| Name |
Launch
Date |
Rocket |
Weight (kg) |
Mission |
| Pioneer 5 (USA) |
11-Mar-60 |
Thor-Able |
43 kg |
First deep-space probe, returned data from a distance of 36.5 million km. |
| Mars (USSR) |
10-Oct-60 |
Molniya |
640 kg |
Mars probe, failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Mars (USSR) |
14-Oct-60 |
Molniya |
640 kg |
Mars probe, failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Sputnik 7 (USSR) |
04-Feb-61 |
Molniya |
640 kg |
Venua probe, failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Venera 1 (USSR) |
12-Feb-61 |
Molniya |
644 kg |
Passed within 100.000 km of Venus but failed before
encounter. |
| Mariner 1 (USA) |
22-Jul-62 |
Atlas-Agena |
202 kg |
Venus probe, failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Venera (USSR) |
25-Aug-62 |
Molniya |
890 kg |
Venus probe, failed to leave Earth orbit. |
| Mariner 2 (USA) |
27-Aug-62 |
Atlas-Agena |
203 kg |
First successful fly-by of Venus. Found heavy atmosphere and hot
surface, no magnetic field. |
| Venera (USSR) |
01-Sep-62 |
Molniya |
890 kg |
Venus probe, failed to leave Earth orbit. |
| Venera (USSR) |
12-Sep-62 |
Molniya |
890 kg |
Venus probe, failed to leave Earth orbit. |
| Mars (USSR) |
24-Oct-62 |
Molniya |
890 kg |
Mars probe, failed to leave Earth orbit. |
| Mars 1 (USSR) |
01-Nov-62 |
Molniya |
893 kg |
Mars probe, passed within 193,000 km of Mars but
failed before encounter and before mid-course correction. |
| Mars (USSR) |
04-Nov-62 |
Molniya |
890 kg |
Mars probe, failed to leave Earth orbit. |
| Cosmos 21 (USSR) |
11-Nov-63 |
Molniya |
890 kg |
Venus probe, failed to leave Earth orbit. |
| Venera (USSR) |
19-Feb-64 |
Molniya |
890 kg |
Venus probe, failed to leave Earth orbit. |
| Cosmos 27 (USSR) |
27-Mar-64 |
Molniya |
890 kg |
Venus probe, failed to leave Earth orbit. |
| Zond 1 (USSR) |
02-Apr-64 |
Molniya |
890 kg |
Venus probe, passed within 100.000 km of Venus but
failed before encounter. |
| Mariner 3 (USA) |
05-Nov-64 |
Atlas-Agena |
261 kg |
Mars probe, failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Mariner 4 (USA) |
28-Nov-64 |
Atlas-Agena |
261 kg |
First successful fly-by of Mars. 21 pictures returned. Found cratered
surface, no canals or flowing water. Mostly carbon dioxide atmosphere, 1
per cent of Earth's sea-level pressure. |
| Zond 2 (USSR) |
30-Nov-64 |
Molniya |
890 kg |
Mars probe, passed within 1.500 km of Mars but failed
before encounter. |
| Venera 2 (USSR) |
12-Nov-65 |
Molniya |
963 kg |
Venus fly-by, probe failed at encounter. |
| Venera 3 (USSR) |
16-Nov-65 |
Molniya |
960 kg |
First Venus atmosphere entry, failed to return data. |
| Cosmos 96 (USSR) |
23-Nov-65 |
Molniya |
960 kg |
Venus probe, failed to leave Earth orbit. |
| Pioneer 6 (USA) |
16-Dec-65 |
Delta |
61 kg |
Solar probe, orbiting Sun inside Earth's orbit. |
| Pioneer 7 (USA) |
17-Aug-66 |
Delta |
61 kg |
Solar probe, orbiting Sun outside Earth's orbit. |
| Venera 4 (USSR) |
12-Jun-67 |
Molniya |
1.106 kg |
First successful Venus atmosphere entry. Returned data to within 25 km of surface. Entry probe 383 kg. |
| Mariner 5 (USA) |
14-Jun-67 |
Atlas-Agena |
245 kg |
Venus probe fly-by, past 4.000 km from planet. |
| Cosmos 167 (USSR) |
17-Jun-67 |
Molniya |
1.100 kg |
Venus probe, failed to leave Earth orbit. |
| Pioneer 8 (USA) |
13-Dec-67 |
Delta |
66 kg |
Solar probe, orbiting Sun outside Earth's orbit. |
| Pioneer 9 (USA) |
08-Nov-68 |
Delta |
67 kg |
Solar probe, orbiting Sun inside Earth's orbit. |
| Venera 5 (USSR) |
05-Jan-69 |
Molniya |
1.130 kg |
Venus atmosphere probe: 405 kg. Crushed during descent. |
| Venera 6 (USSR) |
10-Jan-69 |
Molniya |
1.130 kg |
Venus atmosphere probe, 893 lb (405 kg). Crushed during descent. |
| Mariner 6 (USA) |
24-Feb-69 |
Atlas-Centaur |
413 kg |
Mars fly-by probe, returned data and 75 pictures. |
| Mariner 7 (USA) |
27-Mar-69 |
Atlas-Centaur |
413 kg |
Mars fly-by probe, returned data and 126 pictures. |
| Mars (USSR) |
27-Mar-69 |
Proton-K |
3.190 kg |
Mars probe, failed to reach Earth orbit. |
| Mars (USSR) |
02-Apr-69 |
Proton-K |
3.190 kg |
Mars probe, failed to reach Earth orbit. |
| Pioneer E (USA) |
27-Aug-69 |
Delta |
67 kg |
Solar probe, failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Venera 7 (USSR) |
17-Aug-70 |
Molniya |
1.180 kg |
Venus atmosphere entry probe: 495 kg. First successful survive to surface. |
| Cosmos 359 (USSR) |
22-Aug-70 |
Molniya |
1.180 kg |
Venus probe, failed to leave Earth orbit. |
| Mariner 8 (USA) |
08-May-71 |
Atlas-Centaur |
1.031 kg |
Mars probe, failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Cosmos 419 (USSR) |
10-May-71 |
Proton-K |
4.650 kg |
Mars probe, failed to leave Earth orbit. |
| Mars 2 (USSR) |
19-May-71 |
Proton-K |
4.650 kg |
Mars probe. Returned data from orbit but lander failed to return any
data. |
| Mars 3 (USSR) |
28-May-71 |
Proton-K |
4.650 kg |
Mars probe. Returned data from orbit but lander failed after reaching
surface. Entry probe: 635 kg; surface payload 450 kg. |
| Mariner 9 (USA) |
30-May-71 |
Atlas-Centaur |
1.030 kg |
First successful Mars orbiter. Returned over 7,000 pictures of surface
and moons. |
| Pioneer 10 (USA) |
03-Mar-72 |
Atlas-Centaur |
258 kg |
First successful fly-by of Jupiter. |
| Venera 8 (USSR) |
27-Mar-72 |
Molniya |
1.180 kg |
Venus atmosphere entry probe, 495 kg. Returned air and
surface data from day side. |
| Cosmos 482 (USSR) |
31-Mar-72 |
Molniya |
1.180 kg |
Venus probe, failed to leave Earth orbit. |
| Pioneer 11 (USA) |
06-Apr-73 |
Atlas-Centaur |
259 kg |
Jupiter probe. First successful fly-by of Saturn providing detailed
view of ring structure. |
| Mars 4 (USSR) |
21-Jul-73 |
Proton-K |
3.950 kg |
Mars probe, failed to achieve orbit. Returned fly-by data. |
| Mars 5 (USSR) |
25-Jul-73 |
Proton-K |
3.950 kg |
Returned data from Mars orbit. |
| Mars 6 (USSR) |
05-Aug-73 |
Proton-K |
3.950 kg |
Mars fly-by. Lander returned 150 sec of data during descent. |
| Mars 7 (USSR) |
09-Aug-73 |
Proton-K |
3.950 kg |
Mars fly-by. Lander probe failed to enter Mars atmosphere. |
| Mariner 10 (USA) |
03-Nov-73 |
Atlas-Centaur |
503 kg |
First TV pictures of Venus fly-by. Three fly-by encounters with
Mercury. |
| Hellos 1 (US/FRG) |
10-Dec-74 |
Titan-Centaur |
370 kg |
Solar probe orbiting within 0.3 AU of Sun. |
| Venera 9 (USSR) |
08-Jun-75 |
Proton-K |
4.936 kg |
Venus lander. Returned data and first TV pictures from surface.
Orbiter returned data. Entry sphere 3,440 lb (1,560 kg); surface payload
1,455 lb (660 kg). |
| Venera 10 (USSR) |
14-Jun-75 |
Proton-K |
5.033 kg |
Venus lander returned data and pictures from surface. Orbiter returned
data. Entry sphere 3,440 lb (1,560 kg); surface payload 1,455 lb (660
kg). |
| Viking 1 (USA) |
20-Aug-75 |
Titan-Centaur |
3.400 kg |
Mars orbiter returned pictures and data. First successful Mars
landing. Returned pictures and data. Orbiter 2.224 kg; lander
surface weight 576 kg. |
| Viking 2 (USA) |
09-Sep-75 |
Titan-Centaur |
3.490 kg |
Mars orbiter returned pictures and data. Mars lander returned pictures
and data. Orbiter 2.224 kg; lander surface weight 576 kg. |
| Hellos 2 (US/FRG) |
15-Jan-76 |
Titan-Centaur |
376 kg |
Solar probe orbiting within 0.29 AU of Sun. |
| Voyager 2 (USA) |
20-Aug-77 |
Titan-Centaur |
815 kg |
Fly-by probe of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Returned pictures
and data. |
| Voyager 1 (USA) |
05-Sep-77 |
Titan-Centaur |
815 kg |
Fly-by probe of Jupiter and Saturn. Returned pictures and data.
Discovered volcanoes on Io, Jupiter ring, new Saturn moons and ring
structure. |
| Pioneer-Venus 1 (USA) |
20-May-78 |
Atlas-Centaur |
582 kg |
Venus orbiter, returned pictures and data. |
| Pioneer-Venus 2 (USA) |
08-Aug-78 |
Atlas-Centaur |
904 kg |
Venus bus, released four entry probes before encounter. Returned data
from surface. |
| ICE (USA) |
12-Aug-78 |
Delta |
217 kg |
Originally launched as International Sun-Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE-3).
Transfer to escape trajectory and renamed International Comet Explorer.
First ever comet fly-by on 2-Sep-85 of Giacobini-Zinner Comet. |
| Venera 11 (USSR) |
09-Sep-78 |
Proton-K |
4.450 kg |
Venus fly-by probe, returned data. Lander returned atmosphere and
surface data, descent payload 1.600 kg. |
| Venera 12 (USSR) |
14-Sep-78 |
Proton-K |
4.461 kg |
Venus fly-by probe, returned data. Lander returned atmosphere and
surface data, descent payload 1.612 kg. |
| Venera 13 (USSR) |
30-Oct-81 |
Proton-K |
4.363 kg |
Venus fly-by probe, first color pictures of surface. Conducted first
soil analysis at landing site, descent payload 1.645 kg. |
| Venera 14 (USSR) |
04-Nov-81 |
Proton-K |
4.363 kg |
Venus fly-by probe, returned color pictures of landing site and
conducted analysis of soil, descent payload 1.645 kg. |
| Venera 15 (USSR) |
02-Jun-83 |
Proton-K |
5.250 kg |
Venus orbiter. radar surface mapper. |
| Venera 16 (USSR) |
07-Jun-83 |
Proton-K |
5.360 kg |
Venus orbiter. radar surface mapper. |
| Vega 1 (USSR) |
15-Dec-84 |
Proton-K |
4.920 kg |
Venus lander and French atmosphere balloon probe. Halley's Comet
fly-by 06-Mar-86. |
| Vega 2 (USSR) |
21-Dec-84 |
Proton-K |
4.920 kg |
Venus lander and French atmosphere balloon probe. Halley's Comet
fly-by 09-Mar-86. |
| Sakigake (Japan) |
07-Jan-85 |
Mu-3SII |
138 kg |
First Japanese deep space probe. Distant Halley's Comet fly-by 11-Mar-86. |
| Giotto (ESA) |
02-Jul-85 |
Ariane 1 |
574 kg |
First close encounter with a comet. Halley's Comet fly-by 14-Mar-86. |
| Suisel (Japan) |
18-Aug-85 |
Mu-3SII |
140 kg |
Japanese deep space probe. Distant Halley's Comet fly-by 11-Mar-86. |
| Phobos 1 (USSR) |
07-Jul-88 |
Proton-K |
6.220 kg |
Mars probe failed due to telemetry message error. |
| Phobos 2 (USSR) |
12-Jul-88 |
Proton-K |
6.220 kg |
Mars orbiter, contact lost before planned fly-by of the moon
Phobos. |
| Magellan (USA) |
04-May-89 |
Shuttle/IUS |
3.475 kg |
Venus orbiter, radar surface and gravity field mapper. First
spacecraft to lower its orbit by using planet's atmosphere (aerobraking). |
| Galileo (USA) |
18-Oct-89 |
Shuttle/IUS |
2.715 kg |
Jupiter orbiter, atmosphere probe. First fly-by of an asteroid, 951
Gaspra Oct-91 and 243 Ida Aug-93. First Jupiter atmosphere entry, returned
58 min of data. Orbiter 1.291 kg; entry probe 335 kg. |
| Ulysses (ESA/US) |
06-Oct-90 |
Shuttle/IUS |
371 kg |
Jupiter gravity assist International Solar Polar Mission (ISPM). |
| Mars Observer (USA) |
25-Sep-92 |
Shuttle/TOS |
2.100 kg |
Mars orbiter, contact lost before entering orbit. |
| Wind (USA) |
01-Nov-94 |
Delta II |
1.195 kg |
Solar probe, orbiting Sun inside Earth's orbit. |
| NEAR (USA) |
17-Feb-96 |
Delta II |
1.125 kg |
Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous, placed in orbit around 433 Eros
14-Feb-00; first Eros orbit attempt failed Dec-99; asteroid Mathilde flyby Jun-97. |
| Mars Global Surveyor (USA) |
07-Nov-96 |
Delta II |
1.062 kg |
Mars orbiter. Arrived 12-Sep-97 for mapping through Jan-00. |
| Mars 96 (Russia) |
16-Nov-96 |
Proton-K |
6.825 kg |
Mars probe, failed to leave earth orbit. |
| Mars Pathfinder (USA) |
04-Dec-96 |
Delta II |
890 kg |
Mars lander, first planetary rover. Lander mass 360 kg;
microrover 16 kg. Landed 04-Jul-97. |
| Cassini-Huygens (USA,ESA) |
15-Oct-97 |
Titan-Centaur |
5.634 kg |
Saturn orbiter (Cassini) and Titan probe (Huygens). Orbiter arrived at Saturn 30-Jun-2004 for start of 4-year mission. Probe successfully
landed on Titan 14-Jan-2005 returning data and images. Orbiter mass 2,150 kg; probe 350 kg. |
| Nozomi (Japan) |
03-Jul-98 |
M-V-3 |
540 kg |
Mars orbiter. Planned arrival was 11-Oct-99, but malfunctions delayed arrival to Dec-03. Mission abandoned Dec-03. |
| Mars Climate Orbiter (USA) |
11-Dec-98 |
Delta II |
629 kg |
Mars orbiter. Lost during attempted orbit insertion 23-Sep-99 due to
navigation error. |
| Mars Polar Lander (USA) |
03-Jan-99 |
Delta II |
576 kg |
Mars lander, including Deep Space 2 microprobes. Communication lost
during attempted landing 3-Dec-99. Cause of failure likely premature engine shutdown. |
| Stardust (USA) |
07-Feb-99 |
Delta II |
380 kg |
Comet flyby and sample return. Encountered Comet Wild 2 on 2-Jan-04; sample cannister successfully returned to Earth 15-Jan-06. |
| 2001 Mars Odyssey (USA) |
07-Apr-01 |
Delta II |
725 kg |
Mars orbiter. Arrived 24-Oct-01 for mapping and global observations through Aug-04. On-orbit dry mass 376 kg. |
| Hayabusa (Japan) |
09-May-03 |
M-V-5 |
530 kg |
Asteroid orbiter and sample return. Arrived at asteroid Itokawa Sep-05; fuel leak has put mission future in doubt.
Planned sample return is Jun-10. Originally named MUSES-C. |
| Mars Express (ESA) |
02-Jun-03 |
Soyuz/Fregat |
1120 kg |
Mars orbiter & lander (Beagle 2). Orbiter arrived 25-Dec-03. Communication with lander failed, cause unknown.
Orbiter mass 113 kg; lander 60 kg. |
| Mars Exploration Rover A (USA) |
10-Jun-03 |
Delta II |
1063 kg |
Mars lander & rover (Spirit). Landed 3-Jan-04 for start of 90-day mission; still operating in 2007.
Lander mass 348 kg; rover 185 kg. |
| Mars Exploration Rover B (USA) |
07-Jul-03 |
Delta II |
1063 kg |
Mars lander & rover (Opportunity). Landed 24-Jan-04 for start of 90-day mission; still operating in 2007.
Lander mass 348 kg; rover 185 kg. |
| Rosetta (ESA) |
02-Mar-04 |
Ariane 5G+ |
3000 kg |
Comet orbiter and lander (Philae). Scheduled arrival at Comet 67 P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is May-2014 for
start of 1.5-year science mission. Two asteroid flybys planned. Orbiter mass 1,200 kg; Lander mass 100 kg. |
| Philae (ESA) |
02-Mar-04 |
Ariane 5G+ |
100 kg |
Comet lander. The 85 kg Philae lander was ejected from the Rosetta probe 22 km from Comet
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at 0835 UTC Nov 12, 2014. The lander bounced off the surface gently and settled down in another
location at 1726 UTC, for a second briefer bounce that resulted in final touchdown at 1733 UTC. It is the first landing of a probe on a comet. |
| MESSENGER (USA) |
03-Aug-04 |
Delta II |
1100 kg |
Mercury orbiter. Flyby of Mercury on 14-Jan-08; orbit insertion scheduled March-2011 for start of planned 1-year mapping and science mission. |
| Deep Impact (USA) |
12-Jan-05 |
Delta II |
1020 kg |
Flyby spacecraft and impactor to study interior of Comet Tempel 1; impact successfully occured 4-Jul-05. Flyby spacecraft
mass 650 kg; impactor 370 kg. |
| Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (USA) |
12-Aug-05 |
Atlas V |
2180 kg |
Mars orbiter. Arrived 10-Mar-06 for low-altitude science observation, site investigation for future landings, and
telecommunication & navigation relay for follow-on missions. |
| Venus Express (ESA) |
09-Nov-05 |
Soyuz/Fregat |
1240 kg |
Venus orbiter. Arrived 11-Apr-06 for start of mission to study the planet's atmosphere. |
| New Horizons (USA) |
19-Jan-06 |
Atlas V |
478 kg |
Pluto-Charon fly-by probe. Scheduled arrival is mid-2015 for 5-month geological study and mapping mission. |
| Phoenix (USA) |
03-Aug-07 |
Delta II |
670 kg |
Mars lander. Landed 25-May-08 to begin 90-day mission to study the history of water and search for organic molecules
in the martian arctic soil. Lander mass 350 kg. |
| Dawn (USA) |
27-Sep-07 |
Delta II |
1218 kg |
Asteroid orbiter. Scheduled arrival at Vesta is Aug-2011 and Ceres Feb-2015; to study protoplanets with goal of
characterizing the conditions and processes of the early solar system. |
| Hisaki/SPRINT A (Japan) |
14-Sep-13 |
Epsilon CLPS |
348 kg |
The SPRINT-A is a space telescope that remotely observes Venus, Mars, Jupiter and other planets from its earth orbit. |
| Chang'e 5-T1 (China) |
24-Oct-14 |
CZ-3C/G2 |
kg |
Lunar probe |
| 4M (China) |
24-Oct-14 |
CZ-3C/G2 |
kg |
Manfred Memorial Moon Mission |
| Hayabusa 2 (Japan) |
03-Dec-14 |
H-2A-202 |
kg |
Space probe |
| DESPATCH (Japan) |
03-Dec-14 |
H-2A-202 |
kg |
Asteroide sonde |
| PROCYON (Japan) |
03-Dec-14 |
H-2A-202 |
kg |
Space probe |
| TESS (US) |
18-Apr-18 |
Falcon-9 v1.2 |
kg |
Astronomy obs. |
| InSight (US) |
05-May-18 |
Atlas-5/401 |
kg |
Mars Probe |
| MarCO A/B (US) |
05-May-18 |
Atlas-5/401 |
kg |
Mars Probe |