Unmanned space mission

Unmanned space missions--those using remote-controlled spacecraft--often are more effective in carrying out scientific and observational missions than manned space missions.

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The first such mission was the Sputnik I mission, launched October 4, 1957.

Unmanned programs through the ages (first mission year given, if known)

Early Earth-orbital missions

• Sputnik program, 1957 - Earth orbit

• Explorer program, 1958 - Earth orbit

• Vanguard program, 1959 - Earth orbit

See also: Weather satellites, Communication satellites, etc.

Lunar exploration

• Luna program, 1959 - Lunar exploration

• Lunokhod program - unmanned Lunar Rover probes

• Ranger program - Lunar hard-landing probes

• Surveyor program - Lunar soft-landing probe

• Orbiter program - Lunar orbital

Solar System exploration

• Mars program

• Venera program - Venus orbital and landing

• Mariner program - Mercury, Venus and Mars, flyby and orbital

• Mars Climate Orbiter

• Mars Odyssey

• Mars Polar Lander

• Viking program - Mars lander

• Pioneer program - Jupiter and Saturn flyby

• Voyager program - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune flyby

• Galileo program - Jupiter orbiter and "lander"

• Deep Space 1 - comet/asteroid flyby, 1998-2000

See also space exploration, manned space missions.