Launch of Luna 1
The Soviet Union launches Luna 1, the first space probe to pass the moon and leave Earth's gravitational field.
Mariner 2 reaches Venus
The American probe Mariner 2 carries out the first successful close flyby of another planet and delivers data on Venus.
Venera 4 lands on Venus
The Soviet probe Venera 4 becomes the first spacecraft to reach the surface of another planet and transmits data on the atmosphere of Venus.
Mariner 9 in orbit around Mars
Mariner 9 becomes the first artificial satellite to orbit another planet and maps the entire surface of Mars.
Pioneer 10 passes Jupiter
Pioneer 10 becomes the first space probe to fly past Jupiter and sends the first close-up images of the gas giant to Earth.
Launch of the Voyager probes
NASA launches Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 for a grand tour of the outer planets of our solar system.
Voyager 2 passes Neptune
Voyager 2 completes its grand tour with a historic flyby of Neptune, the last planet on its route.
Galileo arrives at Jupiter
The Galileo probe arrives at Jupiter and releases an atmospheric probe into the gas giant, while the main spacecraft studies the moons for years.
Cassini-Huygens lands on Titan
The European Huygens lander, carried by the American Cassini probe, descends onto the surface of Saturn's moon Titan.
New Horizons passes Pluto
The NASA probe New Horizons carries out the first close-up exploration of the dwarf planet Pluto and its moons.
Voyager 1 leaves the solar system
Voyager 1 becomes the first human-made object to leave the heliosphere and enter interstellar space.
Perseverance lands on Mars
The NASA rover Perseverance lands in the Jezero crater on Mars to search for traces of ancient microbial life and collect samples.
Planned launch of the Europa Clipper and future exploration
NASA's Europa Clipper mission investigates the ice moon Europa in search of conditions that could support life, as a forerunner of future interstellar ambitions.
Perseverance lands on Mars
Perseverance also brought along the small helicopter Ingenuity, which performed the first powered flight on another planet. The collected rock samples are intended to be brought to Earth in a future Mars Sample Return mission, a crucial step towards crewed missions.