Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes

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Template:Short description This timeline of artificial satellites and space probes includes uncrewed spacecraft including technology demonstrators, observatories, lunar probes, and interplanetary probes. First satellites from each country are included. Not included are most Earth science satellites, commercial satellites or crewed missions.

Timeline

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1950s

Artificial satellites and space probes in the 1950s
Year Date Origin Name Launch vehicle Status Description Mass
1957 October 4 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Sputnik 1 Sputnik-PS Template:Success The first human-made object to orbit Earth. 83.6 kg (183.9 lb)
November 3 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Sputnik 2 Sputnik-PS Template:Success The first satellite to carry a living animal, a dog named Laika. 508 kg (1,118 lb)
December 6 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Vanguard 1A Vanguard TV-3 Template:Failure The first stage engine was improperly started, causing the vehicle to fall back to the launch pad immediately after launch and explode.[1] 1.36 kg (2.99 lb)
1958 February 1 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Explorer 1 Juno I Template:Success The first American satellite in space.[1] 13.91 kg (30.66 lb)
February 5 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Vanguard 1B Vanguard TV-3BU Template:Failure Control failure caused vehicle breakup at T+57 seconds as vehicle exceeded an angle of attack of 45° due to a control system malfunction.[1] 1.36 kg (2.99 lb)
March 5 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Explorer 2 Juno I Template:Failure Failed to orbit. Fourth stage did not ignite.[1] 14.52 kg (31.94 lb)
March 17 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Vanguard 1C Vanguard TV-4 Template:Success Vanguard 1. Expected to de-orbit in ~2240AD, this and its upper launch stage are the oldest human-made objects in space. Also the first use of solar cells to power a satellite.[1] 1.47 kg (3.25 lb)
March 26 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Explorer 3 Juno I Template:Success Added to data received by Explorer 1.[1] 14.1 kg (31.0 lb)
April 29 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Vanguard 2A Vanguard TV-5 Template:Failure Second stage shutdown sequence not completed, preventing proper 3rd stage separation and firing. Did not reach orbit.[1] 9.98 kg (21.96 lb)
May 15 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Sputnik 3 Sputnik Template:Success Contained 12 instruments for a wide range of upper atmosphere tests. 1,327 kg (2,926 lb)
May 28 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Vanguard 2B Vanguard SLV-1 Template:Failure The first production model of the series. Nominal flight until a guidance error was encountered on second stage burnout. Did not reach orbit.[1] 9.98 kg (21.96 lb)
June 26 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Vanguard 2C Vanguard SLV-2 Template:Failure Premature second stage cutoff prevented third stage operation. Did not reach orbit.[1] 9.98 kg (21.96 lb)
July 26 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Explorer 4 Juno I Template:Success Expanded data set of previous Explorer missions and collected data from Argus high-altitude nuclear explosions.[1] 11.7 kg (25.8 lb)
August 17 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Pioneer 0 Thor-Able 1 Template:Failure Failed to orbit. First stage engine failure caused explosion at T+77 seconds. 38 kg (84 lb)
August 24 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Explorer 5 Juno I Template:Failure On-board instruments damaged on first stage separation. Failed to orbit.[1] 11.7 kg (25.8 lb)
September 26 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Vanguard 2D Vanguard SLV-3 Template:Failure Second stage under-performed, lacking only ~76 m/s (~250 fps) required to achieve orbit.[1] 10.6 kg (23.3 lb)
October 11 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Pioneer 1 Thor-Able 1 Template:Partial success First spacecraft launched by NASA. Studied Earth's magnetic fields. Third stage provided insufficient thrust to reach the Moon, leaving it sub-orbital.[2] 38 kg (84 lb)
October 22 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Beacon 1 Juno I Template:Failure A thin plastic sphere (12-feet in diameter) intended to study atmosphere density.[2] Payload dropped due to rotational vibrations.[1] 4.2 kg (9.2 lb)
November 8 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Pioneer 2 Thor-Able 1 Template:Failure Briefly provided further data on Earth's magnetic field. Third stage provided insufficient thrust to reach the vicinity of the Moon.[2] 38 kg (83 lb)
December 6 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Pioneer 3 Juno II Template:Partial success Did not reach the Moon as intended, but discovered a second radiation belt around Earth.[2] 5.9 kg (13.0 lb)
1959 January 2 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Luna 1 Luna Template:Partial success The first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon, and the first spacecraft to be placed in heliocentric orbit. 361 kg (794.2 lb)
January 21 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Discoverer Zero Thor-Agena A Template:Failure Accessory rockets ignited on pad during fueling. Part of Corona satellite development program. Upper stage consisted entirely of dummy components. 618 kg (1362.5 lb)
February 17 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Vanguard 2E Vanguard SLV-4 Template:Success Vanguard 2. Measured cloud cover. First attempted photo of Earth from a satellite; precession motion resulted in difficulty interpreting data (see first images of Earth from space).[2] 10.8 kg (23.7 lb)
February 28 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Discoverer 1 Thor-Agena A Template:Success Reached orbit with an apogee of 605 miles and a perigee of 99 miles.[3] First spacecraft placed in polar orbit. Part of Corona satellite development program. 618 kg (1362.5 lb)
March 3 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Pioneer 4 Juno II Template:Success Passed within 60,030 km (37,300 mi) of the Moon into a heliocentric orbit, returning excellent radiation data.[2] 6.1 kg (13.4 lb)
April 13 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Vanguard 3A Vanguard SLV-5 Template:Failure Failed to orbit. Second stage hydraulics failure led to loss of control, damaged at launch. Two spheres included as payload.[2] 10.3 kg (22.7 lb)
April 13 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Discoverer 2 Thor-Agena A Template:Success Successful orbit, first satellite to be stabilized in orbit in all 3 axes. Recovery capsule ejected early, landed near Spitzbergen and was not recovered. Part of Corona satellite development program. 784 kg (1728 lb)
June 3 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Discoverer 3 Thor-Agena A Template:Failure Failed to reach orbit. Agena stage failed to produce thrust. Part of Corona satellite development program. Cover story was a biomedical study of 4 live mice onboard. 843 kg (1858 lb)
June 22 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Vanguard 3B Vanguard SLV-6 Template:Failure Failed to orbit. Second stage exploded due to stuck helium vent valve. Intended to measure weather effects related to solar-Earth heating processes.[2] 10.3 kg (22.7 lb)
June 25 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Discoverer 4 Thor-Agena A Template:Failure Failed to reach orbit. Agena stage failed to produce thrust. Part of Corona satellite development program. First satellite to contain full Corona optics. Also known as Corona 9001. 870 kg (1920 lb)
July 16 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Explorer S-1 Juno II Template:Failure Did not achieve orbit. Guidance system power malfunction. Destroyed by range safety officer at T+5.5s.[2] 41.5 kg (91.3 lb)
August 7 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Explorer 6 Thor-Able 3 Template:Success Included instruments to study particles and meteorology.[2] 64.4 kg (141.7 lb)
August 13 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Discoverer 5 Thor-Agena A Template:Partial success Successfully reached 193 kilometers (120 mi) x 353 kilometers (219 mi) polar orbit. Camera failed after first orbit. Recovery capsule boosted into higher orbit and was not recovered. Also known as Corona 9002 870 kg (1920 lb)
August 14 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Beacon 2 Juno II Template:Failure Premature cutoff of first stage caused upper stage malfunction.[2] 4.5 kg (9.9 lb)
August 19 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Discoverer 6 Thor-Agena A Template:Partial success Successfully reached 212 kilometers (132 mi) x 848 kilometers (527 mi) polar orbit. Camera failed after second orbit. Recovery capsule was not recovered. Also known as Corona 9003 870 kg (1920 lb)
September 12 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Luna 2 Luna Template:Success The first spacecraft to reach the surface of the Moon, and the first human-made object to land on another celestial body. 390.2 kg (858.4 lb)
September 18 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Vanguard 3 Vanguard TV-4BU Template:Success Incorporated Allegany Ballistics Laboratory X248 A2 as third stage.[1] Solar-powered sphere measured radiation belts and micrometeorite impacts.[2] 22.7 kg (50.0 lb)
October 4 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Luna 3 Luna Template:Success The first mission to photograph the far side of the Moon. 278.5 kg (614 lb)
October 13 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Explorer 7 Juno II Template:Success Provided data on energetic particles, radiation, and magnetic storms. Also recorded the first micrometeorite penetration of a sensor.[2] 41.5 kg (69.4 lb)
November 7 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Discoverer 7 Thor-Agena A Template:Partial success Successfully reached 159 kilometers (99 mi) x 847 kilometers (526 mi) polar orbit. Recovery capsule failed to separate. Also known as Corona 9004 920 kg (2030 lb)
November 20 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Discoverer 8 Thor-Agena A Template:Partial success Successfully reached 187 kilometers (116 mi) x 1,679 kilometers (1,043 mi) polar orbit. Film broken during operation. Recovery capsule correctly separated and re-entered. Parachute failed to open and capsule was not recovered. Also known as Corona 9005. 835 kg (1841 lb)
November 26 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Pioneer P-3 Atlas-Able 20 Template:Failure Lunar orbiter probe; payload shroud failed at T+45 seconds, resulting in disintegration of upper stages and payload.[2] 168.7 kg (371.1 lb)

1960s

Artificial satellites and space probes in the 1960s
Year Launch date Origin Name Launch vehicle Target Status Description
1960 March 11 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Pioneer 5 Thor-Able Sun Template:Success Solar monitor. Measured magnetic field phenomena, solar flare particles, and ionization in the interplanetary region[4]
May 15 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Korabl-Sputnik 1 Vostok-L Earth Template:Success First test flight of the Soviet Vostok programme, and the first Vostok spacecraft
April 1 File:Flag of the United States.svg US TIROS-1 Thor-Able Earth Template:Success TIROS-1 (or TIROS-A) was the first successful low-Earth orbital weather satellite, and the first of a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites.
August 19 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Korabl-Sputnik 2 Vostok-L Earth Template:Success First spaceflight to send animals into orbit and return them safely back to Earth
November 3 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Explorer 8 Juno II Earth Template:Partial success Battery power failed early, and data had to be processed by hand. In spite of this, new information about the ionosphere has been discovered
1961 February 12 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Venera 1 Molniya 8K78 Venus Template:Partial success First interplanetary flight, contact lost en route, before it performed the first flyby at another planet.
April 27 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Explorer 11 Juno II Earth Template:Partial success Was the first space-borne gamma-ray telescope. Limited Battery Power restricted the data collection to the ascension stage.
August 16 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Explorer 12 (EPE-A) Thor-Delta A Earth Template:Partial success The spacecraft functioned well until 6 December 1961, when it ceased transmitting data apparently as a result of failures in the power system.
August 23 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Ranger 1 Atlas-Agena Moon Template:Failure Rocket malfunction left the spacecraft stranded in low Earth orbit.[5]
November 18 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Ranger 2 Atlas-Agena Moon Template:Failure Booster rocket malfunction trapped spacecraft in low Earth orbit.[6]
1962 January 26 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Ranger 3 Atlas-Agena Moon Template:Failure NASA's first attempt to land a spacecraft on the Moon. A series of malfunctions sent spacecraft hurtling past the Moon.[7]
April 23 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Ranger 4 Atlas-Agena Moon Template:Partial failure Was the first U.S. spacecraft to reach another celestial body. Failure in the onboard computer prevented it from carrying out its scientific objectives. First spacecraft to impact the far side of the Moon.[8][9]
April 26 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Ariel 1 Thor-Delta Earth Template:Success First British satellite in space (on American rocket)
July 10 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Telstar 1 Thor-Delta Earth Template:Success Communication satellite
July 22 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mariner 1 Atlas-Agena Venus Template:Failure Software related guidance system failure, range safety officer ordered destroyed after 294.5 seconds after launch.
August 27 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mariner 2 Atlas-Agena Venus Template:Success First spacecraft to visit another planet
September 29 File:Canadian Red Ensign (1957–1965).svg Canada Alouette 1 Thor-Agena Earth Template:Success First Canadian satellite (on American rocket), first satellite not constructed by the US or USSR
October 2 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Explorer 14 (EPE-B) Thor-Delta A Earth Template:Success NASA spacecraft instrumented to measure cosmic-ray particles, trapped particles, solar wind protons, and magnetospheric and interplanetary magnetic fields.
October 18 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Ranger 5 Atlas-Agena Moon Template:Failure Malfunction in the spacecraft's batteries caused them to drain after 8 hours, leaving it inoperable.[10]
1963 February 14 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Syncom 1 Delta B Earth Template:Failure Failed to reach desired orbit - went silent seconds after apogee kick motor ignited.
July 26 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Syncom 2 Delta B Earth Template:Success First successful television broadcast through a geosynchronous satellite.
First pair - October 17 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Vela 1A and Vela 1B Atlas-Agena Earth Template:Success Series of satellites to monitor compliance to the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty
1964 February 2 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Ranger 6 Atlas-Agena Moon Template:Success Lunar impactor. Successful impact but power failure resulted in no pictures.
March 27 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Ariel 2 Scout X-3 Earth Template:Success First Radio Astronomy Satellite (on American rocket)
July 31 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Ranger 7 Atlas-Agena Moon Template:Success Lunar impactor. Returned pictures until impact.
November 28 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mariner 4 Atlas-Agena Mars Template:Success First deep space photographs of another planet and first flyby of Mars
December 15 File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy San Marco 1 Scout X-4 Earth Template:Success First Italian satellite (on American rocket)
1965 February 2 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Ranger 8 Atlas-Agena Moon Template:Success Lunar impactor. Returned pictures until impact.
February 20 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Ranger 9 Atlas-Agena Moon Template:Success Lunar impactor. Live TV broadcast until impact.
April 6 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Intelsat I Delta D Earth Template:Success First commercial communications satellite in orbit. Was operated off and on until 1990.
November 26 File:Flag of France.svg France Asterix Diamant A Earth Template:Success First French satellite. First orbital launch outside U.S. and Soviet Union.
November 29 File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Alouette 2 Thor-Agena Earth Template:Success Research satellite designed to explore Earth's ionosphere
December 16 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Pioneer 6 Delta E Sun Template:Success A series of solar-orbiting, spin-stabilized, solar-cell and battery-powered satellites designed to obtain measurements on a continuing basis of interplanetary phenomena from widely separated points in space.[11]
1966 January 31 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Luna 9 Molniya M Moon Template:Success First spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, or any planetary body other than Earth, and to transmit photographic data to Earth from the surface of another planetary body.
February 17 File:Flag of France.svg France Diapason Diamant A Earth Template:Success Earth measurement by doppler radio measure
June 2 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Surveyor 1 Atlas-Centaur Moon Template:Success First US soft landing; Surveyor program performed various tests in support of forthcoming crewed landings.[12]
July 1 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Explorer 33 Delta E1 Earth Template:Partial success Was intended to orbit the Moon but instead orbited the Earth. Explored solar winds, interplanetary plasma, and solar X-rays.
August 10 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Lunar Orbiter 1 Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D Moon Template:Success First US spacecraft to orbit the Moon. Designed to photograph smooth areas of the lunar surface for selecting landing sites.
August 17 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Pioneer 7 Delta E1 Sun Template:Success A series of solar-orbiting, spin-stabilized, solar-cell and battery-powered satellites designed to obtain measurements on a continuing basis of interplanetary phenomena from widely separated points in space.[11]
September 20 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Surveyor 2 Atlas LV-3C Centaur-D Moon Template:Failure Lunar Lander. A failure in one of its three thrusters caused it to lose control and crash into the Moon.[13]
November 6 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Lunar Orbiter 2 Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D Moon Template:Success Designed to photograph smooth areas of the lunar surface to identify landing sites.
1967 January 11 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Intelsat II F-2 Delta E Earth Template:Success Operated for 2 years as a communications satellite. Was deactivated in 1969.
February 8 File:Flag of France.svg France Diadème 1 Diamant A Earth Partial Template:Success Orbit slightly too low, considered a partial failure by the booster team. Earth measurement by doppler radio and laser ranging from the ground.
February 15 File:Flag of France.svg France Diadème 2 Diamant A Earth Template:Success Earth measurement by doppler radio and laser ranging from the ground.
April 17 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Surveyor 3 Atlas LV-3C Centaur-D Moon Template:Success Second successful lunar surface lander. Conducted experiments to see how the lunar surface would fare against the weight of an Apollo lunar module.[14]
May 5 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Ariel 3 Scout A Earth Template:Success First entirely British built satellite
July 14 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Surveyor 4 Atlas LV-3C Centaur-D Moon Template:Failure Despite a perfect flight to the Moon, communications was lost 2.5 minutes prior to landing. NASA concluded the spacecraft may have exploded.[15]
September 8 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Surveyor 5 Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D Moon Template:Success Lunar lander. First spacecraft to do a soil analysis of any world. Returned more than 20,000 photos.[16]
November 7 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Surveyor 6 Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D Moon Template:Success Lunar lander. First spacecraft to be launched from the surface of the Moon. It lifted itself to a height of about 3 meters.[17]
November 29 File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia WRESAT Sparta Earth Template:Success First Australian satellite (on American rocket) launched from Woomera, Australia. Third nation to launch a satellite from its own soil.
December 13 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Pioneer 8 Delta E1 Sun Template:Success A series of solar-orbiting, spin-stabilized, solar-cell and battery-powered satellites designed to obtain measurements on a continuing basis of interplanetary phenomena from widely separated points in space.[11]
1968 January 7 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Surveyor 7 Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D Moon Template:Success Lunar lander. Only spacecraft in the series to land in the lunar highland region and had the most extensive set of instruments.[18]
November 8 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Pioneer 9 Delta E1 Sun Template:Success A series of solar-orbiting, spin-stabilized, solar-cell and battery-powered satellites designed to obtain measurements on a continuing basis of interplanetary phenomena from widely separated points in space.[11]
1969 January 30 File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada ISIS 1 Delta E1 Earth Template:Success International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS)
February 25 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mariner 6 Atlas SLV-3D Agena-D1A Mars Template:Success Mars probe attempting to study the surface and atmosphere of Mars during close flybys to establish a basis for further investigations.[19]
March 27 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mariner 7 Atlas SLV-3D Agena-D1A Mars Template:Success Mars probe attempting to study the surface and atmosphere of Mars during close flybys to establish a basis for further investigations.[20]
November 8 File:Flag of Germany.svg West Germany Azur / (GRS A) (German Research Satellite) Scout B S169C Earth Template:Success The scientific mission was to: scan the energy spectra of inner zone protons and electrons; measure the fluxes of electrons of energy greater than 40 keV that are parallel, anti-parallel, and perpendicular to the magnetic lines of force over the auroral zone, and measure associated optical emission; and record solar protons on alert.[21]

1970s

Artificial satellites and space probes in the 1970s
Year Launch date Origin Name Target Status Description
1970 February 11 File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Ohsumi Earth Template:Success First Japanese satellite. Japan became the fourth nation after the USSR, USA and France to successfully put an artificial satellite into orbit on its own.
March 10 File:Flag of Germany.svg West Germany DIAL-WIKA Template:Success Second German satellite. Launch by a French Diamant B from Kourou
April 24 File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Dong Fang Hong I Template:Success First Chinese satellite
August 7 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Venera 7 Venus Template:Success First successful landing of a spacecraft on another planet
September 2 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Orba Earth Template:Failure Second stage of rocket shutdown 13 seconds early
September 12 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Luna 16 Moon Template:Success Lander is the first automated return of samples from the Moon
October 20 Zond 8 Template:Success Flyby
November 10 Luna 17/Lunokhod 1 Template:Success Lander/rover is the first automated surface exploration of the Moon
December 12 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Uhuru Earth Template:Success First dedicated X-ray astronomy satellite
File:Flag of France.svg France PEOLE Template:Success First French communication satellite.
1971 April 15 File:Flag of France.svg France Tournesol Earth Template:Success First French satellite with active attitude control. Hydrogen measurement.
April 1 File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada ISIS 2 Template:Success
May 9 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mariner 8 Mars Template:Failure Orbiter. Lost due to launch failure.
May 10 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Cosmos 419 Template:Failure Probe
May 19 Mars 2 Partial Template:Failure Orbiter and lander, created the first human artifact on Mars
May 28 Mars 3 Partial Template:Success Orbiter and lander, first successful landing on Mars
May 30 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mariner 9 Template:Success Orbiter, first pictures of Mars' moons (Phobos and Deimos) taken
September 2 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Luna 18 Moon Template:Failure Lander
September 28 Luna 19 Template:Success Orbiter
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Shinsei Earth Template:Partial success First Japanese science satellite
October 28 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Prospero X-3 Template:Success Satellite, first satellite launched by Britain using a British rocket
December 5 File:Flag of France.svg France Polaire Template:Failure Second stage explosion
December 11 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Ariel 4 Template:Success
1972 February 17 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Luna 20 Moon Template:Success Lander
March 3 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Pioneer 10 Jupiter Template:Success First spacecraft to encounter Jupiter
March 27 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Venera 8 Venus Template:Success Lander
August 21 File:Flag of the United States.svg US/File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Copernicus – Orbiting Astronomical Observatory-3 Earth Template:Success
1973 January 8/11 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Luna 21/Lunokhod 2 Moon Template:Success Lander/rover
April 6 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Pioneer 11 Jupiter/Saturn Template:Success First spacecraft to encounter Saturn
May 21 File:Flag of France.svg France Castor/Pollux Earth Template:Failure Reached orbit but the fairing failed to deploy, failing the launch
June 10 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Explorer 49 Sun Template:Success Solar probe
July 21 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Mars 4 Mars Template:Failure Orbiter
July 25 Mars 5 Template:Success Orbiter
August 5 Mars 6 Template:Failure Orbiter and lander
August 9 Mars 7 Template:Failure Orbiter and lander
November 3 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mariner 10 Venus/Mercury Template:Success It passed by and photographed Mercury, also was the first dual planet probe
1974 May 29 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Luna 22 Moon Template:Success Orbiter
August 30 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands/File:Flag of the United States.svg US Astronomische Nederlandse Satelliet (ANS) Earth Template:Success Discovered X-ray bursts, first Dutch satellite (with US contributions)[22]
October 15 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Ariel 5 Template:Success X-ray satellite
October 28 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Luna 23 Moon Template:Failure Probe
December 10 File:Flag of Germany.svg West Germany Helios 1 Sun Template:Success Solar probe
1975 February 6 File:Flag of France.svg France Starlette Earth Template:Success Laser reflector for Earth-based measurement
April 19 File:Flag of India.svg India Aryabhata Template:Success Launched by USSR, the first Indian satellite
May 17 File:Flag of France.svg France Castor/Pollux Template:Success Second launch. Castor tested a new accelerometer, Pollux tested hydrazine based thrusters
June 8 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Venera 9 Venus Template:Success Returns the first pictures of the surface of Venus
June 14 Venera 10 Template:Success Orbiter and lander
August 20 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Viking 1 Mars Template:Success Orbiter and lander; lands on Mars 1976
September 9 Viking 2 Template:Success Orbiter and lander; lands on Mars 1976
September 27 File:Flag of France.svg France Aura Earth Template:Success Far-ultraviolet measurement of the Sun. Last launch of the Diamant rocket.
1976 January 15 File:Flag of Germany.svg West Germany Helios 2 Sun Template:Success Solar probe
January 17 File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada/File:Flag of the United States.svg US/File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe Communications Technology Satellite Earth Template:Success Prototype for testing direct broadcast satellite television on the Ku band
July 9 File:Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia Palapa A1 Template:Success Launched by US, The First Indonesian GEO Satellite for domestic Communication
August 9 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Luna 24 Moon Template:Success Lander
1977 August 12 File:Flag of the United States.svg US HEAO-1 Earth Template:Success X-ray satellite
August 20 Voyager 2 Jupiter Template:Success Sent back images of Jupiter and its system
September 5 Voyager 1 Template:Success
September 18 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Kosmos 954 Earth Template:Success Reconnaissance satellites
1978 May 20 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Pioneer Venus 1 Venus Template:Success Orbiter
August 8 Pioneer Venus 2 Template:Success Atmospheric probe
September 9 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Venera 11 Venus Partial Template:Success Flyby and lander
September 14 Venera 12 Template:Success
October 24 File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czechoslovakia Magion 1 Earth Template:Success First satellite for Czechoslovakia
November 13 File:Flag of the United States.svg US HEAO-2 Template:Success First X-ray photographs of astronomical objects
1979 February 21 File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Hakucho Earth Template:Success X-ray satellite
June 2 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Ariel 6 Template:Success Cosmic-ray and X-ray satellite
June 7 File:Flag of India.svg India Bhaskara-1 Template:Success Launched by ISRO (First successfully launched Indian low orbit Earth Observation Satellite)
August 10 Rohini Technology Payload Template:Failure Launched by ISRO. Purpose was to monitor flight performance of SLV but a faulty valve caused vehicle to crash into the Bay of Bengal 317 seconds after launch.

1980s

Artificial satellites and space probes in the 1980s
Year Origin Name Target Status Description
1980 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Solar Maximum Mission Sun Template:Failure Solar Maximum Mission solar probe succeeded after being repaired in Earth orbit
1981 File:Flag of India.svg India Bhaskara-2 Earth Template:Success Bhaskara-2 satellite; launched on Russian Kosmos-3M rocket for ISRO
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Venera 13 Venus Template:Success Venera 13 launched, it returned the first colour pictures of the surface of Venus
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Venera 14 Venus Template:Success Venera 14 flyby and lander
File:Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria Bulgaria 1300 Earth Template:Success Bulgaria 1300, polar research mission, was Bulgaria's first artificial satellite; launched by the Soviet Union
1983 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Venera 15 Venus Template:Success Venera 15 orbiter
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Venera 16 Venus Template:Success Venera 16 orbiter
File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe EXOSAT Earth Template:Success Launch of the EXOSAT X-ray satellite
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Tenma Earth Template:Success Launch of the Tenma X-ray satellite (ASTRO-B)
File:Flag of the United States.svg US / File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands / File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK IRAS Earth Template:Success Launch of the IRAS satellite
1984 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Vega 1 Venus/Halley's Comet Template:Success Vega 1 flyby, atmospheric probe and lander
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Vega 2 Venus/Halley's Comet Template:Success Vega 2 flyby, atmospheric probe and lander
1985 File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Sakigake Halley's Comet Template:Success Sakigake flyby, Japan's first interplanetary spacecraft
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Suisei Halley's Comet Template:Success Suisei flyby
File:Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico Morelos I Earth Template:Success Morelos I, the first Mexican satellite
1986 File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe Giotto Halley's Comet Template:Success Giotto flyby
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Voyager 2 Uranus Template:Success Voyager 2 sent back images of Uranus and its system
1987 File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Ginga Earth Template:Success Launch of the Ginga X-ray satellite (ASTRO-C)
1988 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Phobos 1 Mars Template:Failure Phobos 1 orbiter and lander
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Phobos 2 Mars Partial Template:Failure Phobos 2 flyby and lander
File:Flag of Israel.svg Israel Ofeq 1 Earth Template:Success Ofeq 1 first Israeli satellite, first satellite to be launched in retrograde orbit
1989 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Magellan Venus Template:Success Magellan orbiter launched which mapped 99 percent of the surface of Venus (300 m resolution)
File:Flag of the United States.svg US / File:Flag of Germany.svg West Germany Galileo Venus/Earth/Moon/Gaspra/Ida/Jupiter Template:Success Galileo flyby, orbiter and atmospheric probe
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Voyager 2 Neptune Template:Success Voyager 2 sent back images of Neptune and its system
File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe Hipparcos Earth Template:Success Launch of the Hipparcos satellite
File:Flag of the United States.svg US COBE Earth Template:Success Launch of the COBE satellite
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Granat Earth Template:Success Launch of the Granat gamma-ray and X-ray satellite

1990s

Artificial satellites and space probes in the 1990s
Year Origin Name Target Status Description
1990 File:Flag of the United States.svg US/File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe Ulysses Sun Template:Success Ulysses solar flyby
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Hiten Moon Template:Success Hiten probe, this was the first non-United States or USSR probe to reach the Moon
File:Flag of the United States.svg US/File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe Hubble Space Telescope Earth Template:Success Launch of the Hubble Space Telescope
File:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan Badr-1 Earth Template:Success Launch of Badr-1 Pakistan 1st communication satellite
File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany ROSAT Earth Template:Success Launch of the ROSAT X-ray satellite to conduct the first imaging X-ray sky survey
1991 File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Yohkoh Sun Template:Success Yohkoh solar probe
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory Earth Template:Success Launch of the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory satellite
1992 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mars Observer Mars Template:Failure Mars Observer orbiter
1993 File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan ASCA Earth Template:Success Launch of the ASCA (ASTRO-D) X-ray satellite
File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil INPE Earth Template:Success Launch of the SCD-1, the oldest earth observation equipment still in operation.
1994 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Clementine Moon Template:Success Clementine orbiter mapped the surface of the Moon (resolution 125–150 m) and allowed the first accurate relief map of the Moon to be generated
File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey Türksat 1B Earth Template:Success Türksat 1B, First Turkish communications satellite
1995 File:Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico Unamsat 1 Earth Template:Failure Unamsat 1, First UNAM built orbiter
File:Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine Sich-1 Earth Template:Success Sich-1 launched, first Ukrainian-built satellite
File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe ISO Earth Template:Success Launch of the Infrared Space Observatory
File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe/File:Flag of the United States.svg US SOHO Sun Template:Success SOHO solar probe
1996 File:Flag of the United States.svg US NEAR Shoemaker 433 Eros Template:Success NEAR Shoemaker asteroid flybys/orbiter/lander
File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey Türksat 1C Earth Template:Success Türksat 1C, Second Turkish communications satellite
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mars Global Surveyor Mars Template:Success Mars Global Surveyor orbiter
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mars Pathfinder Mars Template:Success Mars Pathfinder, the first automated surface exploration of another planet
File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia Mars 96 Mars Template:Failure Mars 96 orbiter and lander
File:Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina SAC-B Earth Template:Failure Sac-B Orbiter
1997 File:Flag of the United States.svg US/File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe Cassini-Huygens Saturn and Titan Template:Success Cassini-Huygens arrived in orbit on July 1, 2004, landed on Titan January 14, 2005
File:Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina Nahuel 1A Earth Template:Success Nahuel 1A First Argentine satellite - geostationary communications satellites
1998 File:Flag of North Korea.svg North Korea Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1 Earth Un­known Claimed launch of Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1 by North Korea though no independent source was able to verify its existence
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Lunar Prospector Moon Template:Success Lunar Prospector orbiter
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Nozomi Mars Template:Failure Nozomi (Planet B) orbiter, the first Japanese spacecraft to reach another planet
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mars Climate Orbiter Mars Template:Failure Mars Climate Orbiter
File:Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina / File:Flag of the United States.svg US SAC-A Earth Template:Success Sac-A Orbiter
1999 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mars Polar Lander Mars Template:Failure Mars Polar Lander
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Deep Space 2 Mars Template:Failure Deep Space 2 (DS2) penetrators
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Chandra Earth Template:Success Launch of the Chandra X-ray Observatory
File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe XMM-Newton Earth Template:Success Launch of the X-Ray Multi-Mirror Mission, XMM-Newton

2000s

Artificial satellites and space probes in 2000's
Year Origin Name Target Status Description
2000 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK SNAP-1 Earth Template:Success SNAP-1 robotic camera enabling images to be sent to other spacecraft orbiting the Earth
File:Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina SAC-C Earth Template:Success SAC-C Orbiter
2001 File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey Türksat 2A Earth Template:Success Türksat 2A, third Turkish communications satellite
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Genesis Sun Template:Partial success Genesis solar wind sample crash-landed on return
File:Flag of the United States.svg US WMAP Earth Template:Success Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) performs cosmological observations.
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mars Odyssey Mars Template:Success Mars Odyssey
File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe PROBA-1 Earth Template:Success PROBA-1 Small satellite to observe the Earth (first Belgian Satellite)
2003 File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada MOST Earth Template:Success MOST the smallest space telescope in orbit.
File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey BİLSAT Earth Template:Success BİLSAT, Turkey's first earth observation satellite
2002 File:Flag of the United States.svg US CONTOUR Comet Encke Template:Failure CONTOUR launched, but lost during early trajectory insertion.
File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe/File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia/File:Flag of the United States.svg US INTEGRAL Earth Template:Success Launch of the INTEGRAL gamma-ray satellite.
2003 File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe SMART-1 Moon Template:Success SMART-1 orbiter
File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe Mars Express & Beagle 2 Mars Template:Partial success Mars Express orbiter (successfully reached orbit) and failed Beagle 2 lander
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mars Exploration Rover Mars Template:Success Mars Exploration Rovers successful launches, Spirit successfully landed, Opportunity successfully landed
File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK UK-DMC Earth Template:Success UK-DMC orbiter, part of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Hayabusa 25143 Itokawa Template:Success Hayabusa, first sample return from asteroid, returned in 2010
2004 File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe Rosetta Comet 67P Template:Success Rosetta space probe launched (arrived on comet 67P on November 12, 2014)
File:Flag of the United States.svg US MESSENGER Mercury Template:Success MESSENGER orbiter launched (in Mercury orbit)
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Swift Earth Template:Success Launch of the Swift Gamma ray burst observatory.
2005 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Deep Impact Comet Tempel 1 Template:Success Deep Impact
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Suzaku Earth Template:Partial success Launch of the Suzaku X-ray observatory (ASTRO-EII)
File:Flag of the United States.svg US MRO Mars Template:Success Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
File:Flag of Iran.svg Iran Sinah-1 Earth Template:Success Sinah-1 launched, first Iranian-built satellite
File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe Venus Express Venus Template:Success Venus Express
2006 File:Flag of the United States.svg US New Horizons Pluto Template:Success New Horizons launched. On July 14, 2015, New Horizons flew within 7,750 miles (12,472 km) of Pluto.
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Akari Earth Template:Success Launch of the Akari infrared observatory (ASTRO-F)
File:Flag of France.svg France/File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe COROT Earth Template:Success COROT telescope to search for extrasolar planets
2007 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Phoenix Mars Template:Success Phoenix launched and successfully landed in 2008
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan SELENE Moon Template:Success SELENE orbiter and lander
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Dawn Vesta/Ceres Template:Success Dawn solar powered ion engined probe to 4 Vesta and 1 Ceres.
File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Chang'e-I Moon Template:Success Chang'e-I lunar orbiter
File:Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria NigComSat-1 Earth Template:Partial success NigComSat-1 launched by China, failed after 1 year
2008 File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey Türksat 3A Earth Template:Success Türksat 3A, fourth Turkish communications satellite
File:Flag of the United States.svg US IBEX Earth Template:Success The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX)'s mission is to study the nature of interactions between solar wind and interstellar medium at the edge of Solar System.
2009 File:Flag of North Korea.svg North Korea Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 Earth Template:Failure Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 failed to orbit, possibly due to the rocket's third stage not separating properly.
File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe Planck L2 Template:Success Planck
File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe Herschel L2 Template:Success Herschel Space Observatory
File:Flag of Iran.svg Iran Omid Earth Template:Success Omid launched by Iranian made launcher Safir. First Iranian-launched satellite
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Kepler Earth Template:Success Kepler launched
File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe PROBA-2 Earth Template:Success PROBA-2 Small satellite to observe the Sun
File:Flag of India.svg India RISAT-2 Earth Template:Success RISAT-2 developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, launched by ISRO, India
File:Flag of India.svg India Chandrayaan-1 Moon Template:Success Chandrayaan-1 developed and launched by ISRO, India. First discovery of Lunar Water.
File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK UK-DMC 2 Earth Template:Success UK-DMC 2 orbiter, successor to UK-DMC part of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation

2010s

Artificial satellites and space probes in the 2010s
Year Origin Name Target Status Description
2010 File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Akatsuki Venus Template:Partial success Akatsuki orbiter, first Japanese spacecraft to orbit another planet (2015)
2010 File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan IKAROS Venus Template:Success IKAROS, first solar-sail spacecraft
File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Chang'e-2 Moon Template:Success Chang'e-2 lunar orbiter/impacter
2011 File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey RASAT Earth Template:Success

Turkey's after BİLSAT, second earth observation satellite. RASAT, design and production made in Turkey is the first observation satellite.

File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia Spektr-R Earth Template:Success Launch of the Spektr-R radio telescope
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Juno Jupiter Template:Success Juno
File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia Fobos-Grunt Mars Template:Failure Fobos-Grunt lander and sample return
File:Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria NigComSat-1 Earth Template:Success NigComSat-1 replacement launched by China
File:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan / File:Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore ST-2 Earth Template:Success ST-2 replacement launched by Taiwan and Singapore
File:Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina / File:Flag of the United States.svg US SAC-D Earth Template:Success SAC-D Orbiter
2012 File:Flag of Iran.svg Iran Navid Earth Template:Success Navid Earth-watching satellite
File:Flag of the United States.svg US MSL Mars Template:Success Mars Science Laboratory with Curiosity rover—orbit and landed
File:Flag of North Korea.svg North Korea Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Earth Template:Success Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2, first successful North Korean orbital rocket launch after the first unit exploded shortly after launch.
File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland PW-Sat Earth Template:Success PW-Sat, first Polish satellite
2013 File:Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea STSAT-2C Earth Template:Success STSAT-2C, first successful South Korean orbital rocket launch
File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada NEOSSat Earth Template:Success NEOSSat, monitoring near-Earth objects
File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Sapphire Earth Template:Success Sapphire, military space surveillance
File:Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador NEE 01 Pegaso Earth Template:Success NEE-01 Pegaso, Ecuador's first satellite
File:Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia ESTCube-1 Earth Template:Success ESTCube-1, Estonia's first satellite
File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe PROBA-V Earth Template:Success PROBA-V, small satellite to monitor the vegetation of the Earth
File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK STRaND-1 Earth Template:Success STRaND-1, first smartphone-operated satellite to be launched and dubbed the world's first "phonesat"
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Hisaki Earth Template:Success Hisaki planetary atmosphere observatory
File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada CASSIOPE Earth Template:Success CASSIOPE, ionosphere research and communication satellite
File:Flag of India.svg India MOM Mars Template:Success MOM is India's first interplanetary mission to Mars. First Asian nation to reach Mars.
File:Flag of the United States.svg US MAVEN Mars Template:Success MAVEN orbiter
File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland Lem Earth Template:Success Lem, First Polish scientific satellite
2014 File:Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania LitSat1/LituanicaSAT-1 Earth Template:Success LitSat-1 and LituanicaSAT-1, first Lithuanian satellites
File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey TÜRKSAT 4A Earth Template:Success TÜRKSAT 4A, Turkey's fifth communication satellite.
File:Flag of Europe.svg Europe Rosetta / Philae Comet 67P Template:Partial success Rosetta and Philae, Third comet landing at unintended site in suboptimal orientation due to failure of surface anchoring system
File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland Heweliusz Earth Template:Success Heweliusz, Second Polish scientific satellite
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Hayabusa2 162173 Ryugu Template:Success Hayabusa2, second Japanese asteroid sample return spacecraft
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan PROCYON 2000 DP107 Template:Partial failure PROCYON deep space probe
2015 File:Flag of the United States.svg US DSCOVR Earth-Sun L1 Template:Success DSCOVR, Earth and space weather
File:Flag of India.svg India Astrosat Earth Template:Success Astrosat, Space observatory
File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey TÜRKSAT 4B Earth Template:Success TÜRKSAT 4B, Turkey's sixth communication satellite.
2016 File:Flag of Europe.svg European Union / File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia ExoMars / Schiaparelli Mars Template:Partial success ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, Trace Gas Orbiter in orbit; Schiaparelli lander crashed
File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada M3MSat Earth Template:Success M3MSat, maritime monitoring and communication satellite
File:Flag of the United States.svg US OSIRIS-REx Earth Template:Enroute OSIRIS-REx, first American asteroid sample return spacecraft
2017 File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil SGDC-1 Earth Template:Success SGDC-1, communication satellite
2018 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Tesla Roadster Heliocentric orbit Template:Success Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster, dummy payload for the February 2018 Falcon Heavy test flight and is now an artificial satellite of the Sun
File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Queqiao Moon Template:Success First relay satellite for far side of the Moon.
File:Flag of the United States.svg US File:Flag of France.svg France File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany InSight Mars Template:Success InSight, Mars lander for planetary information
File:Flag of Europe.svg European Union/File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan BepiColombo Mercury Template:Enroute BepiColombo, two orbiters to study the magnetic field, magnetosphere, and both interior and surface structure of Mercury. Final mission of the Horizon 2000+ programme
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Parker Solar Probe Sun Template:Enroute Parker Solar Probe, first spacecraft to visit the outer corona of the Sun
File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Chang'e 4 Moon Template:Success Chang'e 4, first spacecraft to soft-land on the lunar far side.
2019 File:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt NARSSCube-2 Earth Template:Success NARSSCube-2, Egypt's first domestically built satellite
File:Flag of Israel.svg Israel Beresheet Moon Template:Failure Beresheet, first private space probe and moon lander, crashed
File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia / File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany Spektr-RG Earth-Sun L2 Template:Success Launch of the Spektr-RG X-ray observatory
File:Flag of India.svg India Chandrayaan-2 Moon Template:Partial success Chandrayaan-2, orbiter achieved orbit, but lander and rover module hit into the Moon's surface and crashed.
File:Flag of Ethiopia.svg Ethiopia ETRSS-1 Earth Template:Success ETRSS-1, first Ethiopian satellite; launched on China's Long March 4B rocket.[23]

2020s

Artificial satellites and space probes in the 2020s
Year Origin Name Target Status Description
2020 File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey TÜRKSAT 5A Earth Template:Success TÜRKSAT 5A, Turkey's seventh communication satellite launched with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.
File:Flag of Europe.svg European Union SolO Sun Template:Enroute Solar Orbiter is an ESA's Sun-observing satellite.[24][25][26]
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Mars 2020 Mars Template:Operational Perseverance, JPL's Mars rover. It was launched on July 30 with Atlas V rocket, and landed on February 18, 2021, together with the small Ingenuity helicopter that was deployed on April 4, 2021.
File:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg UAE Hope Mars Template:Success Hope satellite is the United Arab Emirates Space Agency's uncrewed space research project on Mars. It was launched with Japanese H-IIA rocket on 19 July and reached Mars on 9 February 2021.
File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Tianwen-1 Mars Template:Success Mission containing an orbiter, deployable and remote cameras, lander and Zhurong rover. This is China's 2nd uncrewed space research project on Mars. It was launched with Long March 5 rocket on 23 July and the orbiter, lander and rover entered Mars orbit on 10 February 2021. The rover and lander landed on 14 May with rover deployment on 22 April 2021 and dropped a remote selfie camera on Mars on 1 June 2021 and while a deployable camera made a flyby around 10 February 2021 and another deployable camera was released into Mars orbit on 31 December 2021.
File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Chang'e 5 Moon Template:Success Orbiter, Returner, Ascent Stage, Lander configuration mission, China's first automated return of samples from the Moon. orbiter visited L1 and made a lunar flyby.
2021 File:Flag of the United States.svg US Lucy two main belt asteroids as well as six Jupiter trojans Template:Enroute NASA probe that will complete a 12-year journey to nine different asteroids, visiting two main belt asteroids as well as six Jupiter trojans,[27][28] asteroids which share Jupiter's orbit around the Sun, orbiting either ahead of or behind the planet. All target encounters will be fly-by encounters.[29] It was launched on October 16, 2021, on the 401 variant of Atlas V and has yet to study a trojan asteroid.
File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil Amazônia-1 Earth Template:Success Amazônia-1 is the first Earth observation satellite developed by Brazil, helped by Argentina's INVAP, who provided the main computer, attitude controls and sensors, and the training of Brazilian engineers,[8] and launched at 04:54:00 UTC (10:24:00 IST) on 28 February 2021.
File:Flag of the United States.svg US DART a Binary 65803 Didymos asteroid system Template:Success Double Asteroid Redirection Test, NASA's first mission to test planetary defense. Its uses involves test this technique by kinetically impacting the spacecraft to produce a small change in its orbital period. It was launched on November 24 with Falcon 9 rocket. Accompanying the mission is LICIACube cubesat, a flyby mission that recorded the impact and its aftermaths.
File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy LICIACube a Binary 65803 Didymos asteroid system Template:Success LICIACube, Light Italian Cubesat for Imaging of Asteroids, is the first Agenzia Spaziale Italiana's interplanetary mission. Ideated, designed, integrated and operated entirely in Italy, it has been the witness of the first real-scale planetary defense test performed by Double Asteroid Redirection Test. LICIACube is the smallest human-made object that successfully performed a flyby of a Small Solar System body. It has been deployed two weeks before DART's impact.
File:Flag of the United States.svg US IXPE Earth Template:Success Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, NASA's new X-ray observatory. It was launched on December 8 with Falcon 9 rocket.
File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey TÜRKSAT 5B Earth Template:Success TÜRKSAT 5B, Turkey's eighth communication satellite launched with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.
File:Flag of the United States.svg US / File:Flag of Europe.svg European Union / File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada James Webb Space Telescope Earth-Sun L2 point Template:Success James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), NASA, ESA and CSA's joint project for a space telescope. It was launched on December 25 with Ariane 5 ECA rocket to Earth-Moon L2 point.
2022 File:Flag of the United States.svg US CAPSTONE Near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) of Moon Template:Operational CAPSTONE, Lunar orbiting CubeSat that will test and verify the calculated orbital stability planned for the Gateway space station. It was launched with Rocket Lab Electron rocket.
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 None None

In May, NASA reports that the Voyager 1 spacecraft, the farthest human-made object, is sending data that does not reflect what is happening on board with the antenna apparently remaining in its prescribed orientation to Earth.[30][31] In June, it was reported that NASA is preparing to power down the two Voyager spacecraft in the hope of using the remaining power to extend their operation to about 2030.[32]

File:Flag of the United States.svg US / File:Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea Danuri (KLPO) Moon Template:Operational South Korea's first lunar orbiter launched by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. Danuri will serve to create topographic map of the lunar surface to pinpoint future landing sites.
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Artemis 1 Orion MPCV CM-002 Moon Template:Success Uncrewed test of the Orion spacecraft in lunar flyby and DRO orbit.
CuSP Heliocentric Template:Failure Study particles and magnetic fields.
LunIR Moon Template:Partial failure Collect its surface thermography.
NEA Scout Moon/Asteroid Template:Failure Solar sail that will flyby a near-Earth asteroid.
Team Miles Helliocentric Template:Failure Demonstrate low-thrust plasma propulsion in deep space.
BioSentinel Heliocentric Template:Success Contains yeast cards that will be rehydrated in space, designed to detect, measure, and compare the effects of deep space radiation.
LunaH-Map Moon Template:Failure Search for evidence of lunar water ice inside permanently shadowed craters using its neutron detector.
Lunar IceCube Moon Template:Failure Its infrared spectrometer will detect water and organic compounds in the lunar surface and exosphere.
File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy ArgoMoon High Earth Orbit with Lunar Flybys Template:Success Image the ICPS and perform deep space Nanotechnology experiments.
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan OMOTENASHI Moon Template:Failure Inflatable module attempting to land semi-hard at lunar surface.
EQUULEUS Moon/Earth Moon-L2 Template:Success Image the Earth's plasmasphere, impact craters on the Moon's far side and L2 experiments.
Hakuto-R Mission 1 Moon Template:Failure Lunar landing technology demonstration at Atlas Crater.
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Lunar Flashlight Moon Template:Failure Lunar Flashlight, Lunar orbiting CubeSat that will explore, locate, and estimate size and composition of water ice deposits on the Moon for future exploitation by robots or humans. It was launched with Hakuto-R mission Mission 1.
2023 File:Flag of Europe.svg European Union Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) Jupiter and Ganymede Template:Enroute Mission to study Jupiter's three icy moons Callisto, Europa and Ganymede, eventually orbiting Ganymede as the first spacecraft to orbit a satellite of another planet.
File:Flag of Europe.svg European Union Euclid Earth-Sun L2 point Template:Operational It is ESA's project for a space telescope to study dark matter. It was launched on July 1 with Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket to Earth-Moon L2 point.
File:Flag of India.svg India Chandrayaan-3 Moon Template:Success It is India's second attempt to land on the Moon and its south pole. Successfully launched on 14 July 2023 on a LVM3 launch vehicle. Successfully landed on 23 August 2023.
File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia Luna-25 Moon Template:Failure It was a lander, launched on 10 August 2023 on Soyuz 2.1b rocket. Crashed on the Moon surface on 19 August 2023.[33]
File:Flag of India.svg India Aditya-L1 Earth-Sun L1 point Template:Operational It is ISRO's first Sun dedicated scientific mission. It will perform observations of the Solar corona. Successfully launched on 2 September 2023 on a PSLV-XL rocket.
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan / File:Flag of the United States.svg US XRISM Earth Template:Operational X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, X-ray space telescope developed by JAXA in partnership with NASA. Successfully launched on 6 September 2023 on a H-IIA launch vehicle.
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan SLIM Moon Template:Success Lunar lander developed by JAXA carrying two lunar rovers. Successfully launched on 6 September 2023 on a H-IIA launch vehicle. Successfully landed on 19 January 2024.
File:Flag of the United States.svg US Psyche 16 Psyche Template:Enroute Asteroid orbiter developed by NASA. Successfully launched on 13 October 2023 on a Falcon Heavy launch vehicle.
2024 File:Flag of India.svg India XPoSat Earth Template:Operational ISRO's mission to study X-ray polarisation. Successfully launched on 1 January 2024 on a PSLV-DL launch vehicle.
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Peregrine Mission One Moon Template:Failure Lunar lander developed by Astrobotic Technology and selected as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services. Successfully launched on 8 January 2024 on a Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle but landing abandoned due to excessive propellant leak.
File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China / File:Flag of Europe.svg European Union Einstein Probe Earth Template:Operational X-ray space telescope developed jointly by CAS and ESA. Successfully launched on 9 January 2024 on a Long March 2C launch vehicle.
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA IM-1 Moon Template:Success Cryogenic-propelled lunar lander developed by Intuitive Machines and selected as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services. Successfully launched on 15 February 2024 on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle and landed on its side on 22 February 2024. Accompanied by a university Cubesat lander called EagleCam to send third-party images of landing sequence back to Earth.
File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China DRO A/B Moon Template:Success Yuanzheng 1S upper stage failed to deliver spacecrafts into correct orbit. The satellites were intended to test Distant retrograde orbit.[34] Tracking data appears to show China is attempting to salvage spacecraft and they appear to have succeeded in reaching their desired orbit.[35][36]
File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Queqiao-2 Moon Template:Success Queqiao-2 relay satellite for far side of the Moon with Tiandu-1 and 2 to test future lunar satellite constellation technologies.
File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Chang'e 6 Moon Template:Success Orbiter, Returner, Ascent Stage, Lander, Rover configuration mission, China's first automated return of samples from the far side of the Moon. orbiter visited L2.
File:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan ICUBE-Q Moon Template:Operational Piggybacking as the first Pakistani lunar mission along with Chang'e 6.
File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China / File:Flag of France.svg France Space Variable Objects Monitor Earth Template:Operational X-ray space telescope developed jointly by CNES and CNSA. Successfully launched on 22 June 2024 on a Long March 2C launch vehicle.
File:Flag of Europe.svg EU Hera 65803 Didymos Template:Enroute European component of AIDA, a NASA-ESA asteroid deflection test cooperation, aimed at studying the effects of the NEO's impact created by NASA's DART mission using 65803 Didymos's moon (Dimorphos) as a target. Successfully launched on 7 October 2024 on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle.
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Europa Clipper Jupiter and Europa Template:Enroute NASA launched the Europa Clipper on 14 October 2024 on a Falcon Heavy launch vehicle, which will study the Jovian moon Europa while in orbit around Jupiter.
File:Flag of Europe.svg EU PROBA-3 Earth Template:Operational solar Coronagraph and Occulter dual satellites developed by ESA. Successfully launched on 5 December 2024 on a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
2025 File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Blue Ghost M1 Moon Template:Success Lunar landing technology demonstration at Mare Crisium. Launched on 15 January 2025 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 launch vehicle with Hakuto-R Mission 2. Landed on 2 March 2025.
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Hakuto-R Mission 2 Moon Template:Failure Lunar landing technology demonstration at Mare Frigoris. Launched on 15 January 2025 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 launch vehicle with Blue Ghost M1. Carried a rover named Tenacious to lunar surface. Failed Landing.
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA IM-2 Moon Template:Partial failure Lunar landing technology demonstration at Mare Frigoris. Launched on 27 February 2025 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 launch vehicle with Lunar Trailblazer and Brokkr-2 and landed on its side on 6 March 2025 and the mission ended sooner without conducting useful science and surface operations. Carried AstroAnt, Yaoki, Micro-Nova and MAPP LV1 rovers to lunar surface.
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Lunar Trailblazer Moon Template:Failure Lunar orbiter aimed to aid in the understanding of lunar water and the Moon's water cycle.[37] Launched on 27 February 2025 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 launch vehicle with Brokkr-2, Chimera-1 and IM-2.
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Brokkr-2 2022 OB5 Template:Failure Asteroid flyby of a near-Earth asteroid and determine if the asteroid is metallic.[38] Launched on 27 February 2025 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 launch vehicle with Lunar Trailblazer, Chimera-1 and IM-2.
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Chimera-1 Moon Template:Failure Failed lunar flyby Launched on 27 February 2025 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 launch vehicle with Lunar Trailblazer, Brokkr-2 and IM-2.
File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Tianwen-2 469219 Kamoʻoalewa and 311P/PANSTARRS Template:Enroute Tianwen-2 asteroid orbiter, lander and sample return. Launched on a Long March 3B launch vehicle on 29 May 2025.
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe Earth-Sun L1 point Template:Operational It is NASA's heliophysics mission that simultaneously investigates two important and coupled science topics in the heliosphere: the acceleration of energetic particles and interaction of the solar wind with the local interstellar medium.. It was launched on September 24 with Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket to Earth-Moon L1 point with Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 and Carruthers Geocorona Observatory.
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Carruthers Geocorona Observatory Earth-Sun L1 point Template:Operational It is NASA's project, which will survey ultraviolet light emitted by Earth's outermost atmospheric layer, the exosphere, and geocorona.[39][40] It was launched on September 24 with Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket to Earth-Moon L1 point with Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe and Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1.
File:Flag of the United States.svg USA Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 Earth-Sun L1 point Template:Operational It is NOAA's mission to monitor signs of solar storms, which may pose harm to Earth's telecommunication network. It was launched on September 24 with Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket to Earth-Moon L1 point with Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe and Carruthers Geocorona Observatory.

References

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External links

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