Welcome to Deep Space Probes!

Do you remember names like Pioneer, Explorer, Mariner, Venera, Luna, Ranger, Voyager, Zond, or Surveyor? Many of the early probes launched by the United States and the former Soviet Union have borne these names.

Soon after the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1 on 4 October 1957, both the former Soviet Union and the United States began to launch a flurry of probes to the Moon, Mars, and Venus.

These pages attempt to chronicle the unmanned probes which have been launched into deep space, from the early Pioneers to the Mars Rovers.

So, just what is a space probe, anyway? A space probe is an un-piloted spacecraft that is used to make observations and send information back to Earth regarding these observed objects. While many satellites are also space probes, these pages are dedicated to the deep space probes, those which have escaped Earth's gravity. These probes carry sophisticated equipment, such as infrared sensors (to measure the temperature of an object), radars (to see planetary surfaces through clouds), ultraviolet sensors (to analyze atmospheric conditions), magnetometers (to measure magnetic fields), soil analyzers, spectrometers, and sensors to study wind velocities, or chemical compositions. They are various cameras, navigation, and communications systems. There also has to be a power supply and protection against heat, cold, and cosmic radiation. Exactly what equipment is on any deep space probe, of course, depends upon it's mission.

Credit: Images of the sun, planets, and moons contained within these pages are from NASA.

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Sometimes a question will pop into the mind. The answer may not have an iota of importance, but the soul will not rest until an answer is found. Here is such a question:
Have any states not had a battleship named after them?

Ever seen bad science? Here is an example of really bad science! The Fifth Dimension/Multi-Universe Hypothesis.

Would you like to actually read the entire bible, but find the task too daunting? Here is a daily schedule that allows you to systematically read through the entire bible in the course of a year.

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This page was last updated on 08-Mar-2009.

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About the background: This is an image of the surface of Europa as taken by Galilio.