Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes

Last updated

This timeline of artificial satellites and space probes includes uncrewed spacecraft including technology demonstrators, observatories, lunar probes, and interplanetary probes. First satellites from each country are included. Not included are most Earth science satellites, commercial satellites or crewed missions.

Contents

Timeline

1950s

Artificial satellites and space probes in the 1950s
YearDateOriginNameLaunch vehicleStatusDescriptionMass
1957October 4Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Sputnik 1 Sputnik-PS SuccessThe first human-made object to orbit Earth.83.6 kg (183.9 lb)
November 3Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Sputnik 2 Sputnik-PS SuccessThe first satellite to carry a living animal, a dog named Laika.508 kg (1,118 lb)
December 6Flag of the United States.svg  US Vanguard 1A Vanguard TV-3 FailureThe first stage engine was improperly started, causing the vehicle to fall back to the launch pad immediately after launch and explode. [1] 1.36 kg (2.99 lb)
1958February 1Flag of the United States.svg  US Explorer 1 Juno I SuccessThe first American satellite in space. [1] 13.91 kg (30.66 lb)
February 5Flag of the United States.svg  US Vanguard 1B Vanguard TV-3BU FailureControl failure caused vehicle breakup at T+57 seconds as vehicle exceeded an angle of attack of 45° due to a control system malfunction. [1] 1.36 kg (2.99 lb)
March 5Flag of the United States.svg  US Explorer 2 Juno I FailureFailed to orbit. Fourth stage did not ignite. [1] 14.52 kg (31.94 lb)
March 17Flag of the United States.svg  US Vanguard 1C Vanguard TV-4 SuccessVanguard 1. Expected to de-orbit in ~2240AD, this and its upper launch stage are the oldest human-made objects in space. Also the first use of solar cells to power a satellite. [1] 1.47 kg (3.25 lb)
March 26Flag of the United States.svg  US Explorer 3 Juno I SuccessAdded to data received by Explorer 1. [1] 14.1 kg (31.0 lb)
April 29Flag of the United States.svg  US Vanguard 2A Vanguard TV-5 FailureSecond stage shutdown sequence not completed, preventing proper 3rd stage separation and firing. Did not reach orbit. [1] 9.98 kg (21.96 lb)
May 15Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Sputnik 3 Sputnik SuccessContained 12 instruments for a wide range of upper atmosphere tests.1,327 kg (2,926 lb)
May 28Flag of the United States.svg  US Vanguard 2B Vanguard SLV-1 FailureThe first production model of the series. Nominal flight until a guidance error was encountered on second stage burnout. Did not reach orbit. [1] 9.98 kg (21.96 lb)
June 26Flag of the United States.svg  US Vanguard 2C Vanguard SLV-2 FailurePremature second stage cutoff prevented third stage operation. Did not reach orbit. [1] 9.98 kg (21.96 lb)
July 26Flag of the United States.svg  US Explorer 4 Juno I SuccessExpanded data set of previous Explorer missions and collected data from Argus high-altitude nuclear explosions. [1] 11.7 kg (25.8 lb)
August 17Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer 0 Thor-Able 1 FailureFailed to orbit. First stage engine failure caused explosion at T+77 seconds.38 kg (84 lb)
August 24Flag of the United States.svg  US Explorer 5 Juno I FailureOn-board instruments damaged on first stage separation. Failed to orbit. [1] 11.7 kg (25.8 lb)
September 26Flag of the United States.svg  US Vanguard 2D Vanguard SLV-3 FailureSecond stage under-performed, lacking only ~76 m/s (~250 fps) required to achieve orbit. [1] 10.6 kg (23.3 lb)
October 11Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer 1 Thor-Able 1 Partial successFirst spacecraft launched by NASA. Studied Earth's magnetic fields. Third stage provided insufficient thrust to reach the Moon, leaving it sub-orbital. [2] 38 kg (84 lb)
October 22Flag of the United States.svg  US Beacon 1 Jupiter-C FailureA thin plastic sphere (12-feet in diameter) intended to study atmosphere density. [2] Payload dropped due to rotational vibrations. [1] 4.2 kg (9.2 lb)
November 8Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer 2 Thor-Able 1 FailureBriefly provided further data on Earth's magnetic field. Third stage provided insufficient thrust to reach the vicinity of the Moon. [2] 38 kg (83 lb)
December 6Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer 3 Juno II Partial successDid not reach the Moon as intended, but discovered a second radiation belt around Earth. [2] 5.9 kg (13.0 lb)
1959January 2Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Luna 1 Luna Partial successThe first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon, and the first spacecraft to be placed in heliocentric orbit.361 kg (794.2 lb)
February 17Flag of the United States.svg  US Vanguard 2E Vanguard SLV-4 SuccessVanguard 2. Measured cloud cover. First attempted photo of Earth from a satellite; precession motion resulted in difficulty interpreting data (see first images of Earth from space). [2] 10.8 kg (23.7 lb)
March 3Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer 4 Juno II SuccessPassed within 60,030 km (37,300 mi) of the Moon into a heliocentric orbit, returning excellent radiation data. [2] 6.1 kg (13.4 lb)
April 13Flag of the United States.svg  US Vanguard 3A Vanguard SLV-5 FailureFailed to orbit. Second stage hydraulics failure led to loss of control, damaged at launch. Two spheres included as payload. [2] 10.3 kg (22.7 lb)
June 22Flag of the United States.svg  US Vanguard 3B Vanguard SLV-6 FailureFailed to orbit. Second stage exploded due to stuck helium vent valve. Intended to measure weather effects related to solar-Earth heating processes. [2] 10.3 kg (22.7 lb)
July 16Flag of the United States.svg  US Explorer S-1 Juno II FailureDid not achieve orbit. Guidance system power malfunction. Destroyed by range safety officer at T+5.5s. [2] 41.5 kg (91.3 lb)
August 7Flag of the United States.svg  US Explorer 6 Thor-Able 3 SuccessIncluded instruments to study particles and meteorology. [2] 64.4 kg (141.7 lb)
August 14Flag of the United States.svg  US Beacon 2 Juno II FailurePremature cutoff of first stage caused upper stage malfunction. [2] 4.5 kg (9.9 lb)
September 12Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Luna 2 Luna SuccessThe first spacecraft to reach the surface of the Moon, and the first human-made object to land on another celestial body.390.2 kg (858.4 lb)
September 18Flag of the United States.svg  US Vanguard 3 Vanguard TV-4BU SuccessIncorporated Allegany Ballistics Laboratory X248 A2 as third stage. [1] Solar-powered sphere measured radiation belts and micrometeorite impacts. [2] 22.7 kg (50.0 lb)
October 4Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Luna 3 Luna SuccessThe first mission to photograph the far side of the Moon.278.5 kg (614 lb)
October 13Flag of the United States.svg  US Explorer 7 Juno II SuccessProvided data on energetic particles, radiation, and magnetic storms. Also recorded the first micrometeorite penetration of a sensor. [2] 41.5 kg (69.4 lb)
November 26Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer P-3 Atlas-Able 20 FailureLunar orbiter probe; payload shroud failed at T+45 seconds, resulting in disintegration of upper stages and payload. [2] 168.7 kg (371.1 lb)

1960s

Artificial satellites and space probes in the 1960s
YearLaunch dateOriginNameLaunch vehicleTargetStatusDescription
1960March 11Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer 5 Thor-Able SunSuccessSolar monitor. Measured magnetic field phenomena, solar flare particles, and ionization in the interplanetary region [3]
May 15Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Korabl-Sputnik 1 Vostok-L EarthSuccessFirst test flight of the Soviet Vostok programme, and the first Vostok spacecraft
April 1Flag of the United States.svg  US TIROS-1 Thor-Able EarthSuccessTIROS-1 (or TIROS-A) was the first successful low-Earth orbital weather satellite, and the first of a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites.
August 19Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Korabl-Sputnik 2 Vostok-L EarthSuccessFirst spaceflight to send animals into orbit and return them safely back to Earth
November 3Flag of the United States.svg  US Explorer 8 Juno II EarthPartial successBattery power failed early, And data had to be processed by hand. In spite of this, new information about the ionosphere has been discovered
1961February 12Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Venera 1 Molniya 8K78 Venus Partial successFirst interplanetary flight, contact lost en-route, before it performed the first flyby at another planet.
April 27Flag of the United States.svg  US Explorer 11 Juno II EarthPartial successWas the first space-borne gamma-ray telescope. Limited Battery Power caused the data collection to only be in the ascension stage.
August 23Flag of the United States.svg  US Ranger 1 Atlas-Agena MoonFailureRocket malfunction caused the spacecraft to get stranded in low Earth orbit. [4]
November 18Flag of the United States.svg  US Ranger 2 Atlas-Agena MoonFailureBooster rocket malfunction caused spacecraft to be trapped in low Earth orbit. [5]
1962January 26Flag of the United States.svg  US Ranger 3 Atlas-Agena MoonFailureNASA's first attempt to land a spacecraft on the Moon. A series of malfunctions caused spacecraft to hurtle past the Moon. [6]
April 23Flag of the United States.svg  US Ranger 4 Atlas-Agena MoonPartial failureWas the first U.S. spacecraft to reach another celestial body. Failure in the onboard computer prevented it from carrying out its scientific objectives. First spacecraft to impact the far side of the Moon. [7] [8]
April 26Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK Ariel 1 Thor-Delta EarthSuccessFirst British satellite in space (on American rocket)
July 10Flag of the United States.svg  US Telstar 1 Thor-Delta EarthSuccessCommunication satellite
July 22Flag of the United States.svg  US Mariner 1 Atlas-Agena VenusFailureSoftware related guidance system failure, range safety officer ordered destroyed after 294.5 seconds after launch.
August 27Flag of the United States.svg  US Mariner 2 Atlas-Agena VenusSuccessFirst spacecraft to visit another planet
September 29Canadian Red Ensign (1957-1965).svg  Canada Alouette 1 Thor-Agena EarthSuccessFirst Canadian satellite (on American rocket), first satellite not constructed by the US or USSR
October 18Flag of the United States.svg  US Ranger 5 Atlas-Agena MoonFailureMalfunction in the spacecraft's batteries caused them to drain after 8 hours, leaving it inoperable. [9]
1963First pair - October 17Flag of the United States.svg  US Vela 1A and Vela 1B Atlas-Agena EarthSuccessSeries of satellites to monitor compliance to the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty
1964February 2Flag of the United States.svg  US Ranger 6 Atlas-Agena MoonSuccessLunar impactor. Successful impact but power failure resulted in no pictures.
March 27Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK Ariel 2 Scout X-3 EarthSuccessFirst Radio Astronomy Satellite (on American rocket)
July 31Flag of the United States.svg  US Ranger 7 Atlas-Agena MoonSuccessLunar impactor. Returned pictures until impact.
November 28Flag of the United States.svg  US Mariner 4 Atlas-Agena MarsSuccessFirst deep space photographs of another planet and first flyby of Mars
December 15Flag of Italy.svg  Italy San Marco 1 Scout X-4 EarthSuccessFirst Italian satellite (on American rocket)
1965February 2Flag of the United States.svg  US Ranger 8 Atlas-Agena MoonSuccessLunar impactor. Returned pictures until impact.
February 20Flag of the United States.svg  US Ranger 9 Atlas-Agena MoonSuccessLunar impactor. Live TV broadcast until impact.
April 6Flag of the United States.svg  US Intelsat I Delta D EarthSuccessFirst commercial communications satellite in orbit. Was operated off and on until 1990.
November 26Flag of France.svg  France Asterix Diamant AEarthSuccessFirst French satellite. First orbital launch outside U.S and Soviet Union.
November 29Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Alouette 2 Thor-Agena EarthSuccessResearch satellite designed to explore Earth's ionosphere
December 16Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer 6 Delta E SunSuccessA series of solar-orbiting, spin-stabilized, solar-cell and battery-powered satellites designed to obtain measurements on a continuing basis of interplanetary phenomena from widely separated points in space. [10]
1966January 31Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Luna 9 Molniya M MoonSuccessFirst spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, or any planetary body other than Earth, and to transmit photographic data to Earth from the surface of another planetary body.
February 17Flag of France.svg  France Diapason Diamant AEarthSuccessEarth measurement by doppler radio measure
June 2Flag of the United States.svg  US Surveyor 1 Atlas-Centaur MoonSuccessFirst US soft landing; Surveyor program performed various tests in support of forthcoming crewed landings. [11]
July 1Flag of the United States.svg  US Explorer 33 Delta E1EarthPartial successWas intended to orbit the Moon but instead orbited the Earth. Explored solar winds, interplanetary plasma, and solar X-rays.
August 10Flag of the United States.svg  US Lunar Orbiter 1 Atlas SLV-3 Agena-DMoonSuccessFirst US spacecraft to orbit the Moon. Designed to photograph smooth areas of the lunar surface for selecting landing sites.
August 17Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer 7 Delta E1SunSuccessA series of solar-orbiting, spin-stabilized, solar-cell and battery-powered satellites designed to obtain measurements on a continuing basis of interplanetary phenomena from widely separated points in space. [10]
September 20Flag of the United States.svg  US Surveyor 2 Atlas LV-3C Centaur-DMoonFailureLunar Lander. A failure in one of its three thrusters caused it to lose control and crash into the Moon. [12]
November 6Flag of the United States.svg  US Lunar Orbiter 2 Atlas SLV-3 Agena-DMoonSuccessDesigned to photograph smooth areas of the lunar surface to identify landing sites.
1967January 11Flag of the United States.svg  US Intelsat II F-2 Delta E EarthSuccessOperated for 2 years as a communications satellite. Was deactivated in 1969.
February 8Flag of France.svg  France Diadème 1 Diamant AEarthSuccessOrbit slightly too low, considered a partial failure by the booster team. Earth measurement by doppler radio and laser ranging from the ground.
February 15Flag of France.svg  France Diadème 2 Diamant AEarthSuccessEarth measurement by doppler radio and laser ranging from the ground.
April 17Flag of the United States.svg  US Surveyor 3 Atlas LV-3C Centaur-DMoonSuccessSecond successful lunar surface lander. Conducted experiments to see how the lunar surface would fare against the weight of an Apollo lunar module. [13]
May 5Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK Ariel 3 Scout A EarthSuccessFirst entirely British built satellite
July 14Flag of the United States.svg  US Surveyor 4 Atlas LV-3C Centaur-DMoonFailureDespite a perfect flight to the Moon, communications was lost 2.5 minutes prior to landing. NASA concluded the spacecraft may have exploded. [14]
September 8Flag of the United States.svg  US Surveyor 5 Atlas SLV-3 Agena-DMoonSuccessLunar lander. First spacecraft to do a soil analysis of any world. Returned more than 20,000 photos. [15]
November 7Flag of the United States.svg  US Surveyor 6 Atlas SLV-3 Agena-DMoonSuccessLunar lander. First spacecraft to be launched from the surface of the Moon. It lifted itself to a height of about 3 meters. [16]
November 29Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia WRESAT Sparta EarthSuccessFirst Australian satellite (on American rocket) launched from Woomera, Australia. Third nation to launch a satellite from its own soil.
December 13Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer 8 Delta E1SunSuccessA series of solar-orbiting, spin-stabilized, solar-cell and battery-powered satellites designed to obtain measurements on a continuing basis of interplanetary phenomena from widely separated points in space. [10]
1968January 7Flag of the United States.svg  US Surveyor 7 Atlas SLV-3 Agena-DMoonSuccessLunar lander. Only spacecraft in the series to land in the lunar highland region and had the most extensive set of instruments. [17]
November 8Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer 9 Delta E1SunSuccessA series of solar-orbiting, spin-stabilized, solar-cell and battery-powered satellites designed to obtain measurements on a continuing basis of interplanetary phenomena from widely separated points in space. [10]
1969January 30Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada ISIS 1 Delta E1EarthSuccessInternational Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS)
February 25Flag of the United States.svg  US Mariner 6 Atlas SLV-3D Agena-D1A MarsSuccessMars probe attempting to study the surface and atmosphere of Mars during close flybys to establish a basis for further investigations. [18]
March 27Flag of the United States.svg  US Mariner 7 Atlas SLV-3D Agena-D1A MarsSuccessMars probe attempting to study the surface and atmosphere of Mars during close flybys to establish a basis for further investigations. [19]
November 8Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany Azur / (GRS A) (German Research Satellite) Scout B S169C EarthSuccessThe scientific mission was to: scan the energy spectra of inner zone protons and electrons; measure the fluxes of electrons of energy greater than 40 keV that are parallel, anti-parallel, and perpendicular to the magnetic lines of force over the auroral zone, and measure associated optical emission; and record solar protons on alert. [20]

1970s

Artificial satellites and space probes in the 1970s
YearOriginNameTargetStatusDescription
1970Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Ohsumi EarthSuccessFirst Japanese satellite. Japan became the fourth nation after the USSR, USA and France to successfully put an artificial satellite into orbit on its own.
Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany DIALEarthSuccessSecond German satellite. Launch by a French Diamant B from Kourou
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Venera 7 VenusSuccessFirst successful landing of a spacecraft on another planet
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Luna 16 MoonSuccessLander is the first automated return of samples from the Moon
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Zond 8 MoonSuccessFlyby
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Luna 17/Lunokhod 1 MoonSuccessLander/rover is the first automated surface exploration of the Moon
Flag of France.svg  France PEOLEEarthSuccessFirst French communication satellite.
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK Orba (satellite) EarthFailureSecond stage of rocket shutdown 13 seconds early
Flag of the United States.svg  US Uhuru EarthSuccessFirst dedicated X-ray astronomy satellite
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Dong Fang Hong I EarthSuccessFirst Chinese satellite
1971Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Luna 18 MoonFailureLander
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Luna 19 MoonSuccessOrbiter
Flag of the United States.svg  US Mariner 8 MarsFailureOrbiter. Lost due to launch failure.
Flag of France.svg  France TournesolEarthSuccessFirst French satellite with active attitude control. Hydrogen measurement.
Flag of France.svg  France PolaireEarthFailureSecond stage explosion
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Cosmos 419 MarsFailureProbe
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Mars 2 MarsFailureOrbiter and lander, created the first human artifact on Mars
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Mars 3 MarsSuccessOrbiter and lander, first successful landing on Mars
Flag of the United States.svg  US Mariner 9 MarsSuccessOrbiter, first pictures of Mars' moons (Phobos and Deimos) taken
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada ISIS 2 EarthSuccess
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Shinsei EarthPartial successFirst Japanese science satellite
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK Prospero X-3 EarthSuccessSatellite, first satellite launched by Britain using a British rocket
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK Ariel 4 EarthSuccess
1972Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Venera 8 VenusSuccessLander
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Luna 20 MoonSuccessLander
Flag of the United States.svg  US/Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK Copernicus – Orbiting Astronomical Observatory-3 EarthSuccess
Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer 10 JupiterSuccessFirst spacecraft to encounter Jupiter
Flag of the United States.svg  US Explorer 49 SunSuccessSolar probe
1973Flag of the United States.svg  US Mariner 10 Venus/MercurySuccessIt passed by and photographed Mercury, also was the first dual planet probe
Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer 11 Jupiter/SaturnSuccessFirst spacecraft to encounter Saturn
Flag of France.svg  France Castor PolluxEarthFailureReached orbit but the fairing failed to deploy, failing the launch
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Luna 21/Lunokhod 2 MoonSuccessLander/rover
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Mars 4 MarsFailureOrbiter
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Mars 5 MarsSuccessOrbiter
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Mars 6 MarsFailureOrbiter and lander
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Mars 7 MarsFailureOrbiter and lander
1974Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany Helios 1 SunSuccessSolar probe
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Luna 22 MoonSuccessOrbiter
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Luna 23 MoonFailureProbe
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK Ariel 5 EarthSuccessX-ray satellite
1975Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Venera 9 VenusSuccessReturns the first pictures of the surface of Venus
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Venera 10 VenusSuccessOrbiter and lander
Flag of France.svg  France StarletteEarthSuccessLaser reflector for Earth based measurement
Flag of France.svg  France Castor PolluxEarthSuccessCastor tested a new accelerometer, Pollux tested hydrazine based thrusters
Flag of France.svg  France AuraEarthSuccessFar-ultraviolet measurement of the Sun. Last launch of the Diamant rocket.
Flag of the United States.svg  US Viking 1 MarsSuccessOrbiter and lander; lands on Mars 1976
Flag of the United States.svg  US Viking 2 MarsSuccessOrbiter and lander; lands on Mars 1976
Flag of India.svg  India Aryabhata EarthSuccessLaunched by USSR, the first Indian satellite
1976Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany Helios 2 SunSuccessSolar probe
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Luna 24 MoonSuccessLander
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada/Flag of the United States.svg  US/Flag of Europe.svg  Europe Communications Technology Satellite EarthSuccessPrototype for testing direct broadcast satellite television on the Ku band
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands/Flag of the United States.svg  US Astronomische Nederlandse Satelliet (ANS)EarthSuccessDiscovered X-ray bursts, first Dutch satellite (with US contributions) [21]
Flag of the United States.svg  US Orbiting Solar Observatory SunSuccessX-ray satellite shows that X-ray bursts have blackbody spectra
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia Palapa A1 EarthSuccessLaunched by US, The First Indonesian GEO Satellite for domestic Communication
1977Flag of the United States.svg  US HEAO-1 EarthSuccessX-ray satellite
Flag of the United States.svg  US Voyager 1 Voyager 2 JupiterSuccessSent back images of Jupiter and its system
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Kosmos 954 EarthSuccessReconnaissance satellites
1978Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer Venus 1 VenusSuccessOrbiter
Flag of the United States.svg  US Pioneer Venus 2 VenusSuccessAtmospheric probe
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Venera 11 VenusSuccessFlyby and lander
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Venera 12 VenusSuccessFlyby and lander
Flag of the United States.svg  US/Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK/Flag of Europe.svg  Europe International Ultraviolet Explorer EarthSuccess
Flag of the United States.svg  US HEAO-2 EarthSuccessFirst X-ray photographs of astronomical objects
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czechoslovakia Magion 1EarthSuccessFirst satellite for Czechoslovakia
1979Flag of India.svg  India Satellite Launch Vehicle FailureIndia's first rocket launched
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Hakucho EarthSuccessX-ray satellite
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK Ariel 6 EarthSuccessCosmic-ray and X-ray satellite
Flag of India.svg  India RTP EarthFailureLaunched by ISRO. (Purpose was to monitor flight performance of SLV)
Flag of India.svg  India Bhaskara-1 EarthSuccessLaunched by ISRO (First Indian low orbit Earth Observation Satellite)

1980s

Artificial satellites and space probes in the 1980s
YearOriginNameTargetStatusDescription
1980Flag of the United States.svg  US Solar Maximum MissionSunFailure Solar Maximum Mission solar probe succeeded after being repaired in Earth orbit
1981Flag of India.svg  India Bhaskara-2EarthSuccess Bhaskara-2 satellite; launched on Russian Kosmos-3M rocket for ISRO
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Venera 13VenusSuccess Venera 13 launched, it returned the first colour pictures of the surface of Venus
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Venera 14VenusSuccess Venera 14 flyby and lander
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria Bulgaria 1300 EarthSuccess Bulgaria 1300, polar research mission, was Bulgaria's first artificial satellite; launched by the Soviet Union
1983Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Venera 15VenusSuccess Venera 15 orbiter
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Venera 16VenusSuccess Venera 16 orbiter
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe EXOSATEarthSuccessLaunch of the EXOSAT X-ray satellite
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan TenmaEarthSuccessLaunch of the Tenma X-ray satellite (ASTRO-B)
Flag of the United States.svg  US / Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands / Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK IRASEarthSuccessLaunch of the IRAS satellite
1984Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Vega 1Venus/Halley's CometSuccess Vega 1 flyby, atmospheric probe and lander
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Vega 2Venus/Halley's CometSuccess Vega 2 flyby, atmospheric probe and lander
1985Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Sakigake Halley's CometSuccess Sakigake flyby, Japan's first interplanetary spacecraft
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Suisei Halley's CometSuccess Suisei flyby
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico Morelos IEarthSuccess Morelos I, the first Mexican satellite
1986Flag of Europe.svg  Europe Giotto Halley's CometSuccess Giotto flyby
Flag of the United States.svg  US Voyager 2 UranusSuccessVoyager 2 sent back images of Uranus and its system
1987Flag of Japan.svg  Japan GingaEarthSuccessLaunch of the Ginga X-ray satellite (ASTRO-C)
1988Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Phobos 1 MarsFailure Phobos 1 orbiter and lander
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Phobos 2 MarsFailure Phobos 2 flyby and lander
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Ofeq 1 EarthSuccess Ofeq 1 first Israeli satellite, first satellite to be launched in retrograde orbit
1989Flag of the United States.svg  US Magellan VenusSuccess Magellan orbiter launched which mapped 99 percent of the surface of Venus (300 m resolution)
Flag of the United States.svg  US / Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany Galileo Venus/Earth/Moon/Gaspra/Ida/JupiterSuccess Galileo flyby, orbiter and atmospheric probe
Flag of the United States.svg  US Voyager 2 NeptuneSuccessVoyager 2 sent back images of Neptune and its system
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe HipparcosEarthSuccessLaunch of the Hipparcos satellite
Flag of the United States.svg  US COBEEarthSuccessLaunch of the COBE satellite
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union GranatEarthSuccessLaunch of the Granat gamma-ray and X-ray satellite

1990s

Artificial satellites and space probes in the 1990s
YearOriginNameTargetStatusDescription
1990Flag of the United States.svg  US/Flag of Europe.svg  Europe UlyssesSunSuccess Ulysses solar flyby
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan HitenMoonSuccess Hiten probe, this was the first non-United States or USSR probe to reach the Moon
Flag of the United States.svg  US/Flag of Europe.svg  Europe Hubble Space TelescopeEarthSuccessLaunch of the Hubble Space Telescope
🇵🇰

Pakistan

Badr-1EarthSuccessLaunch of

Badr-1 Pakistan 1st communication satellite

Flag of Germany.svg  Germany ROSATEarthSuccessLaunch of the ROSAT X-ray satellite to conduct the first imaging X-ray sky survey
1991Flag of Japan.svg  Japan YohkohSunSuccess Yohkoh solar probe
Flag of the United States.svg  US Compton Gamma-Ray ObservatoryEarthSuccessLaunch of the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory satellite
1992Flag of the United States.svg  US Mars ObserverMarsFailure Mars Observer orbiter
1993Flag of Japan.svg  Japan ASCAEarthSuccessLaunch of the ASCA (ASTRO-D) X-ray satellite
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil INPEEarthSuccessLaunch of the SCD-1, the oldest earth observation equipment still in operation.
1994Flag of the United States.svg  US ClementineMoonSuccess Clementine orbiter mapped the surface of the Moon (resolution 125–150 m) and allowed the first accurate relief map of the Moon to be generated
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Türksat 1BEarthSuccess Türksat 1B, First Turkish communications satellite
1995Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico Unamsat 1EarthFailure Unamsat 1, First UNAM built orbiter
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Sich-1EarthSuccess Sich-1 launched, first Ukrainian-built satellite
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe ISOEarthSuccessLaunch of the Infrared Space Observatory
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe/Flag of the United States.svg  US SOHOSunSuccess SOHO solar probe
1996Flag of the United States.svg  US NEAR Shoemaker433 ErosSuccess NEAR Shoemaker asteroid flybys/orbiter/lander
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Türksat 1CEarthSuccess Türksat 1C, Second Turkish communications satellite
Flag of the United States.svg  US Mars Global SurveyorMarsSuccess Mars Global Surveyor orbiter
Flag of the United States.svg  US Mars PathfinderMarsSuccess Mars Pathfinder, the first automated surface exploration of another planet
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Mars 96MarsFailure Mars 96 orbiter and lander
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina SAC-BEarthFailure Sac-B Orbiter
1997Flag of the United States.svg  US/Flag of Europe.svg  Europe Cassini-HuygensSaturn and TitanSuccess Cassini-Huygens arrived in orbit on July 1, 2004, landed on Titan January 14, 2005
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina Nahuel 1AEarthSuccess Nahuel 1A First Argentine satellite - geostationary communications satellites
1998Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea Kwangmyongsong-1EarthUn­knownClaimed launch of Kwangmyongsong-1 by North Korea though no independent source was able to verify its existence
Flag of the United States.svg  US Lunar ProspectorMoonSuccess Lunar Prospector orbiter
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan NozomiMarsFailure Nozomi (Planet B) orbiter, the first Japanese spacecraft to reach another planet
Flag of the United States.svg  US Mars Climate OrbiterMarsFailure Mars Climate Orbiter
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina / Flag of the United States.svg  US SAC-AEarthSuccess Sac-A Orbiter
1999Flag of the United States.svg  US Mars Polar LanderMarsFailure Mars Polar Lander
Flag of the United States.svg  US Deep Space 2MarsFailure Deep Space 2 (DS2) penetrators
Flag of the United States.svg  US ChandraEarthSuccessLaunch of the Chandra X-ray Observatory
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe XMM-NewtonEarthSuccessLaunch of the X-Ray Multi-Mirror Mission, XMM-Newton

2000s

Artificial satellites and space probes in 2000's
YearOriginNameTargetStatusDescription
2000Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK SNAP-1EarthSuccess SNAP-1 robotic camera enabling images to be sent to other spacecraft orbiting the Earth
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina SAC-CEarthSuccess SAC-C Orbiter
2001Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Türksat 2AEarthSuccess Türksat 2A, third Turkish communications satellite
Flag of the United States.svg  US GenesisSunPartial success Genesis solar wind sample crash-landed on return
Flag of the United States.svg  US WMAPEarthSuccess Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) performs cosmological observations.
Flag of the United States.svg  US Mars OdysseyMarsSuccess Mars Odyssey
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe PROBA-1EarthSuccess PROBA-1 Small satellite to observe the Earth (first Belgian Satellite)
2003Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada MOSTEarthSuccess MOST the smallest space telescope in orbit.
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey BİLSATEarthSuccess BİLSAT, Turkey's first earth observation satellite
2002Flag of the United States.svg  US CONTOUR Comet Encke Failure CONTOUR launched, but lost during early trajectory insertion.
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe/Flag of Russia.svg  Russia/Flag of the United States.svg  US INTEGRALEarthSuccessLaunch of the INTEGRAL gamma-ray satellite.
2003Flag of Europe.svg  Europe Smart 1MoonSuccess Smart 1 orbiter
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe Mars Express & Beagle 2MarsPartial success Mars Express orbiter (successfully reached orbit) and failed Beagle 2 lander
Flag of the United States.svg  US Mars Exploration RoverMarsSuccess Mars Exploration Rovers successful launches, Spirit successfully landed, Opportunity successfully landed
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK UK-DMCEarthSuccess UK-DMC orbiter, part of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Hayabusa 25143 Itokawa Success Hayabusa , first sample return from asteroid, returned in 2010
2004Flag of Europe.svg  Europe Rosetta Comet 67P Success Rosetta space probe launched (arrived on comet 67P on November 12, 2014)
Flag of the United States.svg  US MESSENGERMercurySuccess MESSENGER orbiter launched (in Mercury orbit)
Flag of the United States.svg  US SwiftEarthSuccessLaunch of the Swift Gamma ray burst observatory.
2005Flag of the United States.svg  US Deep Impact Comet Tempel 1 Success Deep Impact
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan SuzakuEarthPartial successLaunch of the Suzaku X-ray observatory (ASTRO-EII)
Flag of the United States.svg  US MROMarsSuccess Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Sinah-1EarthSuccess Sinah-1 launched, first Iranian-built satellite
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe Venus ExpressVenusSuccess Venus Express
2006Flag of the United States.svg  US New HorizonsPlutoSuccess New Horizons launched. On July 14, 2015, New Horizons flew within 7,750 miles (12,472 km) of Pluto.
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan AkariEarthSuccessLaunch of the Akari infrared observatory (ASTRO-F)
Flag of France.svg  France/Flag of Europe.svg  Europe COROTEarthSuccess COROT telescope to search for extrasolar planets
2007Flag of the United States.svg  US PhoenixMarsSuccess Phoenix launched and successfully landed in 2008
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan SELENEMoonSuccess SELENE orbiter and lander
Flag of the United States.svg  US DawnVesta/CeresSuccess Dawn solar powered ion engined probe to 4 Vesta and 1 Ceres.
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Chang'e-IMoonSuccess Chang'e-I lunar orbiter
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria NigComSat-1EarthPartial success NigComSat-1 launched by China, failed after 1 year
2008Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Türksat 3AEarthSuccess Türksat 3A, fourth Turkish communications satellite
Flag of the United States.svg  US IBEXEarthSuccessThe Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX)'s mission is to study the nature of interactions between solar wind and interstellar medium at the edge of Solar System.
2009Flag of Europe.svg  Europe PlanckL2Success Planck
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe HerschelL2Success Herschel Space Observatory
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran OmidEarthSuccess Omid launched by Iranian made launcher Safir. First Iranian-launched satellite
Flag of the United States.svg  US KeplerEarthSuccess Kepler launched
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe PROBA-2EarthSuccess PROBA-2 Small satellite to observe the Sun
Flag of India.svg  India RISAT-2EarthSuccess RISAT-2 developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, launched by ISRO, India
Flag of India.svg  India Chandrayaan-1MoonSuccess Chandrayaan-1 developed and launched by ISRO, India. First discovery of Lunar Water.
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK UK-DMC 2EarthSuccess UK-DMC 2 orbiter, successor to UK-DMC part of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation

2010s

Artificial satellites and space probes in the 2010s
YearOriginNameTargetStatusDescription
2010Flag of Japan.svg  Japan AkatsukiVenusPartial success Akatsuki orbiter, first Japanese spacecraft to orbit another planet (2015)
2010Flag of Japan.svg  Japan IKAROSVenusSuccess IKAROS, first solar-sail spacecraft
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Chang'e-2MoonSuccess Chang'e-2 lunar orbiter/impacter
2011Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey RASATEarthSuccess

Turkey's after BİLSAT, second earth observation satellite. RASAT, design and production made in Turkey is the first observation satellite.

Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Spektr-REarthSuccessLaunch of the Spektr-R radio telescope
Flag of the United States.svg  US JunoJupiterSuccess Juno
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Fobos-GruntMarsFailure Fobos-Grunt lander and sample return
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria NigComSat-1EarthSuccess NigComSat-1 replacement launched by China
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan / Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore ST-2EarthSuccess ST-2 replacement launched by Taiwan and Singapore
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina / Flag of the United States.svg  US SAC-DEarthSuccess SAC-D Orbiter
2012Flag of Iran.svg  Iran NavidEarthSuccess Navid Earth-watching satellite
Flag of the United States.svg  US MSLMarsSuccess Mars Science Laboratory with Curiosity rover—orbit and landed
Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3EarthSuccess Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2, first successful North Korean orbital rocket launch
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland PW-SatEarthSuccess PW-Sat, first Polish satellite
2013Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea STSAT-2CEarthSuccess STSAT-2C, first successful South Korean orbital rocket launch
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada NEOSSatEarthSuccess NEOSSat, monitoring near-Earth objects
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada SapphireEarthSuccess Sapphire, military space surveillance
Flag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador NEE 01 PegasoEarthSuccess NEE-01 Pegaso, Ecuador's first satellite
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia ESTCube-1EarthSuccess ESTCube-1, Estonia's first satellite
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe PROBA-VEarthSuccess PROBA-V, small satellite to monitor the vegetation of the Earth
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  UK STRaND-1EarthSuccess STRaND-1, first smartphone-operated satellite to be launched and dubbed the world's first "phonesat"
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan HisakiEarthSuccess Hisaki planetary atmosphere observatory
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada CASSIOPEEarthSuccess CASSIOPE, ionosphere research and communication satellite
Flag of India.svg  India MOMMarsSuccess MOM is India's first interplanetary mission to Mars. First Asian nation to reach Mars.
Flag of the United States.svg  US MAVENMarsSuccess MAVEN orbiter
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland LemEarthSuccess Lem, First Polish scientific satellite
2014Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania LitSat1/LituanicaSAT-1EarthSuccess LitSat-1 and LituanicaSAT-1, first Lithuanian satellites
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey TÜRKSAT 4AEarthSuccess TÜRKSAT 4A, Turkey's fifth communication satellite.
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe Rosetta / Philae Comet 67P Partial success Rosetta and Philae , Third comet landing at unintended site in suboptimal orientation due to failure of surface anchoring system
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland HeweliuszEarthSuccess Heweliusz, Second Polish scientific satellite
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Hayabusa2 162173 Ryugu Success Hayabusa2 , second Japanese asteroid sample return spacecraft
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan PROCYON 2000 DP107 Partial failure PROCYON deep space probe
2015Flag of the United States.svg  US DSCOVR Earth-Sun L1 Success DSCOVR, Earth and space weather
Flag of India.svg  India AstrosatEarthSuccess Astrosat, Space observatory
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey TÜRKSAT 4BEarthSuccess TÜRKSAT 4B, Turkey's sixth communication satellite.
2016Flag of Europe.svg  European Union / Flag of Russia.svg  Russia ExoMars / SchiaparelliMarsPartial success ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, Trace Gas Orbiter in orbit; Schiaparelli lander crashed
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada M3MSatEarthSuccess M3MSat, maritime monitoring and communication satellite
Flag of the United States.svg  US OSIRIS-RExEarthEn route OSIRIS-REx, first American asteroid sample return spacecraft
2017Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil SGDC-1EarthSuccess SGDC-1, communication satellite
2018Flag of the United States.svg  US Tesla RoadsterHeliocentric orbitSuccess Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster, dummy payload for the February 2018 Falcon Heavy test flight and is now an artificial satellite of the Sun
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China QueqiaoMoonSuccessFirst relay satellite for far side of the Moon.
Flag of the United States.svg  US Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Germany.svg  Germany InSightMarsSuccess InSight , Mars lander for planetary information
Flag of Europe.svg  European Union/Flag of Japan.svg  Japan BepiColomboMercuryEn route BepiColombo , two orbiters to study the magnetic field, magnetosphere, and both interior and surface structure of Mercury. Final mission of the Horizon 2000+ programme
Flag of the United States.svg  US Parker Solar ProbeSunEn route Parker Solar Probe , first spacecraft to visit the outer corona of the Sun
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Chang'e 4MoonSuccess Chang'e 4 , first spacecraft to soft-land on the lunar far side.
2019Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt NARSSCube-2EarthSuccess NARSSCube-2 , Egypt's first domestically built satellite
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel BeresheetMoonFailure Beresheet , first private space probe and moon lander, crashed
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia / Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Spektr-RG Earth-Sun L2 SuccessLaunch of the Spektr-RG X-ray observatory
Flag of India.svg  India Chandrayaan-2MoonPartial success Chandrayaan-2 , orbiter achieved orbit, but lander and rover module hit into the Moon's surface and crashed.
Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia ETRSS-1EarthSuccess ETRSS-1, first Ethiopian satellite; launched on China's Long March 4B rocket. [22]

2020s

Artificial satellites and space probes in the 2020s
YearOriginNameTargetStatusDescription
2020Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey TÜRKSAT 5A EarthSuccess TÜRKSAT 5A, Turkey's seventh communication satellite launched with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.
Flag of Europe.svg  European Union SolO Sun En route Solar Orbiter is an ESA's Sun-observing satellite. [23] [24] [25]
Flag of the United States.svg  US Mars 2020 MarsOperational Perseverance , JPL's Mars rover. It was launched on July 30 with Atlas V rocket, and landed on February 18, 2021 together with the small Ingenuity helicopter that was deployed on April 4, 2021.
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  UAE HopeMarsSuccess Hope satellite is the United Arab Emirates Space Agency's uncrewed space research project on Mars. It was launched with Japanese H-IIA rocket on 19 July and reached Mars on 9 February 2021.
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Tianwen-1 MarsSuccessMission containing a orbiter, deployable and remote cameras, lander and Zhurong rover. This is China's 2nd uncrewed space research project on Mars. It was launched with Long March 5 rocket on 23 July and the orbiter, lander and rover entered Mars orbit on 10 February 2021. The rover and lander landed on 14 May with rover deployment on 22 April 2021 and dropped a remote selfie camera on Mars on 1 June 2021 and while a deployable camera made a flyby around 10 February 2021 and another deployable camera was released into Mars orbit on 31 December 2021.
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Chang'e 5 MoonSuccessOrbiter, Returner, Ascent Stage, Lander configuration mission, China's first automated return of samples from the Moon. orbiter visited L1 and made a lunar flyby.
2021Flag of the United States.svg  US Lucy two main belt asteroids as well as six Jupiter trojans En routeNASA probe that will complete a 12-year journey to nine different asteroids, visiting two main belt asteroids as well as six Jupiter trojans, [26] [27] asteroids which share Jupiter's orbit around the Sun, orbiting either ahead of or behind the planet. All target encounters will be fly-by encounters. [28] It was launched on October 16, 2021, on the 401 variant of Atlas V and has yet to study a trojan asteroid.
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Amazônia-1 EarthSuccessAmazônia-1 is the first Earth observation satellite developed by Brazil, helped by Argentina's INVAP, who provided the main computer, attitude controls and sensors, and the training of Brazilian engineers,[8] and launched at 04:54:00 UTC (10:24:00 IST) on 28 February 2021.
Flag of the United States.svg  US DART a Binary 65803 Didymos asteroid systemSuccess Double Asteroid Redirection Test , NASA's first mission to test planetary defense. Its uses involves test this technique by kinetically impacting the spacecraft to produce a small change in its orbital period. It was launched on November 24 with Falcon 9 rocket. Accompanying the mission is LICIACube cubesat, a flyby mission that recorded the impact and its aftermaths.
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy LICIACube a Binary 65803 Didymos asteroid systemSuccess LICIACube , Light Italian Cubesat for Imaging of Asteroids, is the first Agenzia Spaziale Italiana's interplanetary mission. Ideated, designed, integrated and operated entirely in Italy, it has been the witness of the first real-scale planetary defense test performed by Double Asteroid Redirection Test. LICIACube is the smallest human-made object that successfully performed a flyby of a Small Solar System body. It has been deployed two weeks before DART's impact.
Flag of the United States.svg  US IXPE EarthSuccess Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, NASA's new X-ray observatory. It was launched on December 8 with Falcon 9 rocket.
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey TÜRKSAT 5B EarthSuccess TÜRKSAT 5B, Turkey's eighth communication satellite launched with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.
Flag of the United States.svg  US / Flag of Europe.svg  European Union / Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada James Webb Space Telescope Earth-Sun L2 pointSuccess James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), NASA, ESA and CSA's joint project for a space telescope. It was launched on December 25 with Ariane 5 ECA rocket to Earth-Moon L2 point.
2022Flag of the United States.svg  US CAPSTONE Near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) of MoonOperational CAPSTONE, Lunar orbiting CubeSat that will test and verify the calculated orbital stability planned for the Gateway space station. It was launched with Rocket Lab Electron rocket.
Flag of the United States.svg  US Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 NoneNone

In May, NASA reports that the Voyager 1 spacecraft, the farthest human-made object, is sending data that does not reflect what is happening on board with the antenna apparently remaining in its prescribed orientation to Earth. [29] [30] In June, it was reported that NASA is preparing to power down the two Voyager spacecraft in the hope of using the remaining power to extend their operation to about 2030. [31]

Flag of the United States.svg  US / Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea Danuri (KLPO)MoonOperationalSouth Korea's first lunar orbiter launched by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. Danuri will serve to create topographic map of the lunar surface to pinpoint future landing sites.
Flag of the United States.svg  US Artemis 1 Orion MPCV CM-002 MoonSuccessUncrewed test of the Orion spacecraft in lunar flyby and DRO orbit.
CuSP HeliocentricOperationalStudy particles and magnetic fields.
LunIR MoonSuccessCollect its surface thermography.
NEA Scout Moon/AsteroidFailure Solar sail that will flyby a near-Earth asteroid.
Team Miles HelliocentricOperationalDemonstrate low-thrust plasma propulsion in deep space.
BioSentinel HeliocentricOperationalContains yeast cards that will be rehydrated in space, designed to detect, measure, and compare the effects of deep space radiation.
LunaH-Map MoonFailureSearch for evidence of lunar water ice inside permanently shadowed craters using its neutron detector.
Lunar IceCube MoonEn routeIts infrared spectrometer will detect water and organic compounds in the lunar surface and exosphere.
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy ArgoMoon High Earth Orbit with Lunar FlybysOperationalImage the ICPS and perform deep space Nanotechnology experiments.
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan OMOTENASHI MoonFailureInflatable module attempting to land semi-hard at lunar surface.
EQUULEUS Moon/Earth Moon-L2 SuccessImage the Earth's plasmasphere, impact craters on the Moon's far side and L2 experiments.
Hakuto-R Mission 1MoonFailureLunar landing technology demonstration at Atlas Crater.
Flag of the United States.svg  US Lunar Flashlight MoonFailure Lunar Flashlight, Lunar orbiting CubeSat that will explore, locate, and estimate size and composition of water ice deposits on the Moon for future exploitation by robots or humans. It was launched with Hakuto-R mission Mission 1.
2023Flag of Europe.svg  European Union Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE)Jupiter and Ganymede En routeMission to study Jupiter's three icy moons Callisto, Europa and Ganymede, eventually orbiting Ganymede as the first spacecraft to orbit a satellite of another planet.
Flag of Europe.svg  European Union Euclid Earth-Sun L2 pointOperationalIt is ESA's project for a space telescope to study dark matter. It was launched on July 1 with Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket to Earth-Moon L2 point.
Flag of India.svg  India Chandrayaan-3 MoonSuccessIt is India's second attempt to land on the Moon and its south pole. Successfully launched on 14 July 2023 on a LVM3 launch vehicle. Successfully landed on 23 August 2023.
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Luna-25 MoonFailureIt was a lander, launched on 10 August 2023 on Soyuz 2.1b rocket. Crashed on the Moon surface on 19 August 2023. [32]
Flag of India.svg  India Aditya-L1 Earth-Sun L1 pointOperationalIt is ISRO's first Sun dedicated scientific mission. It will perform observations of the Solar corona. Successfully launched on 2 September 2023 on a PSLV-XL rocket.
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan / Flag of the United States.svg  US XRISM EarthOperational X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, X-ray space telescope developed by JAXA in partnership with NASA. Successfully launched on 6 September 2023 on a H-IIA launch vehicle.
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan SLIM MoonSuccessLunar lander developed by JAXA carrying two lunar rovers. Successfully launched on 6 September 2023 on a H-IIA launch vehicle. Successfully landed on 19 January 2024.
Flag of the United States.svg  US Psyche 16 Psyche En routeAsteroid orbiter developed by NASA. Successfully launched on 13 October 2023 on a Falcon Heavy launch vehicle.
2024Flag of India.svg  India XPoSat EarthOperational ISRO's mission to study X-ray polarisation. Successfully launched on 1 January 2024 on a PSLV-DL launch vehicle.
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Peregrine Mission One MoonFailureLunar lander developed by Astrobotic Technology and selected as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services. Successfully launched on 8 January 2024 on a Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle but landing abandoned due to excessive propellant leak.
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China / Flag of Europe.svg  European Union Einstein Probe EarthOperationalX-ray space telescope developed jointly by CAS and ESA. Successfully launched on 9 January 2024 on a Long March 2C launch vehicle.
Flag of the United States.svg  USA IM-1 MoonSuccess Cryogenic-propelled lunar lander developed by Intuitive Machines and selected as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services. Successfully launched on 15 February 2024 on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle and landed on its side on 22 February 2024. Accompanied by a university Cubesat lander called EagleCam to send third-party images of landing sequence back to Earth.
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China DRO A/BMoonFailure Yuanzheng 1S upper stage failed to deliver spacecrafts into correct orbit. The satellites were intended to test Distant retrograde orbit. [33]
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Queqiao-2MoonSuccess Queqiao-2 relay satellite for far side of the Moon with Tiandu-1 and 2 to test future lunar satellite constellation technologies.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</span> Research and development center and NASA field center in California, United States

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a federally funded research and development center in La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States. Founded in 1936 by Caltech researchers, the laboratory is now owned and sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and administered and managed by the California Institute of Technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariner program</span> NASA space program from 1962 to 1973

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.

<i>Voyager 1</i> NASA space probe launched in 1977

Voyager 1 is a space probe launched by NASA on September 5, 1977, as part of the Voyager program to study the outer Solar System and the interstellar space beyond the Sun's heliosphere. It was launched 16 days after its twin Voyager 2. It communicates through the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) to receive routine commands and to transmit data to Earth. Real-time distance and velocity data is provided by NASA and JPL. At a distance of 162.7 AU from Earth as of March 2024, it is the most distant human-made object from Earth.

<i>Voyager 2</i> NASA "grand tour" planetary probe

Voyager 2 is a space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977, to study the outer planets and interstellar space beyond the Sun's heliosphere. As a part of the Voyager program, it was launched 16 days before its twin, Voyager 1, on a trajectory that took longer to reach gas giants Jupiter and Saturn but enabled further encounters with ice giants Uranus and Neptune. Voyager 2 remains the only spacecraft to have visited either of the ice giant planets, and was the third of five spacecraft to achieve Solar escape velocity, which will allow it to leave the Solar System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voyager program</span> Ongoing NASA interstellar program

The Voyager program is an American scientific program that employs two interstellar probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. They were launched in 1977 to take advantage of a favorable alignment of the two gas giants Jupiter and Saturn and the ice giants, Uranus and Neptune, to fly near them while collecting data for transmission back to Earth. After launch, the decision was made to send Voyager 2 near Uranus and Neptune to collect data for transmission back to Earth.

<i>Ulysses</i> (spacecraft) 1990 robotic space probe; studied the Sun from a near-polar orbit

Ulysses was a robotic space probe whose primary mission was to orbit the Sun and study it at all latitudes. It was launched in 1990 and made three "fast latitude scans" of the Sun in 1994/1995, 2000/2001, and 2007/2008. In addition, the probe studied several comets. Ulysses was a joint venture of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), under leadership of ESA with participation from Canada's National Research Council. The last day for mission operations on Ulysses was 30 June 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Solar System exploration</span>

This is a timeline of Solar System exploration ordering events in the exploration of the Solar System by date of spacecraft launch. It includes:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gravity assist</span> Space navigation technique

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-111</span> 2002 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

STS-111 was a space shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour. STS-111 resupplied the station and replaced the Expedition 4 crew with the Expedition 5 crew. It was launched on 5 June 2002, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

This is a timeline of space exploration which includes notable achievements, first accomplishments and milestones in humanity's exploration of outer space.

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquarius (SAC-D instrument)</span> NASA instrument aboard the Argentine SAC-D spacecraft

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expedition 21</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expedition 26</span> Mission to the International Space Station

Expedition 26 was the 26th long-duration mission to the International Space Station. The expedition's first three crew members – one US astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts – arrived at the station on board Soyuz TMA-01M on 10 October 2010. Expedition 26 officially began the following month on 26 November, when half of the crew of the previous mission, Expedition 25, returned to Earth on board Soyuz TMA-19. The rest of the Expedition 26 crew – one US astronaut, one Russian cosmonaut and one ESA astronaut – joined the trio already on board when their spacecraft, Soyuz TMA-20, docked with the station on 17 December 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orion (spacecraft)</span> American–European spacecraft class for the Artemis program

Orion is a partially reusable crewed spacecraft used in NASA's Artemis program. The spacecraft consists of a Crew Module (CM) space capsule designed by Lockheed Martin and the European Service Module (ESM) manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space. Capable of supporting a crew of four beyond low Earth orbit, Orion can last up to 21 days undocked and up to six months docked. It is equipped with solar panels, an automated docking system, and glass cockpit interfaces modeled after those used in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. A single AJ10 engine provides the spacecraft's primary propulsion, while eight R-4D-11 engines, and six pods of custom reaction control system engines developed by Airbus, provide the spacecraft's secondary propulsion. Orion is intended to launch atop a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with a tower launch escape system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heliophysics Science Division</span>

The Heliophysics Science Division of the Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA) conducts research on the Sun, its extended Solar System environment, and interactions of Earth, other planets, small bodies, and interstellar gas with the heliosphere. Division research also encompasses geospace—Earth's uppermost atmosphere, the ionosphere, and the magnetosphere—and the changing environmental conditions throughout the coupled heliosphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SOLRAD 8</span>

The SOLRAD 8,Explorer 30 or SE-A satellite was one of the NASA SOLRAD program that began in 1960 to provide continuous coverage of solar radiation with a set of standard photometers. SOLRAD 8 was a spin-stabilized satellite oriented with its spin axis perpendicular to the sun-satellite line so that the 14 solar X-ray and ultraviolet photometers pointing radially outward from its equatorial belt viewed the sun on each revolution. Data were transmitted in real time by means of an FM / AM the satellite's telemetry system and were recorded by the stations on the Spacecraft Tracking and Data Acquisition Network (STADAN) tracking network.

<i>Interstellar Probe</i> (spacecraft) Proposed NASA space probe to travel 1000 AU from the Sun

Interstellar Probe (ISP) is a proposed NASA space probe designed to explore and characterize the heliosphere and interstellar space. The study was originally proposed in 2018 by NASA for the Applied Physics Laboratory. It would have a baseline launch between 2036 and 2041. The probe would launch on a direct hyperbolic trajectory to encounter Jupiter after six to seven months, after which the probe would travel at a speed of about 6–7 astronomical units (900,000,000–1.05×109 kilometres) per year, leaving the heliosphere after only 16 years.

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