Unmanned Space Probes

Space Probes Space probes conduct science experiments. They do not have people on them. They get information about our solar system. Most probes are not designed to return to Earth. Some have landed on other planets! Others have flown past the planets and taken pictures of them for scientists to see. Some go into orbit around other planets and study them for a long time. The information they gather helps us understand the weather and other changes which occur on other planets. This information also helps to plan other space missions such as the ones to Mars and to Saturn.

Mariner 2 1962 Mariner 2 was the first space probe to reach a planet other than the Earth. It was launched in August of 1962 and made close-up observations of Venus.

Mariner 10 1973 Mariner 10 was the first space probe to visit Mercury. It was also the first probe to visit two planets - Venus and Mercury. Between 1974 and 1975, Mariners flight took it past Mercury 3 times.

Vikings 1 and 2 1975 Vikings 1 and 2 became the first space probes to successfully land on the surface of Mars. Viking 1 was the first U.S. spacecraft to successfully touch down on any planet other than Earth.

Voyager 1 and 2 1977 In 1986, Voyager 2 made the first close-up survey of Uranus. The Voyager 2 mission provided more information about Uranus and its moons than had been gathered since the planet’s discovery. Voyager 2 completed its twelve year tour of the solar system with a visit to Neptune and its moons.

High Energy Astrophysics Observatory (HEAO) 1977 The first of three High Energy Astrophysical Observatories was launched by NASA in August of 1977. It was primarily a survey mission designed to scan and map the universe using X-rays.

Pioneer 1978 Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to penetrate the asteroid belt between mars and Jupiter and travel to the outer regions of the solar system. Pioneer 11 flew past Saturn and its moon Titan in 1979.

International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) 1978 The IUE was launched on July 26, 1978. The satellite was originally expected to have only a three to five year lifetime, but it was successfully used to study the universe in the ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum for more than seventeen years.

Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) 1983 The IRAS was a joint scientific project sponsored by the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Netherlands. IRAS was launched in January of 1983 and ended its mission ten months later.

Magellan 1989 Magellan spacecraft was deployed from the Space Shuttle Atlantis mission in 1989. Magellan arrived at Venus on August 10, 1990.

Galileo Galileo Galileo 1989 In 1989, Galileo was launched to examine Jupiter and its four largest moons.

Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) 1989 The COBE was launched on November 18,1989. It mission was to study the microwave sky in order to detect radiation emitted by the Big Bang.

Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO) 1991 The CGRO was launched April 7,1991 and observed the high-energy Universe until June 4, 2000 when it safely de-orbited and burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere. The mission of CGRO was to study gamma-ray emissions in not only our galaxy, but other galaxies beyond ours.

Mars Observer 1992 The Mars Observer mission spacecraft was primarily designed for exploring Mars and the Martian environment.

Chandra 1999 In July of 1999, the Space Shuttle Columbia was launched with its heaviest payload to that date. The payload was Chandra. Chandra records observations of the universe in the high-energy end of the electromagnetic spectrum. The W-ray images that Chandra records are twenty-five times sharper than previous X-ray images taken by other telescopes. Chandra’s extraordinary capabilities make it possible for scientists to study such high-energy objects as supernovae and black holes in greater detail.

Unmanned Space Probes The End