The first planet to receive a space probe was Venus , where Mariner 2 arrived in 1962.
Space probe is the name given to artificial devices that are sent into space in order to obtain information linked to comets , asteroids , satellites and planets , among other celestial bodies or astronomical objects.
To support these essential structures for scientific research, instruments (among them, high-resolution cameras ) are used to obtain visual records; energy sources (such as solar panels , a radioisotope thermoelectric generator or a battery ) and equipment that guarantees communication with the Earth and data transmission (basically, antennas ). Thermal protection equipment is also used to protect the probe , engines for space propulsion and fuel.
As it is useful and interesting to learn about the variety, scope, value and technology of this type of devices, in the following paragraphs we will share details about space missions and probes .
Types of space probe
As several types of space probes have been developed, it is necessary to know the particularities of each one in order to be able to differentiate them.
Those that manage to cross the solar system and conquer the interstellar medium or manage, within a certain galaxy , to successfully complete an interstellar trip are called interstellar probes .
It should be noted that decades ago, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) launched Voyager 1 , a probe that is still operational and has made history by being the human creation that has gone the furthest after leaving the solar system . Within the framework of a program named Mariner, Voyager 2 was put into operation, a twin space probe that, in this case, deviated from its original trajectory when encountering Saturn , achieving a more significant gravitational impulse on its itinerary towards Neptune and Uranus .
At the beginning of 2006 , with the intention of closely analyzing Pluto and the Kuiper belt , on the other hand, NASA began an unmanned mission presented under the name New Horizons . Thanks to this probe, surprising evidence is being gathered, indicating that the aforementioned Kuiper belt (which has similarities with the asteroid belt but exceeds it in size) would be much more immense than expected.
To date, as can be seen when reviewing the files, the missions of, for example, Pioneer 10 (a probe of American origin that reached Jupiter and was the first to cross the orbit corresponding to Neptune ) and Pioneer 11 have been inactive. (device that flew over Jupiter , was used to photograph Saturn , provided information about the solar wind , etc.).
Beyond focusing on different space probes, it is appropriate to keep in mind the orbiters (space shuttle structure that is located in orbit around the Earth and is capable of containing a crew of up to a dozen members) and the rovers . (vehicles that enable robotic exploration in territories like Mars ). Impossible, at this point, to ignore the news of the Mars Rover Perseverance , which, in Martian territory, has collected samples of utmost relevance for scientists.
In February 2021, NASA's Perseverance rover made its landing on Mars.
Events and discoveries
In recent decades there have been significant events and valuable discoveries that are linked to multiple space probes .
Recently, to cite a specific case, an amazing and close image of the sun's corona has been achieved thanks to the Solar Orbiter probe , while the Mars Express probe has managed to capture images of large ice storages in an area of Mars named Medusae Fossae .
Captures from the Juno probe , however, have made it possible to visualize the volcanic activity of Io , as defined by Jupiter's moon , which stands out for being the most inhospitable within the solar system .
Remembering other space probes
In addition to the space probes mentioned above, there are others that, for different reasons, deserve recognition. When remembering other missions and probes, the history of the Cassini-Huygens plan, born from the collaboration between NASA , the ASI (Italian Space Agency) and the ESA (European Space Agency), regains notoriety. This probe was conceived with the intention of gathering information about Saturn and gathering material for the study of Titan's atmosphere , but the fuel ran out and, in 2017, it was decided to destroy the ship.
Using the Chang'e 5 probe, a group of scientists from China confirmed the discovery of water on the moon.
The Juno space probe , for its part, was reserved for the exploration of Jupiter with the aim of deepening and expanding knowledge related to the origin, composition, evolution and distinctive features of that planet. In 1989 there was also a space mission (known as Galileo ) that emphasized Jupiter .
To promote research into the composition of comets , the Rosetta space probe was also launched in 2004 . The device, intended to orbit a comet identified as 67P/Churymov-Gerasimenko , was equipped and complemented with a lander called Philae , a drill and spectrometers .