Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
List of heliophysics missions
open-in-new
<h2 id="past-and-current-missions">Past and current missions</h2> <table><tbody><tr><th>Spacecraft</th><th>Launch date</th><th>Operator</th><th>Orbit</th><th>Outcome</th><th>Remarks</th><th>Carrier rocket</th></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Explorer_10/ShvupEqy">Explorer 10</a></td><td>25 March 1961</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Deorbited 1 June 1968</td><td>Thor DM-19 Delta</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/OSO_1/WEmJHVSK">OSO 1</a> (OSO A)</td><td>7 March 1962</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Deorbited 7 October 1981</td><td>Thor-Delta</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Ariel_1/VouUQSSM">Ariel 1</a></td><td>26 April 1962</td><td><a href="/facts/Science_and_Engineering_Research_Council/LkjUJeFS">SERC</a>/<a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Deorbited 24 May 1976</td><td>Thor DM-19 Delta</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Orbiting_Geophysical_Observatory/oXlxwWyd">Orbiting Geophysical Observatory</a> (OGO)</td><td>4 September 1964</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>various geocentric</td><td>Success (mostly)</td><td>6 satellites, last deorbited 29 August 2020</td><td>Atlas Agena, Thor Agena</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/OSO_2/WEmJHVSK">OSO 2</a> (OSO B2)</td><td>3 February 1965</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Deorbited 8 August 1989</td><td>Thor-Delta</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/OSO_3/dbCP9C3N">OSO 3</a> (OSO E1)</td><td>8 March 1967</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Observed solar flares from the Sun, as well as a flare from Scorpius X-1; Deorbited 4 April 1982</td><td>Thor-Delta</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/OSO_4/WEmJHVSK">OSO 4</a> (OSO D)</td><td>18 October 1967</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Deorbited 14 June 1982</td><td>Thor-Delta</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/OSO_5/WEmJHVSK">OSO 5</a> (OSO F)</td><td>22 January 1969</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Measured diffuse background X-ray radiation from 14-200 keV; Deorbited 2 April 1984</td><td>Thor-Delta</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/OSO_6/WEmJHVSK">OSO 6</a> (OSO G)</td><td>9 August 1969</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Observed three instances of hard X-ray coincidences with gamma ray bursts; Deorbited 7 March 1981</td><td>Thor-Delta</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/OSO_7/xbamIKD5">OSO 7</a> (OSO H)</td><td>29 September 1971</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Observed solar flares in the gamma ray spectrum; Collected data allowed for identification of Vela X-1 as a High-mass X-ray binary; Deorbited 8 July 1974</td><td>Thor-Delta</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Prognoz_programme/G7IvN9IW">Prognoz 1</a></td><td>14 April 1972</td><td><a href="/facts/USSR/m7wWsPto">USSR</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Study Solar activity</td><td>Soyuz</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Prognoz_programme/G7IvN9IW">Prognoz 2</a></td><td>29 June 1972</td><td><a href="/facts/USSR/m7wWsPto">USSR</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Study Solar activity</td><td>Soyuz</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Skylab/h7v9LWKE">Skylab</a> and the <a href="/facts/Apollo_Telescope_Mount/47TjNPP9">Apollo Telescope Mount</a></td><td>14 May 1973</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Deorbited 11 July 1979</td><td>Saturn INT-21</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Prognoz_programme/G7IvN9IW">Prognoz 3</a></td><td>15 February 1973</td><td><a href="/facts/USSR/m7wWsPto">USSR</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Study Solar activity</td><td>Soyuz</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Explorer_50/8SekSyJI">Explorer 50</a> (IMP-8)</td><td>26 October 1973</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>high Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Contact lost 7 October 2006</td><td>Delta (1913)</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Helios_(spacecraft)/YLITe6r1">Helios</a></td><td>10 December 1974</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a> / <a href="/facts/German_Aerospace_Center/nIeKtKqd">DFVLR</a></td><td>heliocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>2 spacecraft, last contact 10 Feb 1986</td><td>Titan IIIE/Star-37</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Solar_Radiation_and_Thermospheric_Satellite/wMLodQDv">Taiyo</a> (Solar Radiation and Thermospheric Satellite/Shinsei-3)</td><td>24 February 1975</td><td><a href="/facts/ISAS/jgX6f2J9">ISAS</a></td><td>elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Solar X-ray, UV radiation, and ionosphere studies; Deorbited 29 June 1980</td><td>M-3C</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/OSO_8/WEmJHVSK">OSO 8</a> (OSO I)</td><td>21 June 1975</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Found an iron emission line in the X-ray spectrum of a galaxy cluster; Deorbited 8 July 1986</td><td>Thor-Delta</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Prognoz_programme/G7IvN9IW">Prognoz 4</a></td><td>22 December 1975</td><td><a href="/facts/USSR/m7wWsPto">USSR</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Study Solar radiation and Plasma, and Earth's magnetosphere</td><td>Soyuz</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Prognoz_programme/G7IvN9IW">Prognoz 6</a></td><td>22 September 1977</td><td><a href="/facts/USSR/m7wWsPto">USSR</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Study Solar radiation and Plasma, and Earth's magnetosphere</td><td>Soyuz</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/ISEE-1/HXPt6Cqv">ISEE-1</a></td><td>22 October 1977</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>high Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Deorbited 26 September 1987</td><td>Thor-Delta 2914</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/ISEE-2/1S0uaSvm">ISEE-2</a></td><td>22 October 1977</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>high Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Deorbited 26 September 1987</td><td>Thor-Delta 2914</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Prognoz_programme/G7IvN9IW">Prognoz 7</a></td><td>30 October 1978</td><td><a href="/facts/USSR/m7wWsPto">USSR</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Study Solar radiation and Plasma, Earth's magnetosphere, UV, X-ray and Gamma ray astronomy; Carried Czechoslovakian, French, Hungarian and Swedish experiments</td><td>Soyuz</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Voyager_program/cPm6qnNx">Voyager</a></td><td>5 September 1977</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>heliocentric to galactocentric</td><td>Operational</td><td>2 spacecraft, both still in operation</td><td>Titan IIIE Centaur</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/International_Cometary_Explorer/wsMu1Wbd">International Cometary Explorer</a> (ICE/ISEE-3)</td><td>12 August 1978</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>Earth-Sun L1 halo to heliocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Contact lost 16 September 2014</td><td>Thor-Delta 2914</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Prognoz_programme/G7IvN9IW">Prognoz 8</a></td><td>25 December 1980</td><td><a href="/facts/USSR/m7wWsPto">USSR</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Study Solar radiation and Plasma, and Earth's magnetosphere; Carried Czechoslovakian, Polish and Swedish experiments</td><td>Soyuz</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/International_Cometary_Explorer/wsMu1Wbd">International Cometary Explorer</a> (ICE)</td><td>12 August 1978</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>Earth-Sun L1 halo to heliocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Contact lost 16 September 2014</td><td>Delta 2914</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Solar_Maximum_Mission/eRSLarJc">Solar Maximum Mission</a> (SMM)</td><td>14 February 1980</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Deorbited 2 December 1989</td><td>Delta 3910</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Prognoz_9/XJRpLenY">Prognoz 9</a></td><td>1 July 1983</td><td><a href="/facts/USSR/m7wWsPto">USSR</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Study Solar and cosmic radiation, Solar Plasma, Earth's magnetosphere and Gamma rays; Carried Czechoslovakian and French experiments</td><td>Soyuz</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Prognoz_programme/G7IvN9IW">Prognoz 10</a> (Intershock)</td><td>26 April 1985</td><td><a href="/facts/USSR/m7wWsPto">USSR</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Study Solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere; Intercosmos 23; Carried Czechoslovakian experiments</td><td>Soyuz</td></tr><tr><td><i><a href="/facts/Ulysses_(spacecraft)/0nEMdFvj">Ulysses</a></i></td><td>6 October 1990</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a>/<a href="/facts/ESA/L8YRNV0C">ESA</a></td><td>high-inclination heliocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Decommissioned 30 June 2009</td><td>Space Shuttle Discovery</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Yohkoh/GLI4DT09">Yohkoh</a> (Solar-A)</td><td>30 August 1991</td><td><a href="/facts/Institute_of_Space_and_Astronautical_Science/qYEDPVWN">ISAS</a> / <a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a> / <a href="/facts/PPARC/REbgC1vl">PPARC</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Deorbited 12 September 2005</td><td>Mu-3S-II</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Geotail/fKLB8fta">Geotail</a></td><td>24 July 1992</td><td><a href="/facts/Institute_of_Space_and_Astronautical_Science/qYEDPVWN">ISAS</a>/<a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>high Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Deactivated 28 November 2022.</td><td>Delta II 6925</td></tr><tr><td>Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer (<a href="/facts/SAMPEX/800Pw8sY">SAMPEX</a>)</td><td>3 July 1992</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a>/<a href="/facts/Max_Planck_Institute_for_Extraterrestrial_Physics/WjJjmpg4">MPE</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Deorbited 13 November 2012</td><td>Scout G-1</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/WIND_(spacecraft)/4zulP4LK">WIND</a></td><td>1 November 1994</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>Earth-Sun L1 halo</td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td>Delta II (7925–10)</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/CORONAS-I/TlT2Beg1">CORONAS-I</a></td><td>1994</td><td><a href="/facts/Russia/jfkCwyxn">Russia</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>12 instruments</td><td>(launcher not specified)</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Prognoz_programme/G7IvN9IW">Prognoz 11</a> (Interball Tail Probe)</td><td>2 August 1995</td><td><a href="/facts/Russia/jfkCwyxn">Russia</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Study Solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere</td><td>Molniya</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Solar_and_Heliospheric_Observatory/vxkoDFAh">Solar and Heliospheric Observatory</a> (SOHO)</td><td>2 December 1995</td><td><a href="/facts/ESA/L8YRNV0C">ESA</a>/<a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>Earth-Sun L1 halo</td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td>Atlas IIAS</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Prognoz_programme/G7IvN9IW">Prognoz 12</a> (Interball Auroral Probe)</td><td>29 August 1996</td><td><a href="/facts/Russia/jfkCwyxn">Russia</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Study aurora</td><td>Molniya</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Polar_(satellite)/kfz0vBVx">Polar</a></td><td>24 February 1996</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>Decommissioned 28 April 2008</td><td>Delta II 7925-10</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Cluster_(spacecraft)/5gT3oNg9">Cluster</a></td><td>4 June 1996</td><td><a href="/facts/ESA/L8YRNV0C">ESA</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Failure at launch</td><td>4 spacecraft</td><td>Ariane 5G</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Fast_Auroral_Snapshot_Explorer/gWkgGtk7">Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer</a> (FAST)</td><td>21 August 1996</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Decommissioned 4 May 2009</td><td>Pegasus-XL</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Advanced_Composition_Explorer/LyrvNMgF">Advanced Composition Explorer</a> (ACE)</td><td>25 August 1997</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>Earth-Sun L1 Lissajous</td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td>Delta II 7920-8</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/STS-87/1YFcAPAo">Spartan 201</a> (STS-87)</td><td>19 November 1997</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Failure during deployment</td><td>Landed 5 December 1997</td><td>Space Shuttle Columbia</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Equator-S/o9LF2Lrg">Equator-S</a></td><td>2 December 1997</td><td><a href="/facts/International_Solar-Terrestrial_Physics_Science_Initiative/boSypbqc">ISTP</a>/<a href="/facts/Max_Planck_Institute_for_Extraterrestrial_Physics/WjJjmpg4">MPE</a></td><td>geosynchronous transfer</td><td>Partial success(terminated early)</td><td>Contact lost 1 May 1998</td><td>Ariane 4 (44P)</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Transition_Region_and_Coronal_Explorer/MJNj287c">Transition Region and Coronal Explorer</a> (TRACE)</td><td>1 April 1998</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth (Sun-synchronous)</td><td>Success</td><td>Decommissioned 21 June 2010</td><td>Pegasus-XL</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Student_Nitric_Oxide_Explorer/xlxXgmUz">Student Nitric Oxide Explorer</a> (SNOE)</td><td>26 February 1998</td><td><a href="/facts/Laboratory_for_Atmospheric_and_Space_Physics/kQahawcE">LASP</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Deorbited 13 December 2003</td><td>Pegasus-XL</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Active_Cavity_Radiometer_Irradiance_Monitor_Satellite/6vB12u6I">Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor Satellite</a> (ACRIMSAT)</td><td>20 December 1999</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth (Sun-synchronous)</td><td>Success</td><td>Contact lost 14 December 2013</td><td>Taurus 2110</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/IMAGE_(spacecraft)/fY9DudpT">IMAGE</a></td><td>25 March 2000</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>high Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Contact lost 18 December 2005</td><td>Delta II 7326-9.5</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Cluster_II_(spacecraft)/GIHFl7RI">Cluster II</a></td><td>16 July 2000</td><td><a href="/facts/ESA/L8YRNV0C">ESA</a></td><td>high Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>4 Spacecraft, replaced the original <a href="/facts/Cluster_(spacecraft)/5gT3oNg9">Cluster</a> mission that failed on launch.</td><td>Soyuz-U/Fregat</td></tr><tr><td>Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (<a href="/facts/TIMED/6KI07G33">TIMED</a>)</td><td>7 December 2001</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td>Delta II 7920-10</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/CORONAS-F/TlT2Beg1">CORONAS-F</a></td><td>31 July 2001</td><td><a href="/facts/Russia/jfkCwyxn">Russia</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>16 instruments, worked until 2005</td><td>(launcher not specified)</td></tr><tr><td>Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscope Imager (<a href="/facts/RHESSI/AHpjvyzW">RHESSI</a>)</td><td>5 February 2002</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Decommissioned 16 August 2018 Deorbited 2023</td><td>Pegasus-XL</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Solar_Radiation_and_Climate_Experiment/YFct11Hw">Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment</a> (SORCE)</td><td>25 January 2003</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a>/<a href="/facts/Laboratory_for_Atmospheric_and_Space_Physics/kQahawcE">LASP</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Decommissioned 25 February 2020</td><td>Pegasus-XL</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Double_Star_(satellite)/vlyJ1rMT">Double Star</a></td><td>29 December 2003</td><td><a href="/facts/CNSA/q3s4bGYt">CNSA</a>/<a href="/facts/ESA/L8YRNV0C">ESA</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Operational</td><td>2 spacecraft, one was deorbited 14 October 2007 the other remains in orbit</td><td>Long March 2C</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/PAMELA_detector/4NP0zrff">PAMELA detector</a> (located on <a href="/facts/Resurs-DK_No.1/McSQaQF3">Resurs-DK No.1</a>)</td><td>15 June 2006</td><td>PAMELA group</td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Decommissioned 7 February 2016</td><td>Soyuz-U</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/TWINS/4su16Yca">TWINS</a> A & B (located on <a href="/facts/USA-184/3xLzdLhL">USA-184</a> and <a href="/facts/USA-200/jqS3FY4K">USA-200</a>)</td><td>28 June 2006</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric (Molniya)</td><td>Success</td><td>2 hosted payloads, decommissioned 2020</td><td>Delta IV-M+(4,2), Atlas V 411</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Hinode_(satellite)/krIXA7rT">Hinode</a> (Solar-B)</td><td>23 September 2006</td><td><a href="/facts/Japan_Aerospace_Exploration_Agency/ofUpflgf">JAXA</a> / <a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a> / <a href="/facts/Particle_Physics_and_Astronomy_Research_Council/REbgC1vl">PPARC</a></td><td>low Earth (Sun-synchronous)</td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td>M-V</td></tr><tr><td>Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (<a href="/facts/STEREO/mFp93LMe">STEREO</a>)</td><td>25 October 2006</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>heliocentric</td><td>Operational</td><td>2 spacecraft, 1 still operational</td><td>Delta II 7925</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/CORONAS-Photon/U1t5VIyt">CORONAS-Photon</a></td><td>30 January 2009</td><td><a href="/facts/Russia/jfkCwyxn">Russia</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Failure</td><td>11 instruments, failed after 10 months due to power supply problems</td><td>Tsyklon-3</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Space_Technology_5/Hlg6BtKs">Space Technology 5</a> (ST5)</td><td>22 March 2006</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth (Sun-synchronous)</td><td>Success</td><td>3 spacecraft, decommissioned 30 June 2006</td><td>Pegasus-XL</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Aeronomy_of_Ice_in_the_Mesosphere/4cyr0M0a">Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere</a> (AIM)</td><td>25 April 2007</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth (Sun-synchronous)</td><td>Success</td><td></td><td>Pegasus-XL</td></tr><tr><td>Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (<a href="/facts/THEMIS/QwdUVP61">THEMIS</a>)</td><td>17 February 2007</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>various</td><td>Operational</td><td>5 spacecraft</td><td>Delta II 7925-10C</td></tr><tr><td>Coupled Ion-Neutral Dynamics Investigations (<a href="/facts/CINDI/GRAS1Xl4">CINDI</a>)</td><td>16 April 2008</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Deorbited 28 November 2015</td><td>Pegasus-XL</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/IBEX/BruTvy7H">IBEX</a></td><td>19 October 2008</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>high Earth</td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td>Pegasus-XL/Star-27</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Solar_Dynamics_Observatory/2vgpPzEt">Solar Dynamics Observatory</a> (SDO)</td><td>11 February 2010</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>geosynchronous</td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td>Atlas V 401</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Van_Allen_Probes/hxLUcaJ8">Van Allen Probes</a>formerly Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP)</td><td>30 August 2012</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Success</td><td>2 spacecraft, decommissioned 2019</td><td>Atlas V 401</td></tr><tr><td>Balloon Array for Radiation-belt Relativistic Electron Losses (<a href="/facts/BARREL/ESCAffFw">BARREL</a>)</td><td>January 2013</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>atmospheric</td><td>Success</td><td>total of 63 flights, last launched 30 August 2016</td><td>high-altitude balloons</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Interface_Region_Imaging_Spectrograph/VDc6T8k4">Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph</a> (IRIS)</td><td>27 June 2013</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth (Sun-synchronous)</td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td>Pegasus-XL</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Swarm_(spacecraft)/KJSklbbX">Swarm</a></td><td>22 November 2013</td><td><a href="/facts/ESA/L8YRNV0C">ESA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Operational</td><td>3 spacecraft</td><td>Rokot / Briz-KM</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Deep_Space_Climate_Observatory/8LLmY8X1">Deep Space Climate Observatory</a> (DSCOVR)</td><td>11 February 2015</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a>/<a href="/facts/NOAA/IvcuqNJg">NOAA</a></td><td>Earth-Sun L1 Lissajous</td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td>Falcon 9 v1.1</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Magnetospheric_Multiscale_Mission/uUARG0CG">Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission</a> (MMS)</td><td>13 March 2015</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>highly elliptical geocentric</td><td>Operational</td><td>4 spacecraft</td><td>Atlas V 421</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Global-scale_Observations_of_the_Limb_and_Disk/SYsQ4ozj">Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk</a> (GOLD) (aboard <a href="/facts/SES-14/2elPwMzG">SES-14</a>)</td><td>26 January 2018</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>geosynchronous</td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td>Ariane 5 ECA</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Parker_Solar_Probe/MDCAJsnl">Parker Solar Probe</a>formerly Solar Probe Plus</td><td>12 August 2018</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>heliocentric</td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td>Delta IV Heavy</td></tr><tr><td>Space Environment Testbeds (on <a href="/facts/Demonstration_and_Science_Experiments/wamzwGwD">DSX</a>)</td><td>25 June 2019</td><td><a href="/facts/AFRL/QGBMMKKa">AFRL</a></td><td>medium Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Decommissioned 31 May 2021</td><td>Falcon Heavy</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Ionospheric_Connection_Explorer/JPRmq2KE">Ionospheric Connection Explorer</a> (ICON)</td><td>11 October 2019</td><td><a href="/facts/Space_Sciences_Laboratory/9w4ftAa6">SSL</a>/<a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Success</td><td>Contact lost November 2022</td><td>Pegasus-XL</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Solar_Orbiter/CQJEtpI0">Solar Orbiter</a></td><td>10 February 2020</td><td><a href="/facts/ESA/L8YRNV0C">ESA</a>/<a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>24°-inclination heliocentric</td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td>Atlas V 411</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Aditya-L1/Vf3EwQQ0">Aditya-L1</a></td><td>2 September 2023</td><td><a href="/facts/ISRO/CdAoFQTL">ISRO</a></td><td>Earth-Sun L1 Halo</td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td>PSLV-XL(C57)</td></tr><tr><td>CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment (CURIE)</td><td>9 July 2024</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>low Earth</td><td>Operational</td><td>2 spacecraft</td><td>Ariane 6</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/PROBA-3/uEyFWydL">PROBA-3</a></td><td>5 December 2024</td><td><a href="/facts/ESA/L8YRNV0C">ESA</a></td><td>Highly elliptical orbit</td><td>Success</td><td>2 spacecraft</td><td><a href="/facts/PSLV-XL/KantsJM7">PSLV-XL</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Polarimeter_to_Unify_the_Corona_and_Heliosphere/ouEkMHl2">PUNCH</a></td><td>11 March 2025</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>Sun-synchronous orbit</td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Falcon_9_Block_5/0QqsLwWb">Falcon 9</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Electrojet_Zeeman_Imaging_Explorer/0556XEb4">EZIE</a></td><td>14 March 2025</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td></td><td>Operational</td><td></td><td>Falcon 9</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="proposed-missions">Proposed missions</h2> <table><tbody><tr><th>Spacecraft</th><th>Launch date</th><th>Operator</th><th>Orbit</th><th>Outcome</th><th>Remarks</th><th>Carrier rocket</th></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Sun_Radio_Interferometer_Space_Experiment/oQRvWQCs">SunRISE</a></td><td>2024[<i>needs update</i>]</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td>supersynchronous geosynchronous Earth orbit</td><td>Planned</td><td>6 CubeSats<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Tandem_Reconnection_and_Cusp_Electrodynamics_Reconnaissance_Satellites/kWzsv3J7">TRACERS</a></td><td>April 2025</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td></td><td>Planned</td><td>2 orbiters</td><td><a href="/facts/Falcon_9_Block_5/0QqsLwWb">Falcon 9</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Interstellar_Mapping_and_Acceleration_Probe/LNmXvnvo">Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe</a></td><td>2025</td><td>NASA</td><td>L1 Lagrange point</td><td>Planned</td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/SMILE_(spacecraft)/kTfjYB7N">SMILE</a></td><td>2025</td><td><a href="/facts/ESA/L8YRNV0C">ESA</a>/<a href="/facts/Chinese_Academy_of_Sciences/zzHb3yVm">CAS</a></td><td>Highly elliptical orbit</td><td>Planned</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Vega-C/AuH9mJ32">Vega-C</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Multi-slit_Solar_Explorer/ncXSe60P">MUSE</a></td><td>2027</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td></td><td>Planned</td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/SOLAR-C/mXru5ckj">SOLAR-C</a></td><td>2028</td><td><a href="/facts/JAXA/ofUpflgf">JAXA</a></td><td></td><td>Planned</td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/HelioSwarm/MhoJsq2z">HelioSwarm</a></td><td>2028</td><td><a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a></td><td></td><td>Planned</td><td>nine spacecraft<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Solar_Polar_Orbit_Observatory/8TzQvtvW">Solar Polar Orbit Observatory</a></td><td>2029</td><td><a href="/facts/CNSA/q3s4bGYt">CNSA</a></td><td>heliocentric polar orbiter</td><td>Planned</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/ESA_Vigil/Q3TJy1Nb">Vigil</a></td><td>2031</td><td><a href="/facts/ESA/L8YRNV0C">ESA</a></td><td>Earth-Sun L5 and L1</td><td>Planned</td><td>2 spacecraft</td><td></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Galileo_Solar_Space_Telescope/cL8PVoh6">Galileo Solar Space Telescope</a></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/National_Institute_for_Space_Research/tt694S4M">INPE</a></td><td></td><td>Proposed</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="graphic">Graphic</h2> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/List_of_solar_telescopes/F2lfHHfa">List of solar telescopes</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/missions/index.html">NASA - Heliophysics missions</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Heliophysics Research - NASA Archived 2016-08-28 at the Wayback Machine <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/about-us/smd-programs/heliophysics-research/" target="_blank">https://science.nasa.gov/about-us/smd-programs/heliophysics-research/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"SunRISE - NASA Science". science.nasa.gov. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2024. <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/sunrise/" target="_blank">https://science.nasa.gov/mission/sunrise/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Foust, Jeff (22 December 2024). "NASA delays launch of heliophysics missions". SpaceNews. Retrieved 23 December 2024. <a href="https://spacenews.com/nasa-delays-launch-of-heliophysics-missions/" target="_blank">https://spacenews.com/nasa-delays-launch-of-heliophysics-missions/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"New Sun Missions to Help NASA Better Understand Earth-Sun Environment - NASA". NASA. Retrieved 31 October 2024. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/new-sun-missions-to-help-nasa-better-understand-earth-sun-environment/" target="_blank">https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/new-sun-missions-to-help-nasa-better-understand-earth-sun-environment/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Shimizu, Toshifumi (1 March 2024). "SOLAR-C Project Team launched in JAXA". SOLAR-C. Retrieved 3 March 2024. <a href="https://solar-c.nao.ac.jp/en/news/news20240301.html" target="_blank">https://solar-c.nao.ac.jp/en/news/news20240301.html</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"New Sun Missions to Help NASA Better Understand Earth-Sun Environment - NASA". NASA. Retrieved 31 October 2024. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/new-sun-missions-to-help-nasa-better-understand-earth-sun-environment/" target="_blank">https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/new-sun-missions-to-help-nasa-better-understand-earth-sun-environment/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>