Timeline: Lunar and Planetary Exploration Spacecraft 1957 to 2032

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

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
– 9 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) swipe town

Apollo 17
– 7 December 1972 – Crewed Lunar Landing

1973

Luna 21/Lunokhod 2
– 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 – VenusOrbiterandLander

Venera 10
– 14 June 1975 – VenusOrbiterandLander

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 – VenusOrbiterandLander

Venera 12
– 14 September 1978 – VenusOrbiterandLander

1979

No missions scheduled

1980

No missions scheduled

1981

No missions scheduled

Venera 13
– 30 October 1981 – VenusOrbiterandLander

Venera 14
– 4 November 1981 – VenusOrbiterandLander

1982

No missions scheduled

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

1986

No missions scheduled

1987

No missions scheduled

1988

Phobos 1
– 7 July 1988 – Attempted Mars Orbiter/Phobos Lander

Phobos 2
– 12 July 1988 – Mars Orbiter/Attempted Phobos Lander

1989

Magellan
– 4 May 1989 – Venus Orbiter

Galileo
– 18 October 1989 – JupiterOrbiterandProbe

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

1991

No missions schedules

1992

Mars Observer
– 25 September 1992 – Attempted Mars Orbiter (Contact Lost)

1993

No missions scheduled

1994

Clementine
– 25 January 1994 – Lunar Orbiter/Attempted Asteroid Flyby

1995

No missions scheduled

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

2000

No missions scheduled

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

2003

Hayabusa (Muses-C)
– 9 May 2003 – Asteroid Orbiter and Sample Return

Mars Express
– 2 June 2003 – Mars Orbiter and Lander

Spirit (MER-A)
– 10 June 2003 – Mars Rover

Opportunity (MER-B)
– 8 July 2003 – Mars Rover

SMART 1
– September 2003 – Lunar Orbiter

2004

Rosetta
– 2 March 2004 – Comet Orbiter and Lander

MESSENGER
– 3 August 2004 – Mercury Orbiter

2005

Deep Impact
– 12 January 2005 – Comet Rendezvous and Impact

Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter
– 12 August 2005 – Mars Orbiter

Venus Express
– 09 November 2005 – ESA Venus Orbiter

2006

New Horizons
– 19 January 2006 – Pluto/Charon and Kuiper Belt Flyby

2007

Phoenix
– 04 August 2007 – Small Mars Scout Lander

Kaguya (SELENE)
– 14 September 2007 – Lunar Orbiter

Dawn
– 27 September 2007 – Asteroid Ceres and Vesta Orbiter

Chang’e 1
– 24 October 2007 – CAST (China) Lunar Orbiter

Lunar-A
– Cancelled – Lunar Orbiter and Penetrators

2008

Chandrayaan-1
– 22 October 2008 – ISRO (India) Lunar Orbiter

2009

Kepler
– 7 March 2009 – Extrasolar Terrestrial Planet Detection Mission

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
– 18 June 2009 – Lunar Orbiter

LCROSS
– 18 June 2009 – Lunar Impactor

2010

Akatsuki/Planet-C
– 20 May 2010 – ISAS Venus Orbiter

Chang’e 2
– 1 October 2010 – CAST (China) Lunar Orbiter

2011

Juno
– 5 August 2011 – Jupiter Orbiter

GRAIL
– 10 September 2011 – Lunar Orbiter

Phobos-Grunt
– 08 November 2011 – Attempted Martian Moon Phobos Lander

Yinghuo-1
– 08 November 2011 – Attempted Mars Orbiter

Mars Science Laboratory
– 26 November 2011 – Mars Rover

2012

No missions scheduled

2013

LADEE
– 06 September 2013 – Lunar Orbiter

Mangalyaan
– 05 November 2013 – ISRO (India) Mars Orbiter

MAVEN
– 18 November 2013 – Mars Scout Mission Orbiter

Chang’e 3
– 01 December 2013 – Lunar Lander and Rover

2014

Chang’e 5 Test Vehicle
– 23 October 2014 – Lunar Flyby and Return

Hayabusa 2
– 3 December 2014 – JAXA Asteroid Sample Return

PROCYON
– 3 December 2014 – JAXA (Japan) Asteroid Flyby Mission

2015

No missions scheduled

2016

ExoMars 2016
– 14 March 2016 – ESA Mars Orbiter and Lander

OSIRIS-REx
– 8 September 2016 – Sample Return Mission to Asteroid Bennu

2017

No missions scheduled

2018

InSight
– 5 May 2018 – Mars Lander

Queqiao
– 20 May 2018 – CNSA (China) Lunar Relay Satellite

Parker Solar Probe
– 12 August 2018 – Solar Orbiter – Venus Flybys

BepiColombo
– 19 October 2018 – ESA and JAXA Mercury Orbiters

Chang’e 4
– 7 December 2018 – CNSA (China) Lunar Farside Lander and Rover

2019

Beresheet
– 22 February 2019 – SpaceIL and IAI (Israel) Lunar Lander

Chandrayaan 2
– 22 July 2019 – ISRO (India) Moon Orbiter, Lander, and Rover

2020

Solar Orbiter
– 10 February 2020 – ESA solar orbiting mission

Hope
– 19 July 2020 – United Arab Emirates Mars Orbiter

Tianwen 1
– 23 July 2020 – CNSA (China) Mars Orbiter and Rover

Mars 2020
– 30 July 2020 – Mars Rover and Rotorcraft

Chang’e 5
– 23 November 2020 – CNSA (China) Lunar Sample Return Mission

2021

Q-PACE
– 17 January 2021 – Microgravity Particle Collision Study CubeSat

Lucy
– 16 October 2021 – Trojan Asteroid Flybys

Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)
– 24 November 2021 – Asteroid Dimorphos Impactor

LICIACube
– 24 November 2021 – Asteroid Dimorphos Imaging Cubesat

James Webb Space Telescope
– 25 December 2021 – L2 Orbiting Infrared Observatory

2022

CAPSTONE
– 28 June 2022 – Lunar Navigation Test Orbiter

Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (Danuri)
– 4 August 2022 – KARI (South Korea) Lunar Orbiter

LunaH-Map
– 16 November 2022 – Lunar Orbiting CubeSat

Lunar Ice Cube
– 16 November 2022 – Lunar Orbiting CubeSat

NEA Scout
– 16 November 2022 – Asteroid Flyby CubeSat

Lunar InfraRed imaging (LunIR)
– 16 November 2022 – Lunar Flyby and Technology Test CubeSat

OMOTENASHI
– 16 November 2022 – JAXA (Japan) Lunar Lander CubeSat

EQUULEUS
– 16 November 2022 – JAXA (Japan) L2 Orbit Lunar CubeSat

Artemis 1
– 16 November 2022 – Lunar Test Flight

Lunar Flashlight
– 11 December 2022 – Lunar Orbiter CubeSat

Hakuto-R M1
– 11 December 2022 – Lunar Lander

2023

JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE)
– 13 April 2023 – ESA Ganymede-Callisto-Europa multiple flyby mission

Peregrine Mission 1 (TO2-AB)
– May 2023 – Lunar Lander

Intuitive Machines 1 (TO2-IM)
– June 2023 – Lunar Lander

Chandrayaan 3
– June-July 2023 – ISRO (India) Lunar Orbiter, Lander, and Rover

Luna 25
– 13 July 2023 – Russian Lunar Lander

Psyche
– 10 October 2023 – Main Belt Asteroid Orbiter

Intuitive Machines 2 (PRIME-1)
– November 2023 – Lunar Lander

Lunar Trailblazer
– November 2023 – Lunar Orbiting Small Satellite

SLIM
– 2023 – JAXA (Japan) Lunar Lander

Note all future launch dates are “no earlier than” (NET) dates and subject to delay.

2024

Intuitive Machines 3 (TO CP-11 PRISM 11)
– April 2024 – Lunar Lander and Rovers

Martian Moons eXploration (MMX)
– September 2024 – JAXA (Japan) Phobos Sample Return Mission

Europa Clipper
– October 2024 – Jupiter Orbiter – Multiple Europa Flybys

Hera
– October 2024 – ESA mission to asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos

Griffin Mission 1 (TO 20A VIPER)
– November 2024 – Lunar South Pole Rover

Blue Ghost 1 (TO 19D, Firefly)
– 2024 – Lunar Lander

EscaPADE
– 2024 – Dual Mars Orbiting Spacecraft

Chang’e 6
– 2024 – CNSA (China) Lunar Sample Return Mission

2025

Draper (TO CP-12)
– 2025 – Lander Lander

2026

Dragonfly
– 2026 – Quadcopter Mission to Titan

Chang’e 7
– 2026 – CNSA (China) Lunar Survey Mission

2027

Chang’e 8
– TBD – CNSA (China) Lunar Technology Test

2028

ExoMars Rover
– 2028 – ESA Mars Rover, Rosalind Franklin

2029

DAVINCI+
– 2029 June – Venus Orbiter and Atmospheric Probe

2030

No missions scheduled

2031

VERITAS
– 2031 – Venus Orbiter

2032

EnVision
– 2032 – ESA Venus Orbiter

Source: NASA (May 23, 2023 updates)