List of Solar System probes

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This is a list of space probes that have left Earth orbit (or were launched with that intention but failed), organized by their planned destination. It includes planetary probes, solar probes, and probes to asteroids and comets. Flybys (such as gravity assists) that were incidental to the main purpose of the mission are also included.

Excluded are lunar missions, which are listed separately at List of lunar probes and List of Apollo missions. Flybys of Earth are listed separately at List of Earth flybys. Planned and proposed missions are in the List of proposed Solar System probes.

Colour key:

• ^† means "tentatively identified", as classified by NASA. These are Cold War-era Soviet missions, mostly failures, about which few or no details have been officially released. The information given may be speculative.
• Date is the date of:

• closest encounter (flybys)
• impact (impactors)
• orbital insertion to end of mission, whether planned or premature (orbiters)
• landing to end of mission, whether planned or premature (landers)
• launch (missions that never got underway due to failure at or soon after launch)

In cases which do not fit any of the above, the event to which the date refers is stated. As a result of this scheme missions are not always listed in order of launch.

• Some of the terms used under Type:

• Flyby: The probe flies by an astronomical body, but does not orbit it
• Orbiter: Part of a probe that orbits an astronomical body
• Lander: Part of a probe that descend to the surface of an astronomical body
• Rover: Part of a probe that acts as a vehicle to move on the solid-surface of an astronomical body
• Penetrator: Part of a probe that impacts an astronomical body
• Atmospheric probe or balloon: Part of a probe that descend through or floats in the atmosphere of an astronomical body; not restricted to weather balloons and other atmospheric sounders, as it can also be used for surface and subsurface imaging and remote sensing.
• Sample return: Parts of the probe return to Earth with physical samples

• Under Status, in the case of flybys (such as gravity assists) that are incidental to the main mission, "success" indicates the successful completion of the flyby, not necessarily that of the main mission.

While the Sun is not physically explorable with current technology, the following solar observation probes have been designed and launched to operate in heliocentric orbit or at one of the Earth–Sun Lagrangian points – additional solar observatories were placed in Earth orbit and are not included in this list:

Early programs encompassing multiple spacecraft include:

• Venera program — USSR Venus orbiter and lander (1961–1984)
• Pioneer Venus project — US Venus orbiter and entry probes (1978)
• Vega program — USSR mission to Venus and Comet Halley (1984)

See List of Earth flybys

In addition, several planetary probes have sent back observations of the Earth-Moon system shortly after launch, most notably Mariner 10, Pioneers 10 and 11 and both Voyager probes (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2).

See List of lunar probes

Major early programs encompassing multiple probes include:

• Zond program — failed USSR flyby probe
• Mars probe program — USSR orbiters and landers
• Viking program — two NASA orbiters and landers (1974)
• Phobos program — failed USSR orbiters and Phobos landers

For completeness, this section lists probes that have left (or will leave) Earth orbit, but are not primarily targeted at any of the above bodies.

• Lists of spacecraft
• List of uncrewed spacecraft by program
• Discovery and exploration of the Solar System
• List of space telescopes
• Sample return mission
• Timeline of Solar System exploration
• List of interplanetary voyages
• List of missions to the outer planets

• Planetary Society: Cassini's Tour of the Saturn System