Talk:Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes

2025-06-08T21:04:15Z

94.247.186.130: /* ESA incorrectly identified as EU */ new section

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Copyright Permission to modify and distribute this and other timelines originally developed by Niel Brandt have been granted to wikipedia.
See [[Talk:Timeline of transportation technology]]

:Should this be combined with [[Timeline of planetary exploration]]? [[User:Rmhermen|Rmhermen]] 15:12, Mar 25, 2004 (UTC)

==Cubesats?==

The official list of Artificial Satellites dont have to include CubeSat because according to the clasification of Satellites, CubeSat can be consider as Pico or Nano Satellite. If we include one CubeSat, then we have to include all the CubeSats so the list will be enormous. — Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/77.93.226.166|77.93.226.166]] ([[User talk:77.93.226.166|talk]]) 13:21, 9 August 2016 (UTC) 

== Coverage of international achievements ==

This article only offers coverage of progress made by the United States and the Soviet Union (later Russia).
In my opinion, the article should be expanded to include satellites launched by other countries.
What do you think?
--[[User:Ramsobol|Ramsobol]] 21:55, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

==Luna 1 Success?==

I understood from articles here and elsewhere, Luna 1 was an impactor that failed in its mission, although it did achieve orbit aorund the moon.

[[User:74.9.199.162|74.9.199.162]] 15:20, 4 October 2007 (UTC) JohnS

== New style? ==

I think this list could be improved if it was replaced with a table (see [[Timeline of discovery of Solar System planets and their natural satellites]]). Below is one example (without probes images). Background color denotes the target. Comments?

Same applies to other spacecraft lists.

--[[User:Jyril|Jyril]] 20:31, 21 February 2006 (UTC)

{| class="wikitable"
| bgcolor=#F0F0FF | [[1957]] || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | [[Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg|40px|Soviet Union]] || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | ''[[Sputnik 1]]'' || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | satellite || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | '''Success''' || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | first [[Earth]] orbiting satellite
|-
| bgcolor=#F0F0FF | 1957 || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | [[Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg|40px|Soviet Union]] || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | ''[[Sputnik 2]]'' || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | satellite || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | '''Partial success''' || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | first Earth orbiting satellite with an animal ([[Laika]])
|-
| bgcolor=#F0F0FF | [[1958]] || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|40px|United States]] || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | ''[[Explorer 1]]'' || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | satellite || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | '''Success''' || bgcolor=#F0F0FF |
|-
| bgcolor=#F0F0FF | 1958 || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|40px|United States]] || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | ''[[Vanguard 1]]'' || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | satellite || bgcolor=#F0F0FF | '''Success''' || bgcolor=#F0F0FF |
|-
| bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | 1958 || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|40px|United States]] || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | ''[[Pioneer 0]]'' || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | orbiter || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | '''Failure''' || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 |
|-
| bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | 1958 || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|40px|United States]] || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | ''[[Pioneer 1]]'' || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | orbiter || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | '''Failure''' || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 |
|-
| bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | 1958 || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|40px|United States]] || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | ''[[Pioneer 3]]'' || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | flyby || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | '''Failure''' || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 |
|-
| bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | [[1959]] || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | [[Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg|40px|Soviet Union]] || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | ''[[Luna 1]]'' || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | flyby || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | '''Success''' || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | discovered [[solar wind]]
|-
| bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | 1959 || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|40px|United States]] || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | ''[[Pioneer 4]]'' || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | flyby || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 |
|-
| bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | 1959 || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | [[Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg|40px|Soviet Union]] || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | ''[[Luna 2]]'' || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | impactor || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | '''Success''' || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | first spacecraft to impact onto the surface of the [[Moon]]
|-
| bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | 1959 || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | [[Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg|40px|Soviet Union]] || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | ''[[Luna 3]]'' || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | flyby || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | '''Success''' || bgcolor=#F0F0F0 | returned first images of the Moon's far side
|}

: I like the general idea. However, the flags are too big and attention grabbing. This is not the medal count of the [[Olympics]], so just the names of the countries should suffice, IMHO. [[User:Awolf002|Awolf002]] 20:32, 21 February 2006 (UTC)
:: During the space race, it was a contest. ;) The reason why I added the flags was more of aesthetics than information. I don't think I'll have much time to improve it, but I hope somebody willing develops it further.--[[User:Jyril|Jyril]] 20:50, 21 February 2006 (UTC)

==early manned flights missing==

At first I thought this list only included unmanned satellites, but then I saw it covered the [[Apollo]] missions which are manned. Therefore there are some big gaps in the list, we need to add the main flights of [[Vostok (spacecraft)|Vostok]], [[Mercury]], [[Voskhod]], [[Gemini]], [[Soyuz]] and [[Shenzou]], amongst others.[[User:Cfrjlr|Charles]] 02:47, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

==Improvements==
I am reworking this incomplete list. I have added an explanation of the list's criteria to the lead and am reworking the list to fit exactly what it mostly followed before. I removed the few manned flights, and some random Earth-observing satellites. I am trying to keep only the first satellites from each country, under the technology demonstrator reasoning, if they don't otherwise fit the criteria. [[User:Rmhermen|Rmhermen]] ([[User talk:Rmhermen|talk]]) 17:42, 24 January 2008 (UTC)

==Galileo a Failure?==

Galileo should not be classified as a failure. It explored the jovian system for eight years, sending back new data and fantastic images of all four Galilean satellites and the planet and its rings. The spacecraft had a nominal mission of two years which it exceeded by 400%. The astmospheric probe survived longer than expected (to a depth of 91 miles). It also made the first fly-by of an asteroid (actually two) and witnessed a comet crashing into the Jupiter as it approached. The only "failure" was of the high-gain antenna, a problem which was solved by reprogramming the use of the low-gain antenna. By all counts, this mission was a resounding success. —Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/63.162.231.16|63.162.231.16]] ([[User talk:63.162.231.16|talk]]) 19:23, 29 August 2008 (UTC) 

:The big obstacle/drawback of the Galileo probe was in the failure of its deployable "big dish" antenna. This implied the use of the back-up low-gain antenna, one that provided a MUCH lower data rate than was planned for Galileo. That antenna was intended only for sending and receiving low bitrate engineering commands and data. 
:I believe that the big failure was that (no matter what), that antenna should have been deployed, alongside the Space Shuttle, before "the candle was lit", and the space probe was sent on its trajectory towards Jupiter. Yes, there might have been a risk of damage to the dish antenna while the space probe was flying in the heat near Venus. As we know, the chance should have been taken. 
:Galileo went via a trajectory called VEEGA = Venus, Earth, Earth gravity assist. On the other hand, the Cassini-Huygens probe used VVEGA = Venus, Venus, Earth gravity assist, plus a (rather slow) flyby of Jupiter - to get all the way to Saturn, but slowly enough to allow the probes to be captured by Saturn.[[Special:Contributions/24.156.77.198|24.156.77.198]] ([[User talk:24.156.77.198|talk]]) 06:13, 28 September 2018 (UTC)

::Some other space probes went by Jupiter very fast because their destiny was to leave the Solar System. (Note: only American probes.) These included Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, Voyager 2, and New Horizons (whose first goal was Pluto). Furthermore, IF Galileo had ben able to depart in 1982, the alignment was for it to flyby MARS to get a boost on its way to Jupiter. The launches of Galileo for 1982, 1984, 1985, and 1986 were all canceled due to problems with the Space Shuttle.[[Special:Contributions/24.156.77.198|24.156.77.198]] ([[User talk:24.156.77.198|talk]]) 06:21, 28 September 2018 (UTC)-

== Partial success/partial failure ? ==

Which phrase are we using? One or the other.

[[User:IceDragon64|IceDragon64]] ([[User talk:IceDragon64|talk]]) 23:02, 18 October 2015 (UTC)

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== Still in Space ==

Should a column be added to the table to indicate those devices till in orbit/space, operational, dead? [[User:JMatthewPhipps|JMatthewPhipps]] ([[User talk:JMatthewPhipps|talk]]) 04:48, 8 May 2024 (UTC)

== ESA incorrectly identified as EU ==

The European Space Agency is not an EU entity. It is autonomous and owned by the member states. Not all EU states are members, and several members such as Canada, the UK, Switzerland and Norway, are not in the EU.

Why cannot ESA projects simply be marked as ESA? [[Special:Contributions/94.247.186.130|94.247.186.130]] ([[User talk:94.247.186.130|talk]]) 21:04, 8 June 2025 (UTC)

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Talk:Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes