Humans have been launching spacecraft beyond Earth orbit since 1959. These robotic emissaries follow in the footsteps of their predecessors, and are testaments to our long-lived desire to understand our place in the Cosmos.
There are currently spacecraft exploring or en route to Venus, Mars, asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Kuiper Belt, and even interstellar space. Closer to home, we have probes in lunar orbit, a handful of solar physics missions, space telescopes, and a fleet of Earth-observing satellites. In Earth orbit, the International Space Station continues to soar around the planet with a continually staffed crew of astronauts and cosmonauts.
A list of key dates and basic facts on all the missions that have explored Venus and Mercury.
A timeline of missions to the Moon
The missions, both successful and failed, that have flown by, orbited, or landed on the Red Planet and its moons
The spacecraft that have traveled to asteroids, outer planets, comets, and beyond
13 years, 250 orbits, and 127 gravity-assist flybys – explore the Saturn system with NASA's Cassini mission.
Spacecraft that study our dynamic Sun and help us understand how it affects our planet.
Become a member of The Planetary Society and together we will create the future of space exploration.
LightSail 2 will launch aboard the SpaceX Falcon Heavy. Be part of this epic point in space exploration history!