| LAUNCH DATE |
NAME |
DESTINATION |
COUNTRY |
MISSION DETAILS |
ADDITIONAL
INFO |
CURRENT STATUS |
| 12th January 2005 |
Deep Impact |
Comets Tempel and
Boethin |
USA
 |
Deep
Impact (nothing to do with the film of the same name!) contained a probe
which was sent to crash into comet Tempel 1 so that the contents of
material ejected from the impact could be analysed. Early analysis shows
the comet to be made up of more dust than ice. Deep Impact is still in
operation and after completing a flyby of Earth in December 2007, will
study planets orbiting other Suns (from Earth orbit, not by going to them)
and visit the comet Boethin. |
First probe to be
crashed into a comet (other comet missions were flybys) |
Information about
Deep Impact's impact is still being analysed. The craft is due to enter
the next stage of its mission. |
| 19th January 2006 |
New Horizons |
Kuiper
Belt objects |
USA
|
The first mission to visit Pluto
and Charon. It will travel directly from Earth to Jupiter, where it will
use a gravitational assist to send it straight to Pluto. It is expected to
reach Pluto and Charon in 2015. The probe may also be programmed to
explore other objects in the Kuiper Belt region. |
Fastest spacecraft launch ever,
taking just over a year to reach Jupiter. |
New Horizons has now passed
Jupiter and is somewhere in between the orbit of Jupiter and Saturn, still
on its way to Pluto. |
| 12th August 2005 |
Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter |
Mars |
USA
|
Orbiter which reached Mars on 10th March 2006.
It has since spent its time imaging the planet and using aerobraking,
placed itself into a regular orbit around the planet. The Mars Reconnaissance
Orbiter will begin its primary mission from November 2006,
which will include mapping the planet's surface in high resolution to find
suitable landing sites for future missions, and observe Mars' atmosphere,
geology, climate and weather. It will also have a look for Mars Polar
Lander and Beagle 2, two landers which were lost in previous missions. It
has already managed to locate the Opportunity Rover near the Victoria
Crater. After completing its scientific experiments in about two years, it
will be used as a communications satellite to relay data from objects on
Mars back to Earth. |
. |
Operational in orbit around Mars. |
| 9th November 2005 |
Venus Express |
Venus |
Europe
 |
Based on the
European Space Agency's previous Mars Express spacecraft. The space craft reached Venus on 11th
April 2006 and from 7th May 2006 was positioned to complete an orbit of
Venus every 24 hours. It will study Venus' clouds and atmosphere and
measure the planet's temperature globally. The mission is expected to last
for between 500 and 1000 days (Earth days). |
First European space
craft to Venus. |
Venus Express is
currently in Science Operations Orbit. Basically means it is watching the
planet and analysing it. The mission has recently been lengthened so that
its primary mission will now end in May 2009. |
| 26th October 2006 |
STEREO |
Sun |
USA
|
Two identical spacecraft were launched into Earth orbit to
analyse and image the Sun. They send back images of the Sun which can be
"fused" together to create stereo, or 3D, images of the
Sun. |
. |
STEREO is expected to operate for at least two year from
launch. |
| 14th September 2007 |
SELENE (also known as
Kaguya) |
Moon |
Japan
 |
SELENE is due to launch to the Moon and
enter orbit. It will conduct experiments on the Moon to return information
back to Earth about the origins of the Moon, the Moon's surface and will
conduct experiments on radio science (sending communications through
space). |
. |
Space craft
launched 14th September 2007. |
| 27th September 2007 |
Dawn |
Asteroid Belt |
USA
|
Space
craft which will visit the Asteroid Belt and orbit the asteroid Vesta
and the dwarf planet Ceres. It will send back images and data about the two
objects. |
Dawn will be the
first mission to be sent to orbit two different planetary bodies other
than Earth and the Moon. |
Dawn launched on
27th September 2007 to begin its eight year mission. |
