SPACECRAFT THAT HAVE TOURED THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Latest Changes: 12 February 1995

SUN

• Pioneer 7 (U.S.A., 1966- ?)

• Pioneer 8 (U.S.A., 1967- ?)

• Pioneer 9 (U.S.A., 1968- ?)

• Helios (West Germany; 1974-1975)

• Ulysses (U.S.A. and European Space Agency, 1994-1995)

• Mariner 10 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1974)

• Mariner 2 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1962)

• Venera 2 Flyby (U.S.S.R., 1965-1966)
  • Communications failed just before arrival.

• Venera 3 Atmospheric Probe (U.S.S.R., 1965-1966)
  • Communications failed just before atmosphere entry

• Venera 4 Atmospheric Probe (U.S.S.R., 1967)
  • First atmospheric data returned.

• Mariner 5 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1967)

• Venera 5 Atmosphere Probe (U.S.S.R., 1969)
  • Returned data down to within 26 km of surface

• Venera 6 Atmosphere Probe (U.S.S.R., 1969)
  • Returned data down to within 11 km of surface

• Venera 7 Lander (U.S.S.R., 1970)
  • First successful landing of a spacecraft on another planet. Sent back data for 23 minutes.

• Venera 8 Lander (U.S.S.R., 1972)
  • Returned data for 50 minutes.

• Mariner 10 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1974)

• Venera 9 Orbiter (U.S.S.R., 1975)

• Venera 9 Lander (U.S.S.R., 1975)
  • Returned first image from surface of another planet.

• Venera 10 Orbiter (U.S.S.R., 1975)

• Venera 10 Lander (U.S.S.R., 1975)
  • Returned image and 65 minutes of data

• Pioneer 12 Orbiter (U.S.A., 1978-1992)
  • Also known as Pioneer Venus Orbiter

• Pioneer 13 Four Atmosphere Probes (U.S.A., 1978)

• Venera 11 Lander (U.S.S.R., 1978)
  • Returned data for 95 minutes.

• Venera 12 Lander (U.S.S.R., 1978)
  • Returned data for 110 minutes.

• Venera 13 Lander (U.S.S.R., 1982)
  • First color picture from Venus surface.

• Venera 14 Lander (U.S.S.R., 1982)
  • Returned a color picture of surface.

• Venera 15 Orbiter (U.S.S.R., 1983)
  • Radar mapping mission.

• Venera 16 Orbiter (U.S.S.R., 1983)
  • Radar mapping mission.

• Vega 1 Flyby (U.S.S.R., 1985)

• Vega 2 Lander (U.S.S.R., 1985)

• Vega 2 Atmospheric Probe Balloon (U.S.S.R., 1985)

• Galileo Flyby (U.S.A. & Europe; 1990)

• Magellan Orbiter (U.S.A.; 1990-1994)

• Pioneer 4 Distant Flyby (U.S.A., 1959)

• Luna 2 Hard Lander (U.S.S.R., 1959)

• Luna 3 Far-side Flyby (U.S.S.R., 1959)

• Ranger 7 Hard Lander (U.S.A., 1964)

• Ranger 8 Hard Lander (U.S.A., 1965)

• Ranger 9 Hard Lander (U.S.A., 1965)

• Zond 3 Flyby (U.S.S.R., 1965)

• Luna 9 Soft Lander (U.S.S.R., 1966)

• Luna 10 Orbiter (U.S.S.R., 1966)

• Surveyor 1 Soft Lander (U.S.A., 1966-1967)

• Lunar Orbiter 1 Orbiter (U.S.A., 1966)

• Luna 11 Orbiter (U.S.S.R., 1966)

• Luna 12 Orbiter (U.S.S.R., 1966-1967)

• Lunar Orbiter 2 Orbiter (U.S.A., 1966)

• Luna 13 Soft Lander (U.S.S.R., 1966)

• Lunar Orbiter 3 Orbiter (U.S.A., 1967)

• Surveyor 3 Soft Lander (U.S.A., 1967)

• Lunar Orbiter 4 Orbiter (U.S.A., 1967)

• Explorer 35 Distant Orbiter (U.S.A., 1967-1972)

• Lunar Orbiter 5 Orbiter (U.S.A., 1967)

• Surveyor 5 Soft Lander (U.S.A., 1967)

• Surveyor 6 Soft Lander (U.S.A., 1967)

• Surveyor 7 Soft Lander (U.S.A., 1968)

• Zond 5 Flyby (U.S.S.R., 1968)

• Zond 6 Flyby (U.S.S.R., 1968)

• Apollo 8 Crewed Orbiter (U.S.A., 1968)

• Apollo 10 Crewed Orbiter (U.S.A., 1969)

• Apollo 11 Crewed Lander (U.S.A., 1969)

• Zond 7 Flyby (U.S.S.R., 1969)

• Apollo 12 Crewed Lander (U.S.A., 1969)

• Luna 16 Sample Return (U.S.S.R., 1970)

• Zond 8 Flyby (U.S.S.R., 1970)

• Luna 17 Lunokhod 1 Rover (U.S.S.R., 1970-1971)

• Apollo 14 Crewed Lander (U.S.A., 1971)

• Apollo 15 Crewed Lander (U.S.A., 1971)

• Luna 19 Orbiter (U.S.S.R., 1971-1972)

• Luna 20 Sample Return (U.S.S.R., 1972)

• Apollo 16 Crewed Lander (U.S.A., 1972)

• Apollo 17 Crewed Lander (U.S.A., 1972)

• Luna 21 Lunokhod 2 Rover (U.S.S.R., 1973)

• Mariner 10 Flyby (U.S.A., 1973)

• Luna 22 Orbiter (U.S.S.R., 1974-1975)

• Luna 24 Sample Return (U.S.S.R., 1976)

• Muses-A Orbiters (Japan, 1990)
  • Two small orbiters. Failed to send back data from orbit about the Moon. First non U.S.A. or U.S.S.R. probe to reach Moon.

• Galileo Flybys (U.S.A. and Europe; 1990 & 1992)

• Clementine Orbiter (U.S.A.; 1994)
  • Clementine Headquarters (Alexandria, Virginia)

• International Sun-Earth Explorer 3 (U.S.A., 1985)
  • Renamed International Cometary Explorer

• Giotto (Europe; 1986)

• Suisei (Japan; 1986)

• Sakigake (Japan; 1986)

• VEGA (U.S.S.R.; 1986)

• Mariner 4 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1965)

• Mariner 6 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1969)

• Mariner 7 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1969)

• Mars 2 Orbiter (U.S.S.R., 1971)

• Mars 2 Soft Lander (U.S.S.R., 1971)
  • crashed, first human artifact on Mars

• Mariner 9 Orbiter (U.S.A.; 1971-1972)

• Mars 3 Orbiter (U.S.S.R., 1971)

• Mars 3 Soft Lander (U.S.S.R., 1971)
  • failed 20 seconds after successful landing

• Mars 4 Orbiter (U.S.S.R., 1974)
  • became flyby, but returned some images/data

• Mars 5 Orbiter (U.S.S.R., 1974)

• Mars 6 Soft Lander (U.S.S.R., 1974)
  • returned descent data, then crashed

• Viking 1 Orbiter (U.S.A.; 1976-1980)

• Viking 1 Lander (U.S.A.; 1976-1982)

• Viking 2 Orbiter (U.S.A.; 1976-1978)

• Viking 2 Lander (U.S.A.; 1976-1980)

• Phobos 2 Orbiter (U.S.S.R.; 1989)

• Mars Observer Orbiter (U.S.A., 1993)
  • Approach observations only. Failed to go into orbit

• Galileo Flyby (U.S.A. & Europe; 1991)

• Galileo Flyby (U.S.A. & Europe; 1991)

• Pioneer 10 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1973, 1974)

• Pioneer 11 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1973, 1974)

• Voyager 1 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1979)

• Voyager 2 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1979)

• Ulysses Flyby (Europe & U.S.A; 1992)

• ON IT'S WAY THERE:
  • Galileo will arrive here in DECEMBER 1995

  • . . . and drop a probe into the atmosphere

• Pioneer 11 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1979)

• Voyager 1 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1980)

• Voyager 2 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1981)

• Voyager 2 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1986)

• Voyager 2 Flyby (U.S.A.; 1989)

• None

Sources of information included fellow ASU student 
Vicky Hamilton and the following books:

Beatty, J. K. and A. Chaikin, eds. (1990) The New Solar System,
   3rd Edition, Sky Publishing.

Burrows, W. E. (1990) Exploring Space: Voyages in the
   Solar System and Beyond, Random House, New York.

Wilhelms, D. E. (1993) To a Rocky Moon, University of Arizona
   Press, Tucson, AZ.