Chronology of Artificial Satellites and Space Probes
| 1957 | Sputnik I is launched, first orbiting satellite. |
| 1962 | Mariner 2 is the first mission to Venus. |
| 1965 | Mariner 4 sends the first clear pictures of Mars. |
| 1966 | Luna 10 becomes the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon. |
| 1967 | Venera 4 sends the first data from below the clouds of Venus. |
| 1967 | The OSO-3 gamma-ray satellite discovers gamma-ray emission from the plane of the Milky Way. |
| 1970 | Launch of Uhuru, first dedicated X-ray satellite. |
| 1972 | Launch of the Copernicus ultraviolet satellite. |
| 1974 | Mariner 10 passes by and photographs Mercury. |
| 1974 | Launch of the Ariel V X-ray satellite. |
| 1975 | Venera 9 returns the first pictures of the surface of Venus. |
| 1976 | Viking I and Viking II land on Mars. |
| 1976 | The Vela and ANS X-ray satellites discover X-ray bursts. |
| 1976 | The OSO-8 X-ray satellite shows that X-ray bursts have blackbody spectra. |
| 1977 | Launch of the HEAO-1 X-ray satellite. |
| 1978 | Launch of the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite. |
| 1978 | Launch of the Einstein X-ray satellite (HEAO-2), first X-ray photographs of astronomical objects. |
| 1979 | Launch of the Hakucho X-ray satellite (ASTRO-A). |
| 1979 | Launch of the Ariel VI cosmic-ray and X-ray satellite. |
| 1979 | Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 send back images of Jupiter and its system. |
| 1980 | Voyager 1 sends back images of Saturn and its system. |
| 1980 | Launch of the Solar Maximum Mission satellite. |
| 1981 | Voyager 2 sends back images of Saturn and its system. |
| 1983 | Launch of the EXOSAT X-ray satellite. |
| 1983 | Launch of the Tenma X-ray satellite (ASTRO-B). |
| 1983 | Launch of the IRAS satellite. |
| 1986 | Voyager 2 sends back images of Uranus and its system. |
| 1987 | Launch of the Ginga X-ray satellite (ASTRO-C). |
| 1989 | Voyager 2 sends back images of Neptune and its system. |
| 1989 | Launch of the Granat gamma-ray and X-ray satellite. |
| 1989 | Launch of the Hipparcos satellite. |
| 1989 | Launch of the COBE satellite. |
| 1990 | Launch of the Hubble Space Telescope. |
| 1990 | Launch of the ROSAT X-ray satellite, first imaging X-ray sky survey. |
| 1990 | First observations made with Astro-1 (BBXRT, HUT, UIT, WUPPE). |
| 1991 | Launch of the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory satellite. |
| 1993 | Launch of the Asca X-ray satellite (ASTRO-D). |