908 Encyclopedia of the Solar System
TABLE 1 Planetary Exploration Missions (Continued)
Spacecraft Source Launch Target Mission Notes
Galileo Orbiter USA Oct. 18, 1989 Jupiter orbiter Flew by Venus: Feb. 10, 1990
Flew by Earth: Dec. 8, 1990, Dec. 8, 1992
Flew by asteroid Gaspra: Oct. 29, 1991
Flew by asteroid Ida: Aug. 28, 1993
Orbited Jupiter: Dec. 7, 1995
Impacted Jupiter: Sept. 21, 2003.
Galileo Probe USA Oct. 18, 1989 Jupiter probe Entered Jupiter’s atmosphere: Dec. 7,
1995
Hiten Japan Jan. 24, 1990 Moon flyby Flew by Moon
Hagormo Japan Jan. 24, 1990 Moon orbiter Deployed into lunar orbit by Hiten: Mar.
1990
Hubble Space
Telescope (HST)
USA/ESA Apr. 25, 1990 All telescope 2.4 meter telescope in Earth orbit.
Refurbished and new instruments
installed by Space Shuttle missions.
Ulysses ESA/USA Oct. 6, 1990 Sun orbiter Injected into solar polar orbit by Jupiter
flyby: Feb. 8, 1992
Yokhoh Japan Aug. 30, 1991 Sun telescope Solar observatory in Earth orbit
Mars Observer USA Sept. 25, 1992 Mars orbiter Communications lost en route to Mars
Clementine USA Jan. 25, 1994 Moon orbiter Orbited Moon on Feb. 19, 1994. Failed
after lunar departure.
Infrared Space
Observatory
(ISO)
ESA Nov. 17, 1995 All telescope Infrared observatory in Earth orbit
Solar Heliospheric
Observatory
(SOHO)
ESA Dec. 2, 1995 Sun telescope Solar observatory in Earth orbit
Near-Earth
Asteroid
Rendezvous
(NEAR)
USA Feb. 17, 1996 Eros orbiter Flew by asteroid Mathilde: June 27, 1997.
Flew by asteroid Eros: Dec. 23, 1998.
Orbited asteroid Eros: Feb. 14, 2000.
Landed on Eros, Feb. 14, 2001.
Mars Global
Surveyor
USA Nov. 7, 1996 Mars orbiter Orbited Mars: Sept. 12, 1997
Mars 96 CIS Nov. 16, 1996 Mars orbiter Failed to depart low Earth orbit
Mars Pathfinder USA Dec. 2, 1996 Mars lander/rover Landed Mars: July 4, 1997. Deployed
rover Sojourner
Cassini USA Oct. 15, 1997 Saturn orbiter/probe Orbited Saturn: July 1, 2004
Huygens Probe ESA Oct. 15, 1997 Titan probe/lander Entered Titan atmosphere: Dec. 25, 2004.
Lunar Prospector USA Jan. 6, 1998 Moon orbiter Orbited Moon: Jan. 11, 1998. Impacted
Moon: July 31, 1999.
Nozomi Japan July 4, 1998 Mars orbiter Failed during cruise to Mars
Deep Space 1 USA Oct. 24, 1998 Braille flyby Flew by asteroid 9969 Braille: July 29,
- Flew by comet 19P/Borrelly:
Sept. 22, 2001.
Mars Climate
Orbiter
USA Dec. 11, 1998 Mars orbiter Lost during orbit insertion maneuver:
Sept. 23, 1999
Mars Polar Lander USA Jan. 3, 1999 Mars lander Crashed on Mars: Dec. 3, 1999
Deep Space 2 USA Jan. 3, 1999 Mars penetrators Crashed on Mars: Dec. 3, 1999
Stardust USA Feb. 6, 1999 Comet
Wild 2
flyby/sample
return
Flew by Comet 81P/Wild 2 Jan. 2, 2004.
Returned comet dust samples to Earth:
Jan. 2, 2006.
Mars Odyssey USA Apr. 7, 2001 Mars orbiter Orbited Mars: Oct. 23, 2001.
Genesis USA Aug. 8, 2001 Solar
wind
sample
return
Returned to Earth: Sept. 8, 2004.
