This is a list of
space probe
Uncrewed spacecraft or robotic spacecraft are spacecraft without people on board. Uncrewed spacecraft may have varying levels of autonomy from human input, such as remote control, or remote guidance. They may also be autonomous, in which th ...
s that have left Earth orbit (or were launched with that intention but failed), organized by their planned destination. It includes planetary probes, solar probes, and probes to asteroids and comets. Flybys (such as
gravity assists) that were incidental to the main purpose of the mission are also included.
Excluded are lunar missions, which are listed separately at
List of lunar probes and
List of Apollo missions
The Apollo program was a United States human spaceflight program carried out from 1961 to 1972 by the NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which landed the first List of Apollo astronauts, astronauts on the Moon. The progra ...
. Flybys of Earth are listed separately at
List of Earth flybys. Planned and proposed missions are in the
List of proposed Solar System probes.
Key
Colour key:
*
† means "tentatively identified", as classified by NASA.
These are Cold War-era Soviet missions, mostly failures, about which few or no details have been officially released. The information given may be speculative.
* Date is the date of:
:* closest encounter (flybys)
:* impact (impactors)
:* orbital insertion to end of mission, whether planned or premature (orbiters)
:* landing to end of mission, whether planned or premature (landers)
:* launch (missions that never got underway due to failure at or soon after launch)
: In cases which do not fit any of the above, the event to which the date refers is stated. As a result of this scheme missions are not always listed in order of launch.
* Some of the terms used under Type:
:* Flyby: The probe flies by an astronomical body, but does not orbit it
:*
Orbiter: Part of a probe that orbits an astronomical body
:*
Lander: Part of a probe that descend to the surface of an astronomical body
:*
Rover: Part of a probe that acts as a vehicle to move on the solid-surface of an astronomical body
:* Penetrator: Part of a probe that impacts an astronomical body
:* Atmospheric probe or balloon: Part of a probe that descend through or floats in the atmosphere of an astronomical body; not restricted to
weather balloon
A weather balloon, also known as a sounding balloon, is a balloon (specifically a type of high-altitude balloon) that carries instruments to the stratosphere to send back information on atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity and wind spe ...
s and other
atmospheric sounders, as it can also be used for surface and subsurface imaging and
remote sensing
Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an physical object, object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object, in contrast to in situ or on-site observation. The term is applied especially to acquiring inform ...
.
:*
Sample return: Parts of the probe return to Earth with physical samples
* Under Status, in the case of flybys (such as gravity assists) that are incidental to the main mission, "success" indicates the successful completion of the flyby, not necessarily that of the main mission.
Solar probes
While the Sun is not physically explorable with current technology, the following
solar observation probes have been designed and launched to operate in
heliocentric orbit
A heliocentric orbit (also called circumsolar orbit) is an orbit around the barycenter of the Solar System, which is usually located within or very near the surface of the Sun. All planets, comets, and asteroids in the Solar System, and the Sun ...
or at one of the Earth–Sun
Lagrangian point
In celestial mechanics, the Lagrange points (; also Lagrangian points or libration points) are points of equilibrium (mechanics), equilibrium for small-mass objects under the gravity, gravitational influence of two massive orbit, orbiting b ...
s – additional solar observatories were placed in Earth orbit and are not included in this list:
1960–1969
1974–1997
Since 2000
Mercury probes
Venus probes
Early programs encompassing multiple spacecraft include:
*
Venera program — USSR
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
orbiter and lander (1961–1984)
*
Pioneer Venus project — US
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
orbiter and entry probes (1978)
*
Vega program
Vega is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lyra. It has the Bayer designation α Lyrae, which is Latinisation of names, Latinised to Alpha Lyrae and abbreviated Alpha Lyr or α Lyr. This star is List of star systems wi ...
— USSR mission to
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
and
Comet Halley (1984)
1961–1969
1970–1978
1982–1999
Since 2006
Earth flybys
:''See
List of Earth flybys''
In addition, several planetary probes have sent back observations of the Earth-Moon system shortly after launch, most notably ''
Mariner 10'', Pioneers
10 and
11 and both Voyager probes (''
Voyager 1
''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 medium, interstellar space beyond the Sun's heliosphere. It was launched 16 days afte ...
'' and ''
Voyager 2'').
Lunar probes
:''See
List of lunar probes''
Mars probes
Major early programs encompassing multiple probes include:
*
Zond program — failed USSR flyby probe
*
Mars probe program — USSR orbiters and landers
*
Viking program — two
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
orbiters and landers (1974)
*
Phobos program — failed USSR orbiters and
Phobos landers
1960–1969
1971–1976
1988–1999
2001–2009
2011–2018
Since 2020
Phobos probes
Ceres probes
Asteroid probes
Jupiter probes
Ganymede probes
Saturn probes
Titan probes
Uranus probes
Neptune probes
Pluto probes
Comet probes
Kuiper belt probes
Probes leaving the Solar System
Other probes to leave Earth orbit
For completeness, this section lists probes that have left (or will leave) Earth orbit, but are not primarily targeted at any of the above bodies.
See also
*
Lists of spacecraft
*
List of uncrewed spacecraft by program
*
Discovery and exploration of the Solar System
*
List of space telescopes
This list of space telescopes (astronomy, astronomical space observatory, space observatories) is grouped by major frequency ranges: gamma ray, x-ray, ultraviolet, visible light, visible, infrared, microwave and radio. Telescopes that work in mult ...
*
Sample return mission
*
Timeline of Solar System exploration
*
List of interplanetary voyages
*
List of missions to the outer planets
References
External links
Planetary Society: Cassini's Tour of the Saturn System
{{DEFAULTSORT:Solar System Probes
Lists of spacecraft
*
Probes
Lists of space missions
Probes
Lists of Solar System objects
Solar System