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MISSION CHRONOLOGY

Deep Space Mission Timeline

Every launch, flyby and future arrival across the tracked deep-space fleet — from Voyager in 1977 to the arrivals still to come.

A combined chronology of every tracked deep-space mission — launches, planetary flybys and future arrivals — built from the mission catalogue. Blue markers are past events; gold markers are upcoming.

1977
1977-08-20
Voyager 2 launched
1977-08-20
Voyager 2: Launch from Cape Canaveral
1977-09-05
Voyager 1 launched
1977-09-05
Voyager 1: Launch from Cape Canaveral on Titan IIIE/Centaur
1979
1979-03-05
Voyager 1: Jupiter flyby — discovered volcanic activity on Io
1979-07-09
Voyager 2: Jupiter flyby
1980
1980-11-12
Voyager 1: Saturn flyby — detailed study of rings and Titan
1981
1981-08-26
Voyager 2: Saturn flyby
1986
1986-01-24
Voyager 2: Uranus flyby — only spacecraft visit
1989
1989-08-25
Voyager 2: Neptune flyby — only spacecraft visit
1990
1990-02-14
Voyager 1: Pale Blue Dot photograph taken at 6 billion km
1995
1995-12-02
SOHO launched
1995-12-02
SOHO: Launch on Atlas IIAS
1996
1996-05
SOHO: Reached operational orbit at L1
1998
1998-06
SOHO: Contact temporarily lost, then recovered
2001
2001-04-07
Mars Odyssey launched
2001-04-07
Odyssey: Launch on Delta II
2001-10-24
Odyssey: Mars orbit insertion
2002
2002-05
Odyssey: Detected massive water ice deposits
2003
2003-06-02
Mars Express launched
2003-06-02
Mars Express: Launch on Soyuz-Fregat
2003-12-25
Mars Express: Mars orbit insertion
2005
2005-08-12
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter launched
2005-08-12
MRO: Launch on Atlas V
2006
2006-01-19
New Horizons launched
2006-01-19
New Horizons: Launch — fastest spacecraft at launch
2006-03-10
MRO: Mars orbit insertion
2006-10-25
STEREO-A launched
2006-10-25
STEREO-A: Launch with STEREO-B on Delta II
2007
2007-02-28
New Horizons: Jupiter gravity assist
2009
2009-06-18
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter launched
2009-06-18
LRO: Launch on Atlas V with LCROSS
2009-10-09
LRO: LCROSS confirmed water ice in Cabeus crater
2010
2010-05-20
Akatsuki launched
2010-05-20
Akatsuki: Launch on H-IIA from Tanegashima
2010-12-07
Akatsuki: Venus orbit insertion failed — main engine malfunction
2011
2011-02
STEREO-A: Achieved 180° separation — first full far side view
2011-08-05
Juno launched
2011-08-05
Juno: Launch on Atlas V
2012
2012-08
MRO: Relayed Curiosity landing telemetry
2012-08-25
Voyager 1: Crossed the heliopause into interstellar space
2013
2013-11-18
MAVEN launched
2013-11-18
MAVEN: Launch on Atlas V
2013-12-19
Gaia launched
2013-12-19
Gaia: Launch on Soyuz from Kourou
2014
2014-01
Gaia: Arrived at L2 orbit
2014-09-21
MAVEN: Mars orbit insertion
2014-10
STEREO-A: STEREO-B lost during conjunction
2014-12-03
Hayabusa2 launched
2014-12-03
Hayabusa2: Launch on H-IIA from Tanegashima
2015
2015-02-11
DSCOVR launched
2015-02-11
DSCOVR: Launch on Falcon 9
2015-06
DSCOVR: Reached L1 and began operations
2015-07
DSCOVR: First EPIC full-disc image of Earth released
2015-07-14
New Horizons: Pluto flyby at 12,500 km
2015-11
MAVEN: Observed massive atmospheric loss during solar storm
2015-12-07
Akatsuki: Second attempt successful using attitude thrusters
2016
2016-03-14
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter launched
2016-03-14
TGO: Launch on Proton-M from Baikonur
2016-04
Akatsuki: Science observations began
2016-07-04
Juno: Jupiter orbit insertion
2016-09
Gaia: Data Release 1 — 1.1 billion stars
2016-09-08
OSIRIS-APEX launched
2016-09-08
OSIRIS-APEX: Original launch as OSIRIS-REx
2016-10-19
TGO: Mars orbit insertion (Schiaparelli lander lost)
2018
2018-01
Akatsuki: Discovered massive equatorial jet stream
2018-02-06
Tesla Roadster (Starman) launched
2018-04
TGO: Aerobraking phase began
2018-06-27
Hayabusa2: Arrived at asteroid Ryugu
2018-07
Mars Express: MARSIS detects possible subsurface liquid water
2018-08-12
Parker Solar Probe launched
2018-08-12
Parker: Launch on Delta IV Heavy
2018-10-20
BepiColombo launched
2018-10-20
BepiColombo: Launch on Ariane 5
2018-11-05
Voyager 2: Crossed the heliopause into interstellar space
2018-11-05
Parker: First perihelion pass
2019
2019-01
LRO: Imaged Chang'e 4 on the far side
2019-01-01
New Horizons: Arrokoth flyby — most distant ever
2019-02-22
Hayabusa2: First touchdown and sample collection
2019-04
TGO: Science orbit achieved — began trace gas mapping
2019-04-05
Hayabusa2: Created artificial crater with impactor
2020
2020-02-10
Solar Orbiter launched
2020-02-10
SolO: Launch on Atlas V
2020-04-10
BepiColombo: Earth gravity assist
2020-12-06
Hayabusa2: Sample capsule returned to Earth
2021
2021-04-28
Parker: First spacecraft to enter the solar corona
2021-10-01
BepiColombo: First Mercury flyby
2021-10-16
Lucy launched
2021-10-16
Lucy: Launch on Atlas V
2021-12-25
James Webb Space Telescope launched
2021-12-25
JWST: Launch on Ariane 5 from Kourou
2022
2022-01-08
JWST: Primary mirror fully deployed
2022-01-24
JWST: Arrived at L2 orbit
2022-03-26
SolO: First close perihelion at 0.32 AU
2022-06
Gaia: Data Release 3 — 1.8 billion stars with spectra
2022-07-12
JWST: First full-colour images released
2022-08-04
Danuri (KPLO) launched
2022-08-04
Danuri: Launch on Falcon 9
2022-09-29
Juno: Close flyby of Europa (352 km)
2022-12-27
Danuri: Entered lunar orbit
2023
2023-01
Danuri: Began science mapping
2023-04-14
JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) launched
2023-04-14
JUICE: Launch on Ariane 5 from Kourou
2023-07
Euclid: Arrived at Sun–Earth L2
2023-07-01
Euclid launched
2023-07-01
Euclid: Launch on Falcon 9
2023-08
STEREO-A: Returned to Earth's neighbourhood
2023-09-24
OSIRIS-APEX: Bennu sample returned to Earth
2023-10
OSIRIS-APEX: Renamed OSIRIS-APEX, redirected to Apophis
2023-10
SolO: Venus gravity assist to increase inclination
2023-10-13
Psyche launched
2023-10-13
Psyche: Launch on Falcon Heavy
2023-11-01
Lucy: Flyby of Dinkinesh — discovered moonlet
2023-11-14
Psyche: DSOC achieved first light from deep space
2023-12
SOHO: Passed 5,000 comet discoveries
2023-12-30
Juno: Closest Io flyby (1,500 km)
2024
2024-02
Euclid: Began the six-year cosmology survey
2024-04
Akatsuki: Contact lost after an attitude-control anomaly
2024-08-19
JUICE: First-ever Lunar–Earth double gravity assist
2024-09-04
BepiColombo: Fourth Mercury flyby
2024-10-07
Hera launched
2024-10-07
Hera: Launch on Falcon 9
2024-10-14
Europa Clipper launched
2024-10-14
Europa Clipper: Launch on Falcon Heavy
2024-12-24
Parker: Closest perihelion — 6.1 million km from the Sun
2025
2025
Danuri: Extended mission operations
2025-01-15
Gaia: Science observations ended
2025-03
Europa Clipper: Mars gravity assist
2025-03-12
Hera: Mars flyby — bonus imaging of the moon Deimos
2025-03-27
Gaia: Decommissioned — retired to a heliocentric graveyard orbit
2025-04-20
Lucy: Flyby of Donaldjohanson
2025-08
JUICE: Venus gravity assist
2025-09-18
Akatsuki: JAXA formally ended the mission
2026
2026-05
Psyche: Mars gravity assist
2026-06
Euclid: First major data release
2026-09
JUICE: Earth gravity assist
2026-09
JUICE: Earth gravity assist
2026-11
BepiColombo: Mercury orbit insertion
2026-11
Hera: Arrival at Didymos–Dimorphos system
2026-11
BepiColombo: Mercury orbit insertion
2026-12
Europa Clipper: Earth gravity assist
2026-12
Europa Clipper: Earth gravity assist
2026-12
Hera: Arrival at Didymos-Dimorphos
2027
2027
Hera: Detailed survey of DART impact crater
2027-08
Lucy: First L4 Trojan encounters
2027-08
Lucy: First L4 Trojan encounters
2029
2029-04-13
OSIRIS-APEX: Apophis Earth flyby (31,000 km)
2029-04-13
OSIRIS-APEX: Apophis Earth flyby (31,000 km)
2029-08
Psyche: Arrival at asteroid 16 Psyche
2029-08
Psyche: Arrival at asteroid 16 Psyche
2030
2030-04
Europa Clipper: Jupiter orbit insertion
2030-04
Europa Clipper: Jupiter orbit insertion
2030–2034
Europa Clipper: 49 Europa flybys over 4 years
2031
2031-07
Hayabusa2: Expected arrival at 1998 KY26
2031-07
JUICE: Arrival at Jupiter
2031-07
Hayabusa2: Arrival at 1998 KY26
2031-07
JUICE: Arrival at Jupiter
2033
2033-03
Lucy: L5 Trojan encounter (Patroclus-Menoetius)
2033-03
Lucy: L5 Trojan encounter (Patroclus-Menoetius)
2034
2034
JUICE: Enters orbit around Ganymede