Chronology of Lunar and Planetary Exploration

| 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
| 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
| 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
| 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
| 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |

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 - 8 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) - 6 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 - October 2008 - ISRO (India) Lunar Orbiter
| 2009
|-- Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter - 27 February 2009 - Lunar Orbiter
|-- Kepler - 10 April 2009 - Extrasolar Terrestrial Planet Detection Mission
|-- Mars Scientific Laboratory - Late 2009 - Mars Rover
| 2010
|-- Planet-C - 2010 - ISAS Venus Orbiter
| 2011
|-- LADEE - September 2011 - Lunar Orbiter
|-- GRAIL - September 2011 - Lunar Orbiter
|-- Mars 2011 - 2011 - Scout Mission
| 2012
| 2013
|-- BepiColombo - August 2013 - ESA and ISAS Mercury Orbiters
| 2014
| 2015
|

Other Missions

If you don't see a mission listed here, you may wish to query the NSSDC Master Catalog by typing in a name in the space below.

Spacecraft Name:

View the timeline for 1957 - 1964

View the timeline for 1965 - 1969

View the timeline for 1970 - 1979

View the timeline for 1980 - present

View the timeline for future missions

Exploration Timeline Home Page

[NASA Logo]
Author/Curator:
Dr. David R. Williams, dave.williams@nasa.gov
NSSDC, Mail Code 690.1
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771
+1-301-286-1258

NASA Official: Ed Grayzeck, edwin.j.grayzeck@nasa.gov
Last Updated: 26 August 2008, DRW