
Robotic probes are unpiloted, unmanned devices that explore space and gather scientific information. They can work automatically or by remote control. Probes are cheaper to build than crewed spacecraft and can make trips that would be too long or too dangerous for humans.
Here are some things to consider when buying a robotic probe:
- Autonomous navigation: Modern robotic probes can make real-time decisions and adapt to unexpected challenges.
- Cost of support: Some manufacturers use support as a profit center.
Some examples of robotic probes include:
- Mariner 2: The first successful interplanetary spacecraft, which flew by Venus in 1962.
- Luna series: A Soviet probe series.
- Ranger space probes: A US probe that prepared the way for the Apollo project crewed flights.
- Surveyor: A US probe that prepared the way for the Apollo project crewed flights.
- Lunar Orbiter: A US probe that prepared the way for the Apollo project crewed flights.
A probe is a spacecraft that explores an object by entering it.A rover is a vehicle that moves around the surface of a planet or other celestial body. Rovers can take pictures, examine samples, and send data back to Earth.
A probe can have different parts, including:
- Flyby: Flies by an astronomical body
- Orbiter: Orbits an astronomical body
- Lander: Descends to the surface of an astronomical body
- Rover: Moves on the solid surface of an astronomical body
A robotic spacecraft is a spacecraft without people on board. They are also known as uncrewed spacecraft. Robotic spacecraft can be remote controlled, remote guided, or autonomous. They can have a pre-programmed list of operations to execute.
Robotic spacecraft are designed to function in hostile environments. They have a variety of purposes, including:
- Scientific experiments
- External vehicular activities
- Space exploration
- Lengthy travel to other planets
- Repetitive measurements
Some examples of robotic spacecraft include:
- Orbiters
- Landers
- Rovers
- Spacecraft that explore other worlds
The first robot ever sent to space was Sputnik 1, which was sent by the USSR on October 4, 1957
Here are some examples of rovers:
- Sojourner: Landed on Mars in 1997
- Spirit: Landed on Mars in 2004 and was active until 2010
- Opportunity: Landed on Mars in 2004 and was active until 2018
- Curiosity: Landed in 2012 and is currently on Mars
- Perseverance: Landed in 2021 and is currently on Mars
- Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicles: Used by astronauts to explore the moon
- Mars Pathfinder: Landed on Mars in 1997
The Mars Exploration Rovers were designed to help scientists determine if water ever existed on Mars and if the planet could have supported life.
Rovers are semi-autonomous and can be steered from Earth. They can take pictures, analyze soil, and collect samples
The first spacecraft to orbit another planet was Mariner 9, which launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on May 30, 1971. It entered orbit around Mars a little over five months later. The Mariner 9 mission mapped the surface of Mars, including the volcanoes, polar caps, and the satellites Phobos and Deimos.
The first spacecraft to land on another planet was Venera 7, which landed on Venus on December 15, 1970. It was also the first spacecraft to transmit data from another planet back to Earth.
Here are some other early probes:
- Mariner 2 The first successful interplanetary spacecraft, which flew by Venus on December 14, 1962
- Venera 4 The first successful probe to conduct an atmospheric in-situ analysis of another planet, on October 18, 1967
- Venera 3 The first spacecraft launched with the objective of landing on another planet, on November 16, 1965
Yes, we have landed probes on other planets. The first successful soft landing on another planet was on December 2, 1971, when the Soviet Union’s Mars 3 made it to the surface. The United States has also landed spacecraft on the surface of Mars.
Here are some other planets that have been landed on:
- Venus: Several Soviet landers have landed on Venus. However, the landers were only able to send information for a short time because of the high temperature and pressure on the surface.
- Moon: Several Soviet and U.S. robotic spacecraft have landed on the Moon.
Some other planets that have been visited include: Jupiter, Saturn, A comet, Several asteroids, Pluto.
Landing on another planet is technically challenging and many attempted landings have failed.
Humans have landed probes on the following planets and moons:
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Luna, Titan.
Humans have also landed probes on asteroids and comets: Eros, Itokawa, Tempel 1, Churyumov–Gerasimenko.
Some of the probes that have landed on these planets and moons include:
- Vega 1 and Vega 2: Deployed balloons into Venus’ atmosphere to measure temperature, pressure, wind velocity, and visibility
- Venera 15 and Venera 16: Created a radar map of Venus
- Voyager 1 and Voyager 2: Visited Jupiter in 1979 to study its moons and ring system
- Ulysses: Studied Jupiter’s magnetosphere in 1992 and 2004
Spacecraft have explored the solar system and visited every major planet. They have also:
- Flown by Kuiper belt objects
- Flown by the nuclei of comets, including Halley’s Comet
- Visited the outer planets
- Discovered thousands of planets around other stars
The only astronomical object to have direct human presence is the Moon. This happened during the Apollo missions between 1968 and 1972. The first orbit of the Moon was by Apollo 8 in 1968, and the first landing was by Apollo 11 in 1969.
Some other important space missions include:
- Vostok I: The first man in space
- Vostok 6: The first woman in space
- Mariner 4: The first image of another planet
- Apollo 11: The first man on the Moon
- Venera 7: The first landing on another planet
- Apollo 13: A daring rescue
- Voyager 1: A mission to interstellar space
Robotic probes have played a pivotal role in exploring our neighboring planets. From the Martian landscapes captured by rovers like Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity, to the gas giants studied by probes like Juno and Cassini, these machines have expanded our understanding of the diversity within our solar system.
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