1962    Ranger program: Ranger 3 is launched to study the moon. The space probe later misses the moon by 22,000 miles (35,400 km).

1965    Ranger program: NASA launches Ranger 9 which is the last in a series of unmanned lunar space probes.

1966    Venera 3 Soviet space probe crashes on Venus becoming the first spacecraft to land on another planet's surface.

1966    The Soviet Union launches Luna 10 which later becomes the first space probe to enter orbit around the Moon.

1967    Venera program: Venera 4 is launched (it will become the first space probe to enter another planet's atmosphere and successfully return data).

1973    Mariner program: NASA launches the ''Mariner 10'' toward Mercury. On March 29, 1974, it becomes the first space probe to reach that planet.

2002    NASA's Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of Mars using its thermal emission imaging system.