Timeline of planetary exploration

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
  • 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
  • SMART 1 - 27 September 2003 - Lunar Orbiter
• 2004
  • Rosetta - February 2004 - Comet Orbiter and Lander (delayed)
  • MESSENGER - 23 March 2004 - Mercury Orbiter
  • Lunar-A - September 2004 - Lunar Orbiter and Penetrators (delayed)
  • Deep Impact - 30 December 2004 - Comet Rendezvous and Impact
  • 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

Referenced By