Space probe: Timeline

1962   Ranger 3 is launched to study the Moon Moon

The Moon is Earth [i]'s only natural satellite [i]. ... 

. The space probe later misses the Moon by 22,000 miles.

1965   Ranger program: NASA NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the United States Government [i], res ... 

 launches Ranger 9, which is the last in a series of unmanned lunar Moon

The Moon is Earth [i]'s only natural satellite [i]. ... 

 space probes.

1966   Soviet space probe ''Venera 3'' crashes on Venus, becoming the first spacecraft Spacecraft

A spacecraft is a vehicle designed to operate beyond the surface of the Earth in outer space [i]. ... 

 to land on another planet Planet

The International Astronomical Union [i] , the official scientific [i] body for astronomical [i] nomenclature [i] ... 

's surfa

1966   The Soviet Union Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , more commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a Communist state [i] ... 

 launches Luna 10, which later becomes the first space probe to enter orbit around the Moon Moon

The Moon is Earth [i]'s only natural satellite [i]. ... 

.

1967   Venera program: Venera 4 is launched (it will become the first space probe to enter another planet Planet

The International Astronomical Union [i] , the official scientific [i] body for astronomical [i] nomenclature [i] ... 

's atmosphere and successfully return data).

1973   Mariner program Mariner program

The Mariner program was a series of unmanned interplanetary probes [i] designed t ... 

: NASA NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the United States Government [i], res ... 

 launches the Mariner 10 toward Mercury Mercury (planet)

Mercury is the nearest planet to the sun [i], orbiting at an average distance of about 58 million kilome ... 

 (on March 29, 1974 it becomes the first space probe to reach that planet).

2002   NASA NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the United States Government [i], res ... 

's Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of Mars using its thermal emission imaging system.