-
First Earth orbiter
Sputnik 1 by Russia -
Period: to
solar exploration
-
First lunar flyby
First lunar flyby by Russia luna 1 -
First lunar impact
First lunar impact Russia -
first images of far side of Moon
first images of far side of Moon
Russia luna 3 -
First manned Earth orbiter
First manned Earth orbiter Vostok 1 russia -
First successful Venus flyby and first successful planetary encounter
First successful Venus flyby and first successful planetary encounter Mariner 2 – 27 August 1962 -
First Mars flyby
Mariner 4 – 28 November 1964 – First Mars flyby -
First Venus impact
Venera 3 – 16 November 1965 – Venus lander (contact lost) – First Venus impact us -
First lunar lander
Luna 9 – 31 January 1966 – First lunar lander -
First lunar flyby and return to Earth
Zond 5 – 15 September 1968 – First lunar flyby and return to Earth -
first near-Earth asteroid flyby, first asteroid orbit
NEAR – 17 February 1996 – Eros orbiter, first near-Earth asteroid flyby, first asteroid orbit and first asteroid -
First Saturn orbiter and first Titan lander
Cassini-Huygens – 15 October 1997 – First Saturn orbiter and first Titan lander -
First solar wind sample return
Genesis – 8 August 2001 – First solar wind sample return -
First comet impact
Deep Impact – 12 January 2005 – First comet impact -
First Pluto/Charon and Kuiper Belt flyby
New Horizons – 19 January 2006 – First Pluto/Charon and Kuiper Belt flyby (expected arrival 14 July 2015)
