A.Space Probes- a vehicle that carries scientific instruments to planets or other bodies in space.

1) The soviets were first to launch a probe.

B. Planetary exploration with space probes began with missions to the moon

1) Luna 1 (Soviet)- 1st space probes to fly pass the moon

2) Pioneer 4 ( American)- probe to moon 2 months after Luna 1

C. The next targets of exploration were the inner planets: Venus, Mercury, and Mars

1) Venera 9 ( soviet)- 1st probe on Venus 1975

2) Magellan (USA)- probe to Venus 1989- mapped the surface of Venus

3) Viking 1 and Viking 2 (USA)- 1975- probes to Mars to look for signs of life

D. Outer Planet Exploration

1) Pioneer 10 (USA) – to study Jupiter and sample the solar wind- the flow of particles coming from the sun

2) Voyager 2- 1st probe to fly by the 4 gas giant planets

E. Space-probe science has given us information about how planets form and develop, helping us to better understand our own planet Earth