Timeline of planetary exploration

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 - 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
1981
- Venera 13[?] - 30 October 1981 - Venus Orbiter and Lander
- Venera 14[?] - 4 November 1981 - Venus Orbiter and Lander
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
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/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
1992
- Mars Observer - 25 September 1992 - Attempted Mars Orbiter (Contact Lost)
1994
- Clementine - 25 January 1994 - Lunar Orbiter/Attempted Asteroid Flyby
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
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
- Muses-C[?] - Nov/Dec 2002 - Asteroid Lander and Sample Return
2003
- Rosetta - 12 January 2003 - Comet Orbiter and Lander (delayed)
- Champollion/DS4[?] - 19 April 2003 - Comet Orbiter and Lander (Cancelled)
- Mars Exploration Rovers[?] - 22 May/4 June 2003 - Two Mars Rovers
- Mars Express - 1 June 2003 - Mars Orbiter and Lander
- Lunar-A[?] - 2003 - Lunar Orbiter and Penetrators
- SMART 1[?] - 2003 - Lunar Orbiter
2004
- Deep Impact - 2 January 2004 - Comet Rendezvous and Impact
- MESSENGER[?] - 23 March 2004 - Mercury Orbiter
- NEAP[?] - 2004 - Asteroid Nereus Rendezvous
2005
- Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter[?] - July 2005 - Mars Orbiter
- Selene - 2005 - Lunar Orbiter
2006
- New Horizons[?] - 9 January 2006 - Pluto/Charon and Kuiper Belt Flyby
- Dawn - 27 May 2006 - Asteroid Ceres and Vesta Orbiter
- Kepler - October 2006 - Extrasolar Terrestrial Planet Detection Mission
- Europa Orbiter[?] - 2006 - Proposed Europa Orbiter
2007
- Planet-C[?] - February 2007 - ISAS Venus Orbiter
- Mars 2007[?] - Late 2007 - Mobile Scientific Laboratory, Small Scout Missions
- Netlanders[?] - Late 2007 - Mars Netlanders
2009
- BepiColombo[?] - August 2009 - ESA Mercury Orbiters and Lander
- Mercury Orbiter[?] - August 2009 - ISAS Mercury Orbiter
- Mars 2009[?] - Late 2009 - Possible Communications Satellite, Small Net-Landers