A planetary flyby is the act of sending a space probe past a planet or a dwarf planet close enough to record scientific data. This is a subset of the overall concept of a flyby in spaceflight.
The first flyby of another planet with a functioning spacecraft took place on December 14, 1962, when Mariner 2 zoomed by the planet Venus.
Planetary flybys are commonly used as gravity assist maneuvers to "slingshot" a space probe toward its primary target without expending fuel, but in some cases (such as with New Horizons), flybys are the primary objectives of a mission in of themselves. Flybys modify the direction of the probe and adds to its heliocentric velocity.
A relatively recent example of a flyby spacecraft is New Horizons, which performed flyby maneuvers of Jupiter, Pluto and its moons in the 21st century. The flyby of Jupiter, used as a gravity assist, allowed the craft to reach Pluto at high velocity without the complications of slowing down, after which it proceeded further into the Kuiper Belt on an escape trajectory out of the Solar System.
List of planetary flybys
Flyby date Launch date Operator Spacecraft Details Mission result 19 May 1961 12 February 1961
Venera 1 First Venus flyby (contact lost before flyby) Failure 14 December 1962 27 August 1962
Mariner 2 First successful non-lunar planetary encounter and first successful Venus flyby Success 19 June 1963 1 November 1962
Mars 1 First Mars flyby (contact lost) Failure 19 July 1964 2 April 1964
Zond 1 Venus flyby (contact lost) Failure 15 July 1965 28 November 1964
Mariner 4 First successful Mars flyby Success 6 August 1965 30 November 1964
Zond 2 Mars flyby (contact lost) Failure 27 February 1966 12 November 1965
Venera 2 Venus flyby (contact lost) Failure 19 October 1967 14 June 1967
Mariner 5 Venus flyby Success 31 July 1969 25 February 1969
Mariner 6 Mars flyby Success 5 August 1969 27 March 1969
Mariner 7 Mars flyby Success 3 December 1973 3 March 1972
Pioneer 10 First Jupiter flyby Success 5 February 1974 4 November 1973
Mariner 10 Venus flyby; first interplanetary gravity assist Success 10 February 1974 21 July 1973
Mars 4 Mars flyby (inadvertent; attempted Mars orbiter) Failure 9 March 1974 9 August 1973
Mars 7 Mars flyby (inadvertent; attempted Mars lander) Failure 12 March 1974 5 August 1973
Mars 6 Mars flyby (flyby succeeded but lander failed) Failure 29 March 1974 4 November 1973
Mariner 10 First Mercury flyby Success 21 September 1974 4 November 1973
Mariner 10 Mercury flyby Success 3 December 1974 5 April 1973
Pioneer 11 Jupiter flyby Success 16 March 1975 4 November 1973
Mariner 10 Mercury flyby Success 19 December 1978 14 September 1978
Venera 12 Venus flyby and lander Success 25 December 1978 9 September 1978
Venera 11 Venus flyby and lander Success 5 March 1979 5 September 1977
Voyager 1 Jupiter flyby Success 9 July 1979 20 August 1977
Voyager 2 Jupiter flyby Success 1 September 1979 5 April 1973
Pioneer 11 First Saturn flyby Success 12 November 1980 5 September 1977
Voyager 1 Saturn flyby Success 25 August 1981 20 August 1977
Voyager 2 Saturn flyby Success 1 March 1982 30 October 1981
Venera 13 Venus flyby and lander Success 5 March 1982 4 November 1981
Venera 14 Venus flyby and lander Success 11 June 1985 15 December 1984
Vega 1 Venus flyby, lander, and first balloon Success 15 June 1985 21 December 1984
Vega 2 Venus flyby, lander, and balloon Success 24 January 1986 20 August 1977
Voyager 2 First and only Uranus flyby Success 25 August 1989 20 August 1977
Voyager 2 First and only Neptune flyby Success 10 February 1990 13 October 1989
Galileo Venus flyby, first of three gravity assists to Jupiter Success 2 July 1990 2 July 1985
Giotto First Earth flyby, gravity assist for extended mission to 26P/Grigg–Skjellerup Success 8 October 1990 13 October 1989
Galileo Earth flyby, second of three gravity assists to Jupiter Success 8 January 1992 7 January 1985
Sakigake Earth flyby Success 8 February 1992 6 October 1990
Ulysses Jupiter flyby, inclination change gravity assist for solar mission Success 8 December 1992 13 October 1989
Galileo Earth flyby, last of three gravity assists to Jupiter Success 24 August 1993 25 September 1992
Mars Observer Mars flyby (inadvertent; attempted Mars orbiter) Failure 23 January 1998 17 February 1996
NEAR Shoemaker Earth flyby, gravity assist to 433 Eros Success 26 April 1998 15 October 1997
Cassini–Huygens Venus flyby, first of four gravity assists to Saturn Success 24 June 1999 15 October 1997
Cassini–Huygens Venus flyby, second of four gravity assists to Saturn Success 18 August 1999 15 October 1997
Cassini–Huygens Earth flyby, third of four gravity assists to Saturn Success 30 December 2000 15 October 1997
Cassini–Huygens Jupiter flyby, last of four gravity assists to Saturn Success 15 January 2001 27 February 1999
Stardust Earth flyby, gravity assist to 81P/Wild Success 21 April 2002 4 July 1998
Nozomi Earth flyby, first of two gravity assists to Mars Success 19 June 2003 4 July 1998
Nozomi Earth flyby, last of two gravity assists to Mars Success 14 December 2003 4 July 1998
Nozomi Mars flyby (inadvertent; planned Mars orbiter) Failure 19 May 2004 9 May 2003
Hayabusa Earth flyby, gravity assist to 25143 Itokawa Success 4 March 2005 2 March 2004
Rosetta Earth flyby, first of four gravity assists to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko Success 2 August 2005 3 August 2004
MESSENGER Earth flyby, first gravity assist to Mercury Success 15 January 2006 27 February 1999
Stardust Earth flyby and sample return capsule reentry Success 24 October 2006 3 August 2004
MESSENGER Venus flyby, second gravity assist to Mercury Success 25 February 2007 2 March 2004
Rosetta Mars flyby, second of four gravity assists to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko Success 28 February 2007 19 January 2006
New Horizons Jupiter flyby, gravity assist to Pluto/Charon system Success 5 June 2007 3 August 2004
MESSENGER Venus flyby, third gravity assist to Mercury. Also characterized the planet's atmosphere. Success 13 November 2007 2 March 2004
Rosetta Earth flyby, third of four gravity assists to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko Success 31 December 2007 12 January 2005
Deep Impact (EPOXI) Earth flyby Success 14 January 2008 3 August 2004
MESSENGER Mercury flyby, fourth gravity assist before orbital insertion and primary mission Success 6 October 2008 3 August 2004
MESSENGER Mercury flyby, fifth gravity assist before orbital insertion and primary mission Success 29 December 2008 12 January 2005
Deep Impact (EPOXI) Earth flyby Success 14 January 2009 27 February 1999
Stardust Earth flyby, gravity assist to 9P/Tempel Success 18 February 2009 27 September 2007
Dawn Mars flyby, gravity assist to 4 Vesta Success 29 June 2009 12 January 2005
Deep Impact (EPOXI) Earth flyby (distant) Success 29 September 2009 3 August 2004
MESSENGER Mercury flyby, sixth and final gravity assist before orbital insertion and primary mission Success 13 November 2009 2 March 2004
Rosetta Earth flyby, last of four gravity assists to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko Success 28 December 2009 12 January 2005
Deep Impact (EPOXI) Earth flyby (distant) Success 27 June 2010 12 January 2005
Deep Impact (EPOXI) Earth flyby Success 6 December 2010 20 May 2010
Akatsuki Venus flyby (inadvertent; was intended to be orbit insertion; later successfully inserted into orbit in 2015) Failure 8 December 2010 20 May 2010 IKAROS Venus flyby, probe was a technological demonstrator that launched with Akatsuki Success 9 October 2013 5 August 2011
Juno Earth flyby, gravity assist to Jupiter Success 14 July 2015 19 January 2006
New Horizons First and only Pluto/Charon flybyThe International Astronomical Union classifies Charon as a moon. See Charon (moon)#Classification for details. Success 3 December 2015 3 December 2014
Hayabusa2 Earth flyby, gravity assist to 162173 Ryugu Success 22 September 2017 8 September 2016
OSIRIS-REx Earth flyby, gravity assist to 101955 Bennu Success 3 October 2018 12 August 2018
Parker Solar Probe Venus flyby Success 26 November 2018 5 May 2018
Mars Cube One Mars flyby Success 10 April 2020 20 October 2018
BepiColombo Earth flyby Success 23 July 2020 ~10 February 2021
Tianwen 1 deployable camera Mars flyby Success 15 October 2020 20 October 2018
BepiColombo Venus flyby Success 5 December 2020 3 December 2014
Hayabusa2 Earth flyby, gravity assist to 98943 Torifune Success 27 December 2020 10 February 2020
Solar Orbiter Venus flyby Success 9 August 2021 10 February 2020
Solar Orbiter Venus flyby Success 10 August 2021 20 October 2018
BepiColombo Venus flyby Success 1 October 2021 20 October 2018
BepiColombo Mercury flyby #1 Success 27 November 2021 10 February 2020
Solar Orbiter Earth flyby Success 23 June 2022 20 October 2018
BepiColombo Mercury flyby #2 Success 4 September 2022 10 February 2020
Solar Orbiter Venus flyby Success 16 October 2022 16 October 2021
Lucy Earth flyby Success 19 June 2023 20 October 2018
BepiColombo Mercury flyby #3 Success 24 September 2023 8 September 2016
OSIRIS-REx/ApEx Earth flyby, gravity assist to 99942 Apophis Success 19-20 August 2024 14 April 2023
JUICE First double flyby and first Lunar-Earth flyby Success 4 September 2024 20 October 2018
BepiColombo Mercury flyby #4 - Closest planetary flyby ever done (165 km altitude) Success 1 December 2024 20 October 2018
BepiColombo Mercury flyby #5 Success 8 January 2025 20 October 2018
BepiColombo Mercury flyby #6 Success 1 March 2025 14 October 2024
Europa Clipper Mars flyby Success 12 March 2025 7 October 2024
Hera Mars flyby Success 31 August 2025 14 April 2023
JUICE Venus flyby Success 15 May 2026 13 October 2023
Psyche Mars flyby Success September 2026 14 April 2023
JUICE Earth flyby Planned December 2026 14 October 2024
Europa Clipper Earth flyby Planned January 2029 14 April 2023
JUICE Earth flyby Planned
Gallery
See also Mariner program Mars program Pioneer program Vega program Venera Voyager program Zond program List of Earth flybys Mars flyby Timeline of the Space Race Timeline of Solar System exploration
Notes
References