Chronology of Lunar and Planetary Exploration

Mission Timeline

1957

Sputnik 1 - 4 October 1957 - Earth Orbiter

Sputnik 2 - 3 November 1957 - Earth Orbiter

Vanguard TV3 - 6 December 1957 - Attempted Earth Orbiter (Launch Failure)

1958

Explorer 1 - 1 February 1958 - Earth Orbiter

Vanguard 1 - 17 March 1958 - Earth Orbiter

Pioneer 0 - 17 August 1958 - Attempted Lunar Orbit (Launch Failure)

Luna 1958A - 23 September 1958 - Attempted Lunar Impact? (Launch Failure)

Pioneer 1 - 11 October 1958 - Attempted Lunar Orbit (Launch Failure)

Luna 1958B - 12 October 1958 - Attempted Lunar Impact? (Launch Failure)

Pioneer 2 - 8 November 1958 - Attempted Lunar Orbit (Launch Failure)

Luna 1958C - 4 December 1958 - Attempted Lunar Impact? (Launch Failure)

Pioneer 3 - 6 December 1958 - Attempted Lunar Flyby (Launch Failure)

1959

Luna 1 - 2 January 1959 - Lunar Flyby (Attempted Lunar Impact?)

Pioneer 4 - 3 March 1959 - Lunar Flyby

Luna 1959A - 16 June 1959 - Attempted Lunar Impact? (Launch Failure)

Luna 2 - 12 September 1959 - Lunar Impact

Luna 3 - 4 October 1959 - Lunar Flyby

Pioneer P-3 - 26 November 1959 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)

1960

Luna 1960A - 15 April 1960 - Attempted Lunar Flyby (Launch Failure)

Luna 1960B - 18 April 1960 - Attempted Lunar Flyby (Launch Failure)

Pioneer P-30 - 25 Sept 1960 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)

Marsnik 1 (Mars 1960A) - 10 October 1960 - Attempted Mars Flyby (Launch Failure)

Marsnik 2 (Mars 1960B) - 14 October 1960 - Attempted Mars Flyby (Launch Failure)

Pioneer P-31 - 15 December 1960 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)

1961

Sputnik 7 - 4 February 1961 - Attempted Venus Impact

Venera 1 - 12 February 1961 - Venus Flyby (Contact Lost)

Ranger 1 - 23 August 1961 - Attempted Lunar Test Flight

Ranger 2 - 18 November 1961 - Attempted Lunar Test Flight

1962

Ranger 3 - 26 January 1962 - Attempted Lunar Impact

Ranger 4 - 23 April 1962 - Lunar Impact

Mariner 1 - 22 July 1962 - Attempted Venus Flyby (Launch Failure)

Sputnik 19 - 25 August 1962 - Attempted Venus Flyby

Mariner 2 - 27 August 1962 - Venus Flyby

Sputnik 20 - 1 September 1962 - Attempted Venus Flyby

Sputnik 21 - 12 September 1962 - Attempted Venus Flyby

Ranger 5 - 18 October 1962 - Attempted Lunar Impact

Sputnik 22 - 24 October 1962 - Attempted Mars Flyby

Mars 1 - 1 November 1962 - Mars Flyby (Contact Lost)

Sputnik 24 - 4 November 1962 - Attempted Mars Lander

1963

Sputnik 25 - 4 January 1963 - Attempted Lunar Lander

Luna 1963B - 2 February 1963 - Attempted Lunar Lander (Launch Failure)

Luna 4 - 2 April 1963 - Attempted Lunar Lander

Cosmos 21 - 11 November 1963 - Attempted Venera Test Flight?

1964

Ranger 6 - 30 January 1964 - Lunar Impact (Cameras Failed)

Venera 1964A - 19 February 1964 - Attempted Venus Flyby (Launch Failure)

Venera 1964B - 1 March 1964 - Attempted Venus Flyby (Launch Failure)

Luna 1964A - 21 March 1964 - Attempted Lunar Lander (Launch Failure)

Cosmos 27 - 27 March 1964 - Attempted Venus Flyby

Zond 1 - 2 April 1964 - Venus Flyby (Contact Lost)

Luna 1964B - 20 April 1964 - Attempted Lunar Lander (Launch Failure)

Zond 1964A - 4 June 1964 - Attempted Lunar Lander (Launch Failure)

Ranger 7 - 28 July 1964 - Lunar Impact

Mariner 3 - 5 November 1964 - Attempted Mars Flyby

Mariner 4 - 28 November 1964 - Mars Flyby

Zond 2 - 30 November 1964 - Mars Flyby (Contact Lost)

1965

Ranger 8 - 17 February 1965 - Lunar Impact

Cosmos 60 - 12 March 1965 - Attempted Lunar Lander

Ranger 9 - 21 March 1965 - Lunar Impact

Luna 1965A - 10 April 1965 - Attempted Lunar Lander? (Launch Failure)

Luna 5 - 9 May 1965 - Lunar Impact (Attempted Soft Landing)

Luna 6 - 8 June 1965 - Attempted Lunar Lander

Zond 3 - 18 July 1965 - Lunar Flyby

Luna 7 - 4 October 1965 - Lunar Impact (Attempted Soft Landing)

Venera 2 - 12 November 1965 - Venus Flyby (Contact Lost)

Venera 3 - 16 November 1965 - Venus Lander (Contact Lost)

Cosmos 96 - 23 November 1965 - Attempted Venus Lander?

Venera 1965A - 23 November 1965 - Attempted Venus Flyby (Launch Failure)

Luna 8 - 3 December 1965 - Lunar Impact (Attempted Soft Landing?)

1966

Luna 9 - 31 January 1966 - Lunar Lander

Cosmos 111 - 1 March 1966 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter?

Luna 10 - 31 March 1966 - Lunar Orbiter

Luna 1966A - 30 April 1966 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter? (Launch Failure)

Surveyor 1 - 30 May 1966 - Lunar Lander

Explorer 33 - 1 July 1966 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter

Lunar Orbiter 1 - 10 August 1966 - Lunar Orbiter

Luna 11 - 24 August 1966 - Lunar Orbiter

Surveyor 2 - 20 September 1966 - Attempted Lunar Lander

Luna 12 - 22 October 1966 - Lunar Orbiter

Lunar Orbiter 2 - 6 November 1966 - Lunar Orbiter

Luna 13 - 21 December 1966 - Lunar Lander

1967

Lunar Orbiter 3 - 4 February 1967 - Lunar Orbiter

Surveyor 3 - 17 April 1967 - Lunar Lander

Lunar Orbiter 4 - 8 May 1967 - Lunar Orbiter

Venera 4 - 12 June 1967 - Venus Probe

Mariner 5 - 14 June 1967 - Venus Flyby

Cosmos 167 - 17 June 1967 - Attempted Venus Probe

Surveyor 4 - 14 July 1967 - Attempted Lunar Lander

Explorer 35 (IMP-E) - 19 July 1967 - Lunar Orbiter

Lunar Orbiter 5 - 1 August 1967 - Lunar Orbiter

Surveyor 5 - 8 September 1967 - Lunar Lander

Zond 1967A - 28 September 1967 - Attempted Lunar Test Flight (Launch Failure)

Surveyor 6 - 7 November 1967 - Lunar Lander

Zond 1967B - 22 November 1967 - Attempted Lunar Test Flight (Launch Failure)

1968

Surveyor 7 - 7 January 1968 - Lunar Lander

Luna 1968A - 7 February 1968 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)

Zond 4 - 2 March 1968 - Test Flight

Luna 14 - 7 April 1968 - Lunar Orbiter

Zond 1968A - 23 April 1968 - Attempted Lunar Test Flight? (Launch Failure)

Zond 5 - 15 September 1968 - Lunar Flyby and Return to Earth

Zond 6 - 10 November 1968 - Lunar Flyby and Return to Earth

Apollo 8 - 21 December 1968 - Crewed Lunar Orbiter

1969

Venera 5 - 5 January 1969 - Venus Probe

Venera 6 - 10 January 1969 - Venus Probe

Zond 1969A - 20 January 1969 - Attempted Lunar Flyby and Return (Launch Failure)

Luna 1969A - 19 February 1969 - Attempted Lunar Rover? (Launch Failure)

Zond L1S-1 - 21 February 1969 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)

Mariner 6 - 25 February 1969 - Mars Flyby

Mariner 7 - 27 March 1969 - Mars Flyby

Mars 1969A - 27 March 1969 - Attempted Mars Orbiter (Launch Failure)

Mars 1969B - 2 April 1969 - Attempted Mars Orbiter (Launch Failure)

Luna 1969B - 15 April 1969 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return? (Launch Failure)

Apollo 10 - 18 May 1969 - Crewed Lunar Orbiter

Luna 1969C - 14 June 1969 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return? (Launch Failure)

Zond L1S-2 - 3 July 1969 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)

Luna 15 - 13 July 1969 - Lunar Orbiter (Attempted Lunar Lander?)

Apollo 11 - 16 July 1969 - Crewed Lunar Landing

Zond 7 - 7 August 1969 - Lunar Flyby and Return to Earth

Cosmos 300 - 23 September 1969 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return?

Cosmos 305 - 22 October 1969 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return?

Apollo 12 - 14 November 1969 - Crewed Lunar Landing

1970

Luna 1970A - 6 February 1970 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return? (Launch Failure)

Luna 1970B - 19 February 1970 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter? (Launch Failure)

Apollo 13 - 11 April 1970 - Crewed Lunar Mission (Landing Aborted)

Venera 7 - 17 August 1970 - Venus Lander

Cosmos 359 - 22 August 1970 - Attempted Venus Probe

Luna 16 - 12 September 1970 - Lunar Sample Return

Zond 8 - 20 October 1970 - Lunar Flyby and Return to Earth

Luna 17/Lunokhod 1 - 10 November 1970 - Lunar Rover

1971

Apollo 14 - 31 January 1971 - Crewed Lunar Landing

Mariner 8 - 9 May 1971 - Attempted Mars Flyby (Launch Failure)

Cosmos 419 - 10 May 1971 - Attempted Mars Orbiter/Lander

Mars 2 - 19 May 1971 - Mars Orbiter/ Attempted Lander

Mars 3 - 28 May 1971 - Mars Orbiter/ Lander

Mariner 9 - 30 May 1971 - Mars Orbiter

Apollo 15 - 26 July 1971 - Crewed Lunar Landing

Luna 18 - 2 September 1971 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return

Luna 19 - 28 September 1971 - Lunar Orbiter

1972

Luna 20 - 14 February 1972 - Lunar Sample Return

Pioneer 10 - 3 March 1972 - Jupiter Flyby

Venera 8 - 27 March 1972 - Venus Probe

Cosmos 482 - 31 March 1972 - Attempted Venus Probe

Apollo 16 - 16 April 1972 - Crewed Lunar Landing

Soyuz L3 - 23 November 1972 - Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)

Apollo 17 - 7 December 1972 - Crewed Lunar Landing

1973

Luna 21/Lunokhod 2 - 8 January 1973 - Lunar Rover

Pioneer 11 - 5 April 1973 - Jupiter/Saturn Flyby

Skylab - 14 May 1973 - Crewed Earth Orbiter

Explorer 49 (RAE-B) - 10 June 1973 - Lunar Orbiter/Radio Astronomy

Mars 4 - 21 July 1973 - Mars Flyby (Attempted Mars Orbiter)

Mars 5 - 25 July 1973 - Mars Orbiter

Mars 6 - 5 August 1973 - Mars Lander (Contact Lost)

Mars 7 - 9 August 1973 - Mars Flyby (Attempted Mars Lander)

Mariner 10 - 4 November 1973 - Venus/Mercury Flybys

1974

Luna 22 - 2 June 1974 - Lunar Orbiter

Luna 23 - 28 October 1974 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return

1975

Venera 9 - 8 June 1975 - Venus Orbiter and Lander

Venera 10 - 14 June 1975 - Venus Orbiter and Lander

Viking 1 - 20 August 1975 - Mars Orbiter and Lander

Viking 2 - 9 September 1975 - Mars Orbiter and Lander

Luna 1975A - 16 October 1975 - Attempted Lunar Sample Return?

1976

Luna 24 - 9 August 1976 - Lunar Sample Return

1977

Voyager 2 - 20 August 1977 - Jupiter/Saturn/Uranus/Neptune Flyby

Voyager 1 - 5 September 1977 - Jupiter/Saturn Flyby

1978

Pioneer Venus 1 - 20 May 1978 - Venus Orbiter

Pioneer Venus 2 - 8 August 1978 - Venus Probes

ISEE-3/ICE - 12 August 1978 - Comet Giacobini-Zinner and Halley Flybys

Venera 11 - 9 September 1978 - Venus Orbiter and Lander

Venera 12 - 14 September 1978 - Venus Orbiter and Lander

1979

1980

1981

Venera 13 - 30 October 1981 - Venus Orbiter and Lander

Venera 14 - 4 November 1981 - Venus Orbiter and Lander

1982

1983

Venera 15 - 2 June 1983 - Venus Orbiter

Venera 16 - 7 June 1983 - Venus Orbiter

1984

Vega 1 - 15 December 1984 - Venus Lander and Balloon/Comet Halley Flyby

Vega 2 - 21 December 1984 - Venus Lander and Balloon/Comet Halley Flyby

1985

Sakigake - 7 January 1985 - Comet Halley Flyby

Giotto - 2 July 1985 - Comet Halley Flyby

Suisei (Planet-A) - 18 August 1985 - Comet Halley Flyby

1986

1987

1988

Phobos 1 - 7 July 1988 - Attempted Mars Orbiter/Phobos Landers

Phobos 2 - 12 July 1988 - Mars Orbiter/Attempted Phobos Landers

1989

Magellan - 4 May 1989 - Venus Orbiter

Galileo - 18 October 1989 - Jupiter Orbiter and Probe

1990

Hiten - 24 January 1990 - Lunar Flyby and Orbiter

Hubble Space Telescope - 25 April 1990 - Earth Orbiting Observatory

Ulysses - 06 October 1990 - Jupiter Flyby and Solar Polar Orbiter

1991

1992

Mars Observer - 25 September 1992 - Attempted Mars Orbiter (Contact Lost)

1993

1994

Clementine - 25 January 1994 - Lunar Orbiter/Attempted Asteroid Flyby

1995

1996

NEAR - 17 February 1996 - Asteroid Eros Orbiter

Mars Global Surveyor - 07 November 1996 - Mars Orbiter

Mars 96 - 16 November 1996 - Attempted Mars Orbiter/Landers

Mars Pathfinder - 04 December 1996 - Mars Lander and Rover

1997

Cassini - 15 October 1997 - Saturn Orbiter

Huygens - 15 October 1997 - Titan Probe

AsiaSat 3/HGS-1 - 24 December 1997 - Lunar Flyby

1998

Lunar Prospector - 7 January 1998 - Lunar Orbiter

Nozomi (Planet-B) - 3 July 1998 - Mars Orbiter

Deep Space 1 (DS1) - 24 October 1998 - Asteroid and Comet Flyby

Mars Climate Orbiter - 11 December 1998 - Attempted Mars Orbiter

1999

Mars Polar Lander - 3 January 1999 - Attempted Mars Lander

Deep Space 2 (DS2) - 3 January 1999 - Attempted Mars Penetrators

Stardust - 7 February 1999 - Comet Coma Sample Return

2000

2001

2001 Mars Odyssey - 7 April 2001 - Mars Orbiter

Genesis - 8 August 2001 - Solar Wind Sample Return

2002

CONTOUR - 3 July 2002 - Fly-by of three Comet Nuclei

2003

Hayabusa (Muses-C) - 9 May 2003 - Asteroid Orbiter and Sample Return

Mars Express - 2 June 2003 - Mars Orbiter and Lander

Spirit (MER-A) - 10 June 2003 - Mars Rover

Opportunity (MER-B) - 8 July 2003 - Mars Rover

SMART 1 - September 2003 - Lunar Orbiter

2004

Rosetta - 2 March 2004 - Comet Orbiter and Lander

MESSENGER - 3 August 2004 - Mercury Orbiter

2005

Deep Impact - 12 January 2005 - Comet Rendezvous and Impact

Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter - 12 August 2005 - Mars Orbiter

Venus Express - 09 November 2005 - ESA Venus Orbiter

2006

New Horizons - 19 January 2006 - Pluto/Charon and Kuiper Belt Flyby

2007

Phoenix - 04 August 2007 - Small Mars Scout Lander

Kaguya (SELENE) - 14 September 2007 - Lunar Orbiter

Dawn - 27 September 2007 - Asteroid Ceres and Vesta Orbiter

Chang'e 1 - 24 October 2007 - CAST (China) Lunar Orbiter

Lunar-A - Cancelled - Lunar Orbiter and Penetrators

2008

Chandrayaan-1 - 22 October 2008 - ISRO (India) Lunar Orbiter

2009

Kepler - 7 March 2009 - Extrasolar Terrestrial Planet Detection Mission

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter - 18 June 2009 - Lunar Orbiter

LCROSS - 18 June 2009 - Lunar Impactor

2010

Akatsuki/Planet-C - 20 May 2010 - ISAS Venus Orbiter

Chang'e 2 - 1 October 2010 - CAST (China) Lunar Orbiter

2011

Juno - 5 August 2011 - Jupiter Orbiter

GRAIL - 10 September 2011 - Lunar Orbiter

Phobos-Grunt - 08 November 2011 - Attempted Martian Moon Phobos Lander

Yinghuo-1 - 08 November 2011 - Attempted Mars Orbiter

Mars Science Laboratory - 26 November 2011 - Mars Rover

2012

2013

LADEE - 06 September 2013 - Lunar Orbiter

Mangalyaan - 05 November 2013 - ISRO (India) Mars Orbiter

MAVEN - 18 November 2013 - Mars Scout Mission Orbiter

Chang'e 3 - 01 December 2013 - Lunar Lander and Rover

2014

Chang'e 5 Test Vehicle - 23 October 2014 - Lunar Flyby and Return

Hayabusa 2 - 3 December 2014 - JAXA Asteroid Sample Return

PROCYON - 3 December 2014 - JAXA Asteroid Flyby Mission

2015

2016

ExoMars 2016 - 14 March 2016 - ESA Mars Orbiter and Lander

OSIRIS-REx - 8 September 2016 - Sample Return Mission to Asteroid Bennu

2017

2018

InSight - 5 May 2018 - Mars Lander

Queqiao - 20 May 2018 - CNSA (China) Lunar Relay Satellite

Parker Solar Probe - 12 August 2018 - NASA Solar Probe - Venus Flybys

BepiColombo - 19 October 2018 - ESA and JAXA Mercury Orbiters

Chang'e 4 - 7 December 2018 - CNSA (China) Lunar Farside Lander and Rover

2019

Beresheet - 22 February 2019 - SpaceIL and IAI (Israel) Lunar Lander

Chandrayaan 2 - 22 July 2019 - ISRO (India) Moon Orbiter, Lander, and Rover

2020

Solar Orbiter - 9/10 February 2020 - ESA solar orbiting mission

Hope - 19 July 2020 - United Arab Emirates Mars Orbiter

Tianwen 1 - 23 July 2020 - Chinese Mars Orbiter and Rover

Mars 2020 - 30 July 2020 - Mars Rover and Rotorcraft

Q-PACE - 31 December 2020 - Microgravity Particle Collision Study CubeSat

Chang'e 5 - 2020 - CNSA (China) Lunar Sample Return Mission

2021

CAPSTONE - January 2021 - Lunar Navigation Test Orbiter

Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) - 22 July 2021 - Asteroid Dimorphos Impactor

Lucy - 16 October 2021 - Trojan Asteroid Flybys

LunaH-Map - 1 November 2021 - Lunar Hydrogen Mapping CubeSat

2022

SLIM - January 2022 - JAXA Lunar Lander

JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) - June 2022 - ESA Ganymede-Callisto-Europa multiple flyby mission

Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter - July 2022 - KARI (South Korea) Lunar Orbiter

Psyche - August 2022 - Main Belt Asteroid Orbiter

ExoMars 2022 - August-October 2022 - ESA Mars Rover and Russian Surface Platform

2023

Chang'e 6 - 2023-2024 - CNSA (China) Lunar Sample Return Mission

Europa Clipper - 2023-2025 - Jupiter Orbiter - Multiple Europa Flybys

2024 on

Hera - 2024 - ESA mission to asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos

Dragonfly - 2026 - Quadcopter Mission to Titan

Chang'e 7 - TBD - CNSA (China) Lunar Survey Mission

Chang'e 8 - TBD - CNSA (China) Lunar Technology Test





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Author/Curator:

Dr. David R. Williams, dave.williams@nasa.gov

NSSDCA, Mail Code 690.1

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Greenbelt, MD 20771

+1-301-286-1258



NASA Official: Dr. David R. Williams, david.r.williams@nasa.gov

Last Updated: 17 September 2020, DRW