Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes

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This Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes includes unmanned spacecraft including technology demonstrators, observatories, lunar probes, and interplanetary probes. First satellites from each country are included. Not included are earth science satellites, commercial satellites or manned missions.

Contents


Key: Year - Origin - Target - Status - Description

[edit] 1950s

  • 1957 -  Soviet Union - Earth - Success - Sputnik 1 is launched, the first Earth orbiting satellite
  • 1957 -  Soviet Union - Earth - Partial success - Sputnik 2 is launched, the first Earth orbiting satellite with an animal (Laika)
  • 1958 -  USA - Earth - Success - Explorer 1
  • 1958 -  USA - Earth - Success - Vanguard 1 oldest satellite still orbiting Earth (as of June 2009).
  • 1958 -  USA - Moon - Failure - Pioneer 1 orbiter
  • 1958 -  USA - Moon - Failure - Pioneer 3 flyby
  • 1959 -  Soviet Union - Moon - Partial Success - Luna 1 lunar impactor is launched but misses target and enters heliocentric orbit. It discovered solar wind
  • 1959 -  USA - Moon - Partial success - Pioneer 4 flyby
  • 1959 -  Soviet Union - Moon - Success - Luna 2 impactor launched, it was the first spacecraft to impact onto the surface of the moon
  • 1959 -  Soviet Union - Moon - Success - Luna 3 flyby launched, it returned the first image of the Moon's hidden side.

[edit] 1960s

[edit] 1970s

[edit] 1980s

  • 1980 -  USA - Sun - Failure- Solar Maximum Mission solar probe succeeded after being repaired in Earth orbit
  • 1981 -  India - Earth - Success - Bhaskara-2 India, launched by ISRO
  • 1981 -  Soviet Union - Venus - Success - Venera 13 launched, it returned the first colour pictures of the surface of Venus
  • 1981 -  Soviet Union - Venus - Success - Venera 14 flyby and lander
  • 1981 -  Bulgaria - Earth - Success - Bulgaria 1300, polar research mission, launched by the Soviet Union
  • 1983 -  Soviet Union - Venus - Success - Venera 15 orbiter
  • 1983 -  Soviet Union - Venus - Success - Venera 16 orbiter
  • 1983 - Success - Launch of the EXOSAT X-ray satellite
  • 1983 - Success - Launch of the Tenma X-ray satellite (ASTRO-B)
  • 1983 - Success - Launch of the IRAS satellite
  • 1984 -  Soviet Union - Venus/Halley's Comet - Success - Vega 1 flyby, atmospheric probe and lander
  • 1984 -  Soviet Union - Venus/Halley's Comet - Success - Vega 2 flyby, atmospheric probe and lander
  • 1986 -  Europe - Halley's Comet - Success - Giotto flyby
  • 1987 - Success - Launch of the Ginga X-ray satellite (ASTRO-C)
  • 1988 -  Soviet Union - Mars - Failure - Phobos 1 orbiter and lander
  • 1988 -  Soviet Union - Mars - Partial Failure - Phobos 2 flyby and lander
  • 1989 - Venus - Success - Magellan orbiter launched which mapped 99 percent of the surface of Venus (300 m resolution)
  • 1989 -  USA - Venus/Earth/Moon/Gaspra/Ida/Jupiter - Success - Galileo flyby, orbiter and atmospheric probe
  • 1989 -  USA - Neptune - Success - Voyager 2 sends back images of Neptune and its system
  • 1989 - Success - Launch of the Granat gamma-ray and X-ray satellite
  • 1989 -  Europe - Success - Launch of the Hipparcos satellite
  • 1989 - Success - Launch of the COBE satellite

[edit] 1990s

[edit] 2000s

[edit] See also

v • d • e
Spaceflight lists and timelines
General spaceflight
Human spaceflight
Solar System exploration
Earth-orbiting satellites
Vehicles
Launches by rocket type
Agencies, companies, facilities
Other mission lists and timelines

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_artificial_satellites_and_space_probes"
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