The Golden Age of Planetary Exploration
The decades in which robotic probes first reached every planet — Mariner, Pioneer, Viking, and the two Voyagers that toured the outer Solar System and reached its edge.
In brief
The first robotic reconnaissance of the planets.
Events of this era
Viking 1 was the first spacecraft to land and operate successfully on the surface of Mars.
- 20 July 1976Viking 1 Lands on Mars
Viking 1 becomes the first spacecraft to operate successfully on the surface of Mars, returning the first pictures from the Martian ground and searching for life.
Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launch on a grand tour of the outer Solar System, exploiting a rare planetary alignment to visit the giant planets.
- 25 August 1989Voyager 2 Flies Past Neptune
Voyager 2 sweeps past Neptune, the first and only spacecraft to visit the ice giant, completing the reconnaissance of every planet from Mercury to Neptune.
Knowledge connections
- ContainsViking 1 Lands on Mars
- ContainsLaunch of the Voyagers
- ContainsVoyager 2 Flies Past Neptune
- ContainsFirst Successful Mars Landing
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
- NASA JPLJet Propulsion Laboratory / Solar System Dynamics
Orbital data, ephemerides, and small-body parameters for planets, asteroids, and comets.