Chronology of Lunar and Planetary Exploration (1957-1964)

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 - 1969
| 1970 - 1979
| 1980 - Present
| Future Missions
|

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:

[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: 20 November 2007, DRW