Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes

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 most earth science satellites, commercial satellites or manned missions. List is not yet complete and can become out-of-date.

Key: Year – Origin – Target – Status – Description

1950s

• 1957 – Soviet Union – Sputnik 1 – Success – The first satellite in space.
• 1957 – Soviet Union – Sputnik 2 – Success
• 1957 – USA – Vanguard TV3 – Failed
• 1958 – USA – Explorer 1 – Success – The first American satellite in space.
• 1958 – USA – Vanguard 6.5in Satellite 2 – Failed
• 1958 – USA – Explorer 2 – Failed
• 1958 – USA – Vanguard 1 – Success
• 1958 – USA – Explorer 3 – Success
• 1958 – Soviet Union – ISZ D-1 No. 1 – Failed
• 1958 – USA – Vanguard 20in X-ray 1 – Failed
• 1958 – Soviet Union – Sputnik 3 – Success
• 1958 – USA – Vanguard 20in Lyman-Alpha 1 failure

1960s

• 1960 – USA – Sun – Success – Pioneer 5 solar monitor
• 1962 – UK – Earth – Success Ariel 1 – the first British satellite in space (on American rocket)
• 1962 – Canada – Earth – Success – Alouette 1, the first Canadian satellite (on American rocket)
• 1964 – Italy – Earth – Success – San Marco 1, the first Italian satellite (on American rocket)
• 1965 – France – Earth – Success – Asterix, the first French satellite
• 1967 – Australia – Earth – Success – WRESAT, the first Australian satellite (on American rocket)
• 1969 – USA – Moon - Apollo 11, the first man on the Moon was Chuck Norris.

1970s

• 1970 – Japan – Earth – Failure – Osumi the first Japanese satellite
• 1970 – Soviet Union – Venus – Success – Venera 7, the first successful landing of a spacecraft on another planet
• 1970 – Soviet Union – Moon – Success – Luna 16 lander is the first automated return of samples from the Moon
• 1970 – Soviet Union – Moon – Success – Zond 8 flyby
• 1970 – Soviet Union – Moon – Success – Luna 17/Lunokhod 1 lander/rover is the first automated surface exploration of the Moon
• 1970 – UK – Failure – Orba (satellite), second stage of rocket shutdown 13 seconds early
• 1970 – USA – Success – Launch of Uhuru, the first dedicated X-ray satellite
• 1970 – China – Success – Launch of Dong Fang Hong I, the first Chinese satellite
• 1971 – Soviet Union – Moon – Failure – Luna 18 lander
• 1971 – Soviet Union – Moon – Success – Luna 19 orbiter
• 1971 – USA – Mars – Failure – Mariner 8 flyby
• 1971 – Soviet Union – Mars – Failure – Cosmos 419 probe
• 1971 – Soviet Union – Mars – Partial Failure – Mars 2 orbiter and lander, created the first human artifact on Mars
• 1971 – Soviet Union – Mars – Partial Success – Mars 3 orbiter and lander, first successful landing on Mars
• 1971 – USA – Mars – Success – Mariner 9 orbiter, first pictures of Mars' moons (Phobos and Deimos) taken
• 1971 – UK – Earth – Success – Prospero X-3 satellite, first satellite launched by Britain using a British rocket
• 1971 – UK – Earth – Success – Ariel 4,
• 1972 – Soviet Union – Venus – Success – Venera 8 lander
• 1972 – Soviet Union – Moon – Success – Luna 20 lander
• 1972 – USA/UK – Earth – Success – Launch of the Copernicus ultraviolet satellite
• 1972 – USA – Jupiter – Success – Pioneer 10 launched, first spacecraft to encounter Jupiter
• 1972 – USA – Sun – Success – Explorer 49 solar probe
• 1973 – USA – Venus/Mercury – Success – Mariner 10 launched, it passed by and photographed Mercury, also was the first dual planet probe
• 1973 – USA – Jupiter/Saturn – Success – Pioneer 11 launched, first spacecraft to encounter Saturn
• 1973 – Soviet Union – Moon – Success – Luna 21/Lunokhod 2 lander/rover
• 1973 – Soviet Union – Mars – Failure – Mars 4 orbiter
• 1973 – Soviet Union – Mars – Success – Mars 5 orbiter
• 1973 – Soviet Union – Mars – Failure – Mars 6 orbiter and lander
• 1973 – Soviet Union – Mars – Failure – Mars 7 orbiter and lander
• 1974 – West Germany – Sun – Success – Helios 1 solar probe
• 1974 – Soviet Union – Moon – Success – Luna 22 orbiter
• 1974 – Soviet Union – Moon – Failure – Luna 23 probe
• 1974 – UK – Earth – Success – Launch of the Ariel 5 X-ray satellite
• 1975 – Soviet Union – Venus – Success – Venera 9 returns the first pictures of the surface of Venus
• 1975 – Soviet Union – Venus – Success – Venera 10 orbiter and lander
• 1975 – USA – Mars – Success – Viking 1 orbiter and lander; lands on Mars 1976
• 1975 – USA – Mars – Success – Viking 2 orbiter and lander; lands on Mars 1976
• 1975 – India – Earth – Success – Aryabhata, launched by USSR,the first Indian satellite
• 1975 – India – India's first rocket SLV launched
• 1976 – West Germany – Sun – Success – Helios 2 solar probe
• 1976 – Soviet Union – Moon – Success – Luna 24 lander
• 1976 – USA/Canada – Earth – Success – Hermes Communications Technology Satellite prototype for testing direct broadcast TV
• 1976 – USA/Netherlands – Earth – Success – The Vela and ANS X-ray satellites discover X-ray bursts (first Dutch satellite)
• 1976 – USA – Sun – Success – The Orbiting Solar Observatory X-ray satellite shows that X-ray bursts have blackbody spectra
• 1977 – USA – Earth – Success – Launch of the HEAO-1 X-ray satellite
• 1978 – USA – Venus – Success – Pioneer Venus 1 orbiter
• 1978 – USA – Venus – Success – Pioneer Venus 2 atmospheric probe
• 1978 – Soviet Union – Venus – Partial Success – Venera 11 flyby and lander
• 1978 – Soviet Union – Venus – Success – Venera 12 flyby and lander
• 1978 – USA/UK/Europe – Earth – Success – Launch of the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite
• 1978 – USA – Earth – Success – Launch of the Einstein X-ray satellite (HEAO-2) is the first X-ray photographs of astronomical objects
• 1979 – Japan – Earth – Success – Launch of the Hakucho X-ray satellite
• 1979 – UK – Earth – Success – Launch of the Ariel 6 cosmic-ray and X-ray satellite
• 1979 – USA – Jupiter – Success – Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 send back images of Jupiter and its system
• 1979 – India – Earth – Success – Bhaskara-1 India, launched by ISRO (First Indian low orbit Earth Observation Satellite)

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 – Europe – Earth – Success – Launch of the EXOSAT X-ray satellite
• 1983 – Japan – Earth – Success – Launch of the Tenma X-ray satellite (ASTRO-B)
• 1983 – USA/Netherlands/UK – Earth – 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
• 1985 - Mexico - Earth - Success - Morelos I, the first Mexican satelite
• 1986 – Europe – Halley's Comet – Success – Giotto flyby
• 1987 – Japan – Earth – 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 – USA – 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 – Europe – Earth – Success – Launch of the Hipparcos satellite
• 1989 – USA – Earth – Success – Launch of the COBE satellite
• 1989 – Soviet Union – Earth – Success – Launch of the Granat gamma-ray and X-ray satellite

1990s

• 1990 – USA/Europe – Sun – Success – Ulysses solar flyby
• 1990 – Japan – Moon – Success – Hiten probe, this was the first non-United States or USSR probe to reach the Moon
• 1990 – USA/Europe – Success – Launch of the Hubble Space Telescope
• 1990 – Germany – Success – Launch of the ROSAT X-ray satellite to conduct the first imaging X-ray sky survey
• 1991 – Japan – Sun – Success – Yohkoh solar probe
• 1991 – USA – Earth – Success – Launch of the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory satellite
• 1992 – USA – Mars – Failure – Mars Observer orbiter
• 1993 – Japan – Earth – Success – Launch of the ASCA (ASTRO-D) X-ray satellite
• 1994 – USA – Moon – 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
• 1995 – Mexico – Earth – Failed – Unamsat 1, First UNAM built orbiter
• 1995 – Europe – Earth – Success – Launch of the Infrared Space Observatory
• 1995 – Europe/USA – Sun – Success – SOHO solar probe
• 1996 – USA – 433 Eros – Success – NEAR Shoemaker – asteroid flybys/orbiter/lander
• 1996 – USA – Mars – Success – Mars Global Surveyor orbiter
• 1996 – USA – Mars – Success – Mars Pathfinder, the first automated surface exploration of another planet
• 1996 – Russia – Mars – Failure – Mars 96 orbiter and lander
• 1997 – USA/Europe – Saturn and Titan – Success – Cassini-Huygens – arrived in orbit on July 1, 2004, landed on Titan January 14, 2005
• 1998 – North Korea – Earth – Unknown – Claimed launch of Kwangmyongsong-1 by North Korea though no independent source was able to verify its existence
• 1998 – USA – Moon – Success – Lunar Prospector orbiter
• 1998 – Japan – Mars – Failure – Nozomi (Planet B) orbiter, the first Japanese spacecraft to reach another planet
• 1998 – USA – Mars – Failure – Mars Climate Orbiter
• 1999 – USA – Mars – Failure – Mars Polar Lander
• 1999 – USA – Mars – Failure – Deep Space 2 (DS2) penetrators
• 1999 – USA – Earth – Success – Launch of the Chandra X-ray Observatory
• 1999 – Europe – Earth – Success – Launch of the X-Ray Multi-Mirror Mission, XMM-Newton

2000s

• 2000 – UK – Earth – Success – SNAP-1 robotic camera enabling images to be sent to other spacecrafts orbiting the Earth
• 2001 – USA – Sun – Partial Success – Genesis solar wind sample return – crash-landed on return
• 2001 – USA – Success – Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) performs cosmological observations.
• 2001 – USA – Mars – Success – Mars Odyssey
• 2003 – Canada – Earth – Success – MOST the smallest space telescope in orbit
• 2003 – USA – Comet Encke – Failure – CONTOUR launched, but lost during early trajectory insertion.
• 2003 – Europe – Moon – Success – Smart 1 orbiter
• 2003 – Europe – Mars – Partial Success – Mars Express orbiter (successfully reached orbit) and failed lander, the Beagle 2
• 2003 – USA – Mars – Success – Mars Exploration Rovers – successful launches, Spirit successfully landed, Opportunity successfully landed
• 2003 – UK – Success – UK-DMC orbiter, part of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation
• 2003 – Japan – 25143 Itokawa – Hayabusa – sample return – arrive at 2010
• 2004 – Europe – Comet 67P – Rosetta space probe launched – yet to arrive
• 2004 – USA – Mercury – MESSENGER orbiter – launched – in Mercury orbit
• 2004 – USA – Success – Launch of the Swift Gamma ray burst observatory.
• 2005 – Iran – Earth – Sinah-1 – launched, first Iranian-built satellite
• 2005 – USA – Comet Tempel 1 – Deep Impact – successful comet impact
• 2005 – USA – Mars – Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter – in orbit
• 2005 – Europe – Venus – Venus Express – in orbit
• 2006 – USA – Pluto – New Horizons – launched – yet to arrive
• 2006 – France/ESA – Earth – COROT – launched, telescope to search for extrasolar planets
• 2007 – USA – Mars – Success – Phoenix – launched and successfully landed in 2008
• 2007 – Japan – Moon – SELENE orbiter and lander – in lunar orbit since October 3, 2007
• 2007 – USA – Vesta/Ceres- Dawn – launched – solar powered ion engined probe to 4 Vesta and 1 Ceres.
• 2007 – China – Moon – Chang'e-I – success – lunar orbiter
• 2008 – USA – Earth – Success – IBEX – launched – operating
• 2009 – Europe – L2 – Planck (spacecraft) – launched, arrived, operating
• 2009 – Europe – L2 – Herschel Space Observatory – launched, arrived, operating
• 2009 – Iran – Earth – Omid – launched by Iranian made launcher Safir, first Iranian-launched satellite
• 2009 – USA – Earth – Success – Kepler – launched – operating
• 2009 – India – Earth – Success – RISAT-2 developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, launched by ISRO, India
• 2009 – India – Moon – Partial failure – Chandrayaan-1 developed and launched by ISRO, India
• 2009 – UK – Success – UK-DMC 2 orbiter, successor to UK-DMC part of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation

2010s

• 2010 – Japan – Venus – Akatsuki orbiter – failed orbital insertion
• 2010 – Japan – Venus – IKAROS – launched – first solar-sail spacecraft
• 2010 – China – Moon – Chang'e-2 – success – lunar orbiter/impacter
• 2011 – USA – Jupiter – Juno – launched and en route
• 2011 – Russia – Mars – Fobos-Grunt – Failure – lander and sample return
• 2013 – Poland – Earth – PW-Sat – Launched – First Polish satellite
• 2012 – Iran – Earth – Navid – launched – earth-watching satellite
• 2012 – USA – Mars – Mars Science Laboratory with Curiosity rover—orbit and landed
• 2012 – North Korea – Earth – Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2 – Launched – First successful North Korean orbital rocket launch
• 2013 – South Korea – Earth – STSAT-2C – Launched – First successful South Korean orbital rocket launch
• 2013 – UK – Earth – STRaND-1 – success – First smartphone-operated satellite to be launched and dubbed the world's first "phonesat"
• 2013 – Ecuador – Earth – NEE-01 PEGASO – First Ecuadorian satellite
• 2013 – Estonia – Earth – ESTCube-1 – Launched – First Estonian satellite
• 2013 – Japan – Earth – Hisaki – Launched – Planetary atmosphere observatory
• 2013 – India – Mars – Mars Orbiter Mission – Launched – Mars Orbiter
• 2013 – Poland – Earth – Lem – Launched – First Polish scientific satellite

External links

• Current and Upcoming Launches
• Missions-NASA
• Unmanned spaceflight discussion forum
• Chronology of Lunar and Planetary Exploration (homepage)