- This article is about missions to celestial bodies within the Solar System. For about the Solar System event in general, see Solar System.
This page lists and describes missions to celestial bodies within the solar system. While in past versions of the rules this section of competition has been very nonspecific, in more recent iterations the required knowledge has been more specific. Always check the most recent version of the event rules for the most specific information.
In the tables below, "Start Date" is defined as the date the spacecraft launched, and "End Date" is defined as the date that NASA ends any effort to contact the spacecraft. For missions where this information is unavailable or the mission is still ongoing, the date represents the last time the spacecraft was contacted or when it is estimated to complete its mission.
Asteroids
| Name |
Start Date |
End Date |
Status |
Objective |
NASA Overview
|
| Asteroid Redirect |
December 2021 (Planned) |
June 13th, 2017 (Date Cancelled) |
Cancelled |
Capture an Asteroid and place it in orbit around the Moon for samples and data, developing certain technologies essential for deep space exploration |
[1]
|
| Dawn |
September 27th, 2007 |
November 1st, 2018 |
Completed |
Study Vesta and Ceres, providing insight into how planets are formed and how they change |
[2]
|
| Discovery 13 (Lucy) |
October 16th to November 5th 2021 |
- |
Planned |
Explore Jupiter trojans, asteroids that share Jupiter's orbit |
[3]
|
| Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR Shoemaker) |
February 17th, 1996 |
February 28th, 2001 |
Completed |
Study near-Earth asteroid 433 Eros; first mission to orbit and touch down on an asteroid |
[4]
|
| Osiris-REx |
September 8th, 2016 |
September 24th, 2023 (Planned) |
Ongoing |
Travel to Near-Earth Asteroid Bunno (1999RQ36) and bring back a 2.1-ounce sample to study |
[5]
|
Comets
| Name |
Start Date |
End Date |
Status |
Objective |
NASA Overview
|
| Deep Impact |
January 12th, 2005 |
September 20th, 2013 |
Completed |
Probe beneath the surface of a comet Tempel 1, answering questions about the composition of comets and how they form |
[6]
|
| EPOXI |
July 21st, 2005 |
September 20th, 2013 |
Completed |
Follow-up mission to Deep Impact consisting of two parts - one intending to study three stars with solar-planets (EPOCh) and another intending to study the nucleus of comet Hartley 2 (DIXI) |
[7]
|
| Rosetta |
March 2nd, 2004 |
September 30th, 2016 |
Completed |
Orbit the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and study it in detail, soft land on the comet and accompany it into the inner solar system |
[8]
|
| Stardust/Stardust-NExT |
February 7th, 1999 |
March 24th, 2011 |
Completed |
Collect samples from comets Wild 2 and Annefrank and study the effects that Deep Impact had on Tempel 1 |
[9]
|
Earth's Moon
| Name |
Start Date |
End Date |
Status |
Objective |
NASA Overview
|
| Apollo Program |
October 27th, 1961 |
December 19th, 1972 |
Completed |
To land a man on the Moon, establish new technology to further the United States' future in space, and help humans adjust to working in foreign environments |
[10]
|
| Clementine (DSPSE) |
January 25, 1994 |
May 10th, 1995 |
Ended after malfunction |
To make surface altimetry measurements of the Moon's surface, test space components and sensors, analyze the surface mineralogy of the Moon and the near-Earth asteroid 1620 Geographos, and image at multiple wavelengths |
[11]
|
| Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) |
September 10th, 2011 |
December 17th, 2012 |
Completed |
To make the most accurate gravitational map of the Moon to date, help deduce the Moon's interior structure and composition, and help learn about its thermal evolution, information that can help navigation for future lunar spacecraft and contributing to knowledge about the evolution of the inner solar system |
[12]
|
| Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) |
September 7th, 2013 |
April 8th, 2014 |
Completed |
To gather information about the lunar atmosphere, surface conditions, and environmental influences on lunar dust |
[13]
|
| Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) |
June 18th, 2009 |
October 9th, 2009 |
Completed |
Confirm if water ice exists in a crater at the south pole of the Moon, determining that pure ice exists in some places and unearthing evidence that the Moon has a water cycle |
[14]
|
| Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter |
June 18th, 2009 |
- |
Ongoing |
Analyzes the temperature and imaging of the polar regions of the Moon concerning the prospect of water and helps identify potentially resourceful sites with the potential for safe future robotic and human lunar missions |
[15]
|
| Miniature Radio-Frequency Instrument (Mini-RF) |
June 18th, 2009 |
- |
Ongoing |
Map the lunar poles, search for water ice, and demonstrate future NASA communication technologies |
[16]
|
| Moon Mineralogy Mapper |
October 22nd, 2008 |
August 30th, 2009 |
Completed |
Produce the first mineralogical map of the Moon |
[17]
|
| Ranger Program |
August 23rd, 1961 |
March 24th, 1965 |
Completed |
Obtain close-up images of the Moon's surface |
[18]
|
| Surveyor |
May 30th, 1966 |
January 10th, 1968 |
Completed |
Obtain close-up images of the lunar surface and determine if the terrain was safe for manned landings, thus paving the path to the Apollo 11 landing in July 1969 |
[19]
|
Jupiter
| Name |
Start Date |
End Date |
Status |
Objective |
NASA Overview
|
| Galileo |
October 18th, 1989 |
September 21st, 2003 |
Completed |
Study Jupiter and its moons, reporting back with the composition of their surfaces and atmospheres as well as other key details |
[20]
|
| Juno |
August 5th, 2011 |
July 30, 2021 (Planned) |
Ongoing |
Understand Jupiter's origin and evolution, look for a solid planetary core, map the magnetic field, measure water and ammonia in the deep atmosphere, and observe auroras |
[21]
|
| Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE) |
June 2022 |
February 2034 |
Planned |
Study the Galilean moons of Jupiter (excluding Io), orbiting and surveying Ganymede and evaluating its potential to support life |
[22]
|
| Pioneer Program (Pioneer 10 and 11) |
August 17th, 1958 |
December 9th, 1978 |
Completed |
Image Jupiter and its moons, detecting the planet's magnetic field and surveying the planet's atmosphere |
[23]
|
| Voyager Program (Voyager 1) |
September 5th, 1977 |
2025 (Estimated) |
Ongoing |
Conduct studies of Jupiter and Saturn, as well as investigating the larger moons of the two planets |
[24]
|
Mars
| Name |
Start Date |
End Date |
Status |
Objective |
NASA Overview
|
| InSight |
May 5th, 2018 |
November 2020 (Planned) |
Ongoing |
Study the interior of mars, measuring seismic activity and heat flow |
[25]
|
| Mars 2020 (Perseverance rover) |
July 20th, 2020 |
- |
Ongoing |
Investigate the geological processes on Mars, as well as potential former life |
[26]
|
| Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) |
November 18th, 2013 |
2030 (Estimated) |
Ongoing |
Study Mars' atmosphere, determining its composition and evaluating its interactions with solar wind |
[27]
|
| Mars Exploration Rover (Spirit and Opportunity rovers) |
June 10th, 2003 |
February 13, 2019 |
Completed |
Examine rocks on the surface of Mars, hopefully gaining insight into the planet's history and past water activity |
[28]
|
| Mars Global Surveyor |
November 7, 1996 |
November 14, 2006 |
Completed |
Examine the surface features on Mars, determining surface composition and topology, as well as monitoring the planet's atmosphere and magnetic field |
[29]
|
| Mars Odyssey |
April 7, 2001 |
2025 (Estimated) |
Ongoing |
Study the planet's geology and radiation, as well as provide telecommunications to other Mars missions |
[30]
|
| Mars Pathfinder (Soujurner rover) |
December 4th, 1996 |
September 27, 1997 |
Completed |
Testing cheaper and faster methods to build a spacecraft, showing committment to a low-cost mission |
[31]
|
| Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter |
August 12th, 2005 |
Late 2020s (Estimated) |
Ongoing |
Study the geology and climate of Mars, surveying the planet in preparation of future missions and sending data from ongoing missions back to Earth |
[32]
|
| Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity rover) |
November 26th, 2011 |
Mid-late 2020s (Estimated) |
Ongoing |
Determining Mars' habitability including investigating organic compounds and the role of water on the planet, as well as investigating the planet's climate and taking measurements in preparation for potential manned missions to Mars |
[33]
|
| Phoenix |
August 4, 2007 |
November 2, 2008 |
Completed |
Assess Mars' habitability, probing for potential water |
[34]
|
| Viking 1 |
August 20th, 1975 |
November 13th, 1982 |
Completed |
Search for evidence of life on Mars |
[35]
|
Mercury
| Name |
Start Date |
End Date |
Status |
Objective |
NASA Overview
|
| Mariner 10 |
November 3rd, 1973 |
March 24th, 1975 |
Completed |
Measure certain characteristics of Mercury and Venus, including their atmospheres and surfaces |
[36]
|
| MESSENGER |
August 3rd, 2004 |
April 30, 2015 |
Completed |
Measure Mercury's chemical composition, geology and magnetic field |
[37]
|
Neptune
| Name |
Start Date |
End Date |
Status |
Objective |
NASA Overview
|
| Voyager Program (Voyager 2) |
August 20th, 1977 |
2025 (Estimated) |
Ongoing |
Imaging the outer planets of the solar system, conducting studies of the two ice giants (Uranus and Neptune) and exploring the interstellar medium outside the solar system |
[38]
|
Pluto
| Name |
Start Date |
End Date |
Status |
Objective |
NASA Overview
|
| New Horizons |
January 19th, 2006 |
2021 (Estimated) |
Ongoing |
Perform a fly-by of Pluto, imaging the dwarf planet and providing insight into the early solar system as well as the Kuiper Belt |
[39]
|
Saturn
| Name |
Start Date |
End Date |
Status |
Objective |
NASA Overview
|
| Cassini-Huygens |
October 15th, 1997 |
September 15th, 2017 |
Completed |
Study Saturn, determining the composition of its rings and satellites as well as studying Saturn's atmosphere and Titan's surface |
[40]
|
| Pioneer Program (Pioneer 11) |
April 6th, 1973 |
September 30, 1995 |
Completed |
Explore the outer solar system, map Saturn's magnetic field and the composition of its upper atmosphere as well as discover how the planet interacts with solar wind |
[41]
|
| Voyager Program (Voyager 1) |
September 5th, 1977 |
2025 (Estimated) |
Ongoing |
Conduct studies of Jupiter and Saturn, as well as investigating the larger moons of the two planets |
[42]
|
Sun and its Influence
| Name |
Start Date |
End Date |
Status |
Objective |
NASA Overview
|
| Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) |
August 25, 1997 |
2024 (Estimated) |
Ongoing |
Study energetic particles from solar wind and interplanetary medium, determining its composition as well as investigating the formation of the corona and isotopic compositions of various bodies in the solar system |
[43]
|
| Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST) |
August 21, 1996 |
May 4, 2009 |
Completed |
Observe the auroras that occur near Earth's poles |
[44]
|
| Geotail |
July 24th, 1992 |
- |
Ongoing |
Observe Earth's magnetosphere |
[45]
|
| Hinode (Solar-b) |
September 22nd, 2006 |
2022 (Estimated) |
Ongoing |
Explore the Sun's magnetic field as well observe its interactions with the corona |
[46]
|
| IMAGE |
March 25th, 2000 |
December 18th, 2005 |
Completed |
Observe Earth's magnetosphere and its interactions with solar wind |
[47]
|
| Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) |
June 28th, 2013 |
- |
Ongoing |
Investigate the sun's chromosphere |
[48]
|
| International Cometary Explorer (ICE) |
August 12th, 1978 |
September 16th, 2014 |
Completed |
Investigate the interactions between Earth's magnetosphere and its interactions with solar wind |
[49]
|
| Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) |
October 11th, 2019 |
- |
Ongoing |
Investigate the Earth's ionosphere |
[50]
|
| Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS) |
March 13th, 2015 |
2040 (Estimated) |
Ongoing |
Study Earth's magnetosphere |
[51]
|
| Parker Solar Probe |
August 12th, 2018 |
At least 2025 (Planned) |
Ongoing |
Observing the outer corona of the Sun |
[52]
|
| Polar |
February 24th, 1996 |
April 28th, 2008 |
Completed |
Investigate the polar magnetosphere and the auroras that occur near Earth's poles |
[53]
|
| RHESSI |
February 5th, 2002 |
August 16th, 2018 |
Completed |
Observe solar flares |
[54]
|
| Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) |
February 11th, 2010 |
- |
Ongoing |
Investigate the Sun's influence on Earth |
[55]
|
| Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) |
December 2nd, 1995 |
- |
Ongoing |
Investigate the outer layer of the Sun, as well as solar wind and the interior structure of the sun |
[56]
|
| Solar Anomalous and Magnetosphere Particle Explorer (SAMPEX) |
July 3, 1992 |
November 13, 2012 |
Completed |
Observe cosmic rays and Earth's magnetosphere |
[57]
|
| Solar Orbiter Collaboration |
February 10th, 2020 |
- |
Ongoing |
Study the inner heliosphere and solar wind |
[58]
|
| Sounding Rocket Program |
September 26th, 1945 |
- |
Ongoing |
Carry instruments into the upper atmosphere, observing things like auroras |
[59]
|
| Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) |
October 26th, 2006 |
- |
Ongoing |
Observe the Sun and weather in space using stereoscopic imagery |
[60]
|
| THEMIS-ARTEMIS |
February 17th, 2007 |
- |
Ongoing |
Study energy releases in Earth's magnetosphere |
[61]
|
| TIMED |
December 7th, 2001 |
- |
Ongoing |
Study the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, particularly with reference to solar radiation |
[62]
|
| Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) |
April 1st, 1998 |
June 21st, 2010 |
Completed |
Investigate magnetic fields and plasma structures on the Sun |
[63]
|
| Ulysses |
October 6th, 1990 |
June 30th, 2009 |
Completed |
Study the Sun at all latitudes |
[64]
|
| Van Allen Probes (Radiation Belt Storm Probes) |
August 30th, 2012 |
October 18th, 2019 |
Completed |
Study Van Allen radiation belts |
[65]
|
| Wind |
November 1st, 1994 |
- |
Ongoing |
Study radio waves and plasma in solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere |
[66]
|
Telescopes and Observatories
| Name |
Start Date |
End Date |
Status |
Objective |
NASA Overview
|
| Hubble Space Telescope (HST) |
April 24th, 1990 |
2030-2040 (Estimated) |
Ongoing |
Photograph and observe the universe, conducting major projects and paving the way for innovations in astrophysics |
[67]
|
| James Webb Space Telescope (JWST or Webb) |
December 24th, 2021 |
- |
Planned |
Succeed the HST, observing in a lower frequency range which allows photography of much older objects |
[68]
|
| Kepler telescope |
March 7th, 2009 |
November 15th, 2018 |
Completed |
Detect and investigate potentially habitable planets, observe other stars with solar systems and estimate the size of those systems |
[69]
|
| Roentgen Satellite (ROSAT) |
June 1st, 1990 |
February 12th, 1999 |
Completed |
Survey the sky using X-rays, observing selected objects |
[70]
|
| Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory (Swift) |
November 20th, 2004 |
- |
Ongoing |
Discover the origin of gamma ray bursts and use them to understand young parts of the universe, as well as act as a general radiation observatory |
[71]
|
| Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) |
December 14th, 2009 |
February 17th, 2011 |
Completed |
Image 99% of the sky using infrared cameras |
[72]
|
| NEOWISE (Near Earth Object WISE) |
December 19th, 2013 |
- |
Ongoing |
An extension of the WISE project, aiming to search for and catalogue various near Earth objects (NEOs) |
[73]
|
Uranus
| Name |
Start Date |
End Date |
Status |
Objective |
NASA Overview
|
| Voyager Program (Voyager 2) |
August 20th, 1977 |
2025 (Estimated) |
Ongoing |
Imaging the outer planets of the solar system, conducting studies of the two ice giants (Uranus and Neptune) and exploring the interstellar medium outside the solar system |
[74]
|
Venus
| Name |
Start Date |
End Date |
Status |
Objective |
NASA Overview
|
| Magellan |
May 4th, 1989 |
October 13th, 1994 |
Completed |
Map the surface of Venus and measure its gravitational field |
[75]
|
| Pioneer Program (Pioneer 12 and 13) |
May 20th, 1978 |
December 9, 1978 |
Completed |
Study the surface and atmosphere of Venus |
[76]
|
Links
NASA's list of solar system missions
