Planetary flyby

A planetary flyby is the act of sending a space probe past a planet or a dwarf planet close enough to record scientific data.^[1] This is a subset of the overall concept of a flyby in spaceflight.

Plot of Mariner 10 flyby of planet Venus in February 1974

The first flyby of another planet with a functioning spacecraft took place on December 14, 1962, when Mariner 2 zoomed by the planet Venus.^[2]

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.^[3]

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.^[4]

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)[5]	Failure
14 December 1962	27 August 1962		Mariner 2	First successful non-lunar planetary encounter and first successful Venus flyby[6]	Success
19 June 1963	1 November 1962		Mars 1	First Mars flyby (contact lost)[7]	Failure
19 July 1964	2 April 1964		Zond 1	Venus flyby (contact lost)[8]	Failure
15 July 1965	28 November 1964		Mariner 4	First successful Mars flyby[9]	Success
6 August 1965	30 November 1964		Zond 2	Mars flyby (contact lost)[10]	Failure
27 February 1966	12 November 1965		Venera 2	Venus flyby (contact lost)[11]	Failure
19 October 1967	14 June 1967		Mariner 5	Venus flyby[12]	Success
31 July 1969	25 February 1969		Mariner 6	Mars flyby[13]	Success
5 August 1969	27 March 1969		Mariner 7	Mars flyby[14]	Success
3 December 1973	3 March 1972		Pioneer 10	First Jupiter flyby[15]	Success
5 February 1974	4 November 1973		Mariner 10	Venus flyby; first interplanetary gravity assist[16]	Success
10 February 1974	21 July 1973		Mars 4	Mars flyby (inadvertent; attempted Mars orbiter)[17]	Failure
9 March 1974	9 August 1973		Mars 7	Mars flyby (inadvertent; attempted Mars lander)[18]	Failure
12 March 1974	5 August 1973		Mars 6	Mars flyby (flyby succeeded but lander failed)[19]	Failure
29 March 1974	4 November 1973		Mariner 10	First Mercury flyby[16]	Success
21 September 1974	4 November 1973		Mariner 10	Mercury flyby[16]	Success
3 December 1974	5 April 1973		Pioneer 11	Jupiter flyby[20]	Success
16 March 1975	4 November 1973		Mariner 10	Mercury flyby[16]	Success
19 December 1978	14 September 1978		Venera 12	Venus flyby and lander[21]	Success
25 December 1978	9 September 1978		Venera 11	Venus flyby and lander[22]	Success
5 March 1979	5 September 1977		Voyager 1	Jupiter flyby[23]	Success
9 July 1979	20 August 1977		Voyager 2	Jupiter flyby[24]	Success
1 September 1979	5 April 1973		Pioneer 11	First Saturn flyby[20]	Success
12 November 1980	5 September 1977		Voyager 1	Saturn flyby[23]	Success
25 August 1981	20 August 1977		Voyager 2	Saturn flyby[24]	Success
1 March 1982	30 October 1981		Venera 13	Venus flyby and lander[25]	Success
5 March 1982	4 November 1981		Venera 14	Venus flyby and lander[26]	Success
11 June 1985	15 December 1984		Vega 1	Venus flyby, lander, and first balloon[27]	Success
15 June 1985	21 December 1984		Vega 2	Venus flyby, lander, and balloon[28]	Success
24 January 1986	20 August 1977		Voyager 2	First and only Uranus flyby[24]	Success
25 August 1989	20 August 1977		Voyager 2	First and only Neptune flyby[24]	Success
10 February 1990	13 October 1989		Galileo	Venus flyby, first of three gravity assists to Jupiter[29]	Success
2 July 1990	2 July 1985		Giotto	First Earth flyby, gravity assist for extended mission to 26P/Grigg–Skjellerup[30]	Success
8 October 1990	13 October 1989		Galileo	Earth flyby, second of three gravity assists to Jupiter[29]	Success
8 January 1992	7 January 1985		Sakigake	Earth flyby[31]	Success
8 February 1992	6 October 1990		Ulysses	Jupiter flyby, inclination change gravity assist for solar mission[32]	Success
8 December 1992	13 October 1989		Galileo	Earth flyby, last of three gravity assists to Jupiter[29]	Success
24 August 1993	25 September 1992		Mars Observer	Mars flyby (inadvertent; attempted Mars orbiter)[33]	Failure
23 January 1998	17 February 1996		NEAR Shoemaker	Earth flyby, gravity assist to 433 Eros[34]	Success
26 April 1998	15 October 1997		Cassini–Huygens	Venus flyby, first of four gravity assists to Saturn[35]	Success
24 June 1999	15 October 1997		Cassini–Huygens	Venus flyby, second of four gravity assists to Saturn[36]	Success
18 August 1999	15 October 1997		Cassini–Huygens	Earth flyby, third of four gravity assists to Saturn[37]	Success
30 December 2000	15 October 1997		Cassini–Huygens	Jupiter flyby, last of four gravity assists to Saturn[38]	Success
15 January 2001	27 February 1999		Stardust	Earth flyby, gravity assist to 81P/Wild[39]	Success
21 April 2002	4 July 1998		Nozomi	Earth flyby, first of two gravity assists to Mars[40]	Success
19 June 2003	4 July 1998		Nozomi	Earth flyby, last of two gravity assists to Mars[40]	Success
14 December 2003	4 July 1998		Nozomi	Mars flyby (inadvertent; planned Mars orbiter)[40]	Failure
19 May 2004	9 May 2003		Hayabusa	Earth flyby, gravity assist to 25143 Itokawa[41]	Success
4 March 2005	2 March 2004		Rosetta	Earth flyby, first of four gravity assists to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko[42]	Success
2 August 2005	3 August 2004		MESSENGER	Earth flyby, first gravity assist to Mercury[43]	Success
15 January 2006	27 February 1999		Stardust	Earth flyby and sample return capsule reentry[39]	Success
24 October 2006	3 August 2004		MESSENGER	Venus flyby, second gravity assist to Mercury[43]	Success
25 February 2007	2 March 2004		Rosetta	Mars flyby, second of four gravity assists to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko[42]	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.[43]	Success
13 November 2007	2 March 2004		Rosetta	Earth flyby, third of four gravity assists to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko[42]	Success
31 December 2007	12 January 2005		Deep Impact (EPOXI)	Earth flyby[44]	Success
14 January 2008	3 August 2004		MESSENGER	Mercury flyby, fourth gravity assist before orbital insertion and primary mission[43]	Success
6 October 2008	3 August 2004		MESSENGER	Mercury flyby, fifth gravity assist before orbital insertion and primary mission[43]	Success
29 December 2008	12 January 2005		Deep Impact (EPOXI)	Earth flyby[44]	Success
14 January 2009	27 February 1999		Stardust	Earth flyby, gravity assist to 9P/Tempel[39]	Success
18 February 2009	27 September 2007		Dawn	Mars flyby, gravity assist to 4 Vesta[45]	Success
29 June 2009	12 January 2005		Deep Impact (EPOXI)	Earth flyby (distant)[46]	Success
29 September 2009	3 August 2004		MESSENGER	Mercury flyby, sixth and final gravity assist before orbital insertion and primary mission[43]	Success
13 November 2009	2 March 2004		Rosetta	Earth flyby, last of four gravity assists to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko[42]	Success
28 December 2009	12 January 2005		Deep Impact (EPOXI)	Earth flyby (distant)[46]	Success
27 June 2010	12 January 2005		Deep Impact (EPOXI)	Earth flyby[44]	Success
6 December 2010	20 May 2010		Akatsuki	Venus flyby (inadvertent; was intended to be orbit insertion; later successfully inserted into orbit in 2015)[47]	Failure
8 December 2010	20 May 2010		IKAROS	Venus flyby, probe was a technological demonstrator that launched with Akatsuki[48]	Success
9 October 2013	5 August 2011		Juno	Earth flyby, gravity assist to Jupiter[49]	Success
14 July 2015	19 January 2006		New Horizons	First and only Pluto/Charon flyby[Note 1][50]	Success
3 December 2015	3 December 2014		Hayabusa2	Earth flyby, gravity assist to 162173 Ryugu[51]	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 [52][53]	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
March 1 2025	14 October 2024		Europa Clipper	Mars flyby	Success
March 2025	7 October 2024		Hera	Mars flyby	Success
August 2025	14 April 2023		JUICE	Venus flyby	Planned
May 2026	13 October 2023		Psyche	Mars flyby	Planned
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

• 
  The Galileo flybys featured both purely gravitational assists and scientific experiments.

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

1. The International Astronomical Union classifies Charon as a moon. See Charon (moon)#Classification for details.