Space Probes | Moons, Asteroids, Comets, Dwarf Planets 🛰

Space Probes To Smaller Solar System Objects

As you'll probably know, a space probe is those expensive robotic spacecraft launched from Earth to explore other worlds in outer space. The spacecraft may only travel a short distance to Earth’s Moon; or travel further through interplanetary space to an asteroid, comet or moon of another planet! The space probe may simply flyby, enter orbit or land on the moon or minor planet.

Space Probes Dispatched To The Far Reaches Of The Solar System!

A number of different space agencies (such as Roscomos, NASA, European Space Agency, China, Japan and India) have launched space probes to various planets, moons, asteroids, near-Earth objects and even comet's to satisfy the human need to explore, but also to learn more about our solar system, its formation and ultimately our place in the universe! There have been hundreds of space probes launched since the beginning of the Space Age, and at any one time, there are approximately 10 – 15 current space probe missions travelling through space. Here you’ll find a few of the coolest and most interesting missions along with how space probes power and propel themselves while in deep space for years!

Destination Moons!

• • Mission to map Earth’s Moon – the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
  • Exploring Jupiter’s frozen moon Europa with NASA’s Europa Clipper mission
  • Learn all about the future missions being planned to explore the largest moons in the solar system with the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE)

To The Asteroids!

• • Visit a metal, the asteroid ‘16 Psyche’ aboard the Psyche Orbiter
  • NASA’s sample return mission OSIRIS-Rex to Asteroid 101955 Bennu
  • NEAR Shoemaker, the first probe to orbit and land on asteroid 433 Eros
  • Exploring Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids with the Lucy Spacecraft
  • Is it an asteroid, minor planet, dwarf planet or protoplanet? Learn about the Dawn space probe that was the first to orbit two ‘asteroids’ Vesta and Ceres

Comet Bound!

• • Sampling comet Wild 2’s coma with the Stardust sample return mission
  • The Deep Impact space probe which collided with comet Tempel 1!
  • Rosetta Spacecraft and it’s lander Philae become the first to orbit and land on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko