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.
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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.
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 | 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 flyby | 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) 2001 CC21 | 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 | Success | |
| 27 November 2021 | 10 February 2020 | Solar Orbiter | Earth flyby | Success | |
| 23 June 2022 | 20 October 2018 | BepiColombo | Mercury flyby | 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 | Success | |
| 24 September 2023 | 8 September 2016 | OSIRIS-REx/ApEx | Earth flyby, gravity assist to 99942 Apophis | Success | |
| May 2026 | 13 October 2023 | Psyche | Mars flyby | Planned |
Gallery
- The Galileo flybys featured both purely gravitational assists and scientific experiments.
