exploration of the outer Solar System that were to be developed and operated by JPL between 1980 through the year 2010.
The exploration of Saturn has been solely performed by crewless probes. Three missions were flybys, which formed an extended foundation of knowledge about the system. The Cassini–Huygens spacecraft, launched in 1997, was in orbit from 2004 to 2017.
The exploration of Pluto began with the arrival of the New Horizons probe in July 2015, though proposals for such a mission had been studied for many decades. There are no plans as yet for a follow-up mission, though follow-up concepts have been studied.
Argo was a 2009 spacecraft mission concept by NASA to the outer planets and beyond. The concept included flybys of Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and a Kuiper belt object. A focus on Neptune and its largest moon Triton would have helped answer some of the questions generated by Voyager 2's flyby in 1989, and would have provided clues to ice giant formation and evolution.
A flyby is a spaceflight operation in which a spacecraft passes in proximity to another body, usually a target of its space exploration mission and/or a source of a gravity assist to impel it towards another target. Spacecraft which are specifically designed for this purpose are known as flyby spacecraft, although the term has also been used in regard to asteroid flybys of Earth for example. Important parameters are the time and distance of closest approach.
REX or Radio Science Experiment is an experiment on the New Horizons space probe to measure properties of the atmosphere of Pluto during the 2015 flyby.