Planetary Sciences Department -- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
LPL Search

Interplanetary Spacecraft Mission Activities at LPL
1958-2001

This table includes all launched interplanetary (plus lunar and solar) spacecraft with significant U.S involvement, along with launch dates and LPL contributions.

For further information on any of these missions or experiments, see NASA's Chronology of Lunar and Planetary Exploration.

Space and Solar Physics:

Pioneer 1-4; 6-9 (1958-1968)
C. Sonett -- Pioneer 1,2,5 Magnetometer PI, micrometeorite detector, spacecraft project scientist
C. Sonett -- Magnetometer PI, spacecraft project scientist
Explorer 6
C. Sonett -- magnetometer, electron scintillation counter
Helios (1976)
ISEE-3/ICE (International Sun-Earth Explorer, 1978)
Ulysses (1990)
C. Sonett -- IDS (Interdisciplinary Scientist)
R. Jokipii -- IDS
ACE (Advanced Composition Explorer, 1998)
R. Jokipii

The Moon:

Ranger 1-9 (1961-1965)
G. Kuiper -- Chief Investigator (P.I.) of TV Experiment (+ E. Whitaker, R. Strom, W. Hartmann)
Surveyor 1-7 (1966-1968)
G. Kuiper -- Co-I lander imaging
Lunar Orbiter (1966 -1967)
Explorer 33, 35
C. Sonett -- P.I. Explorer lunar orbital magnetometer
Apollo 8-17 (1968-1972)
C. Sonett, R. Strom
Apollo 12, 15, 17
C. Sonett -- P. I. Lunar Surface Magnetometer
Apollo 14, 16
C. Sonett -- Co-I Lunar portable magnetometer
Clementine (1994)
A. McEwen
Lunar Prospector (1998)
A. Binder (former LPL) -- P.I.
L. Hood -- magnetometer

Mercury and Venus:

Mariner 2 (1962)
C. Sonett -- Co-I magnetometer
Mariner 5 (1967)
Mariner 10 (1973)
L. Broadfoot -- P.I. UV spectrometer
R. Strom -- deputy imaging team leader
G. Kuiper -- Co-I imaging team
Pioneer Venus 1 and 2 (1978)
D. Hunten -- IDS on Bus Probe
M. Tomasko -- P.I. Solar Flux Radiometer on Large Probe (+ P. Smith, L. Doose)
S. Bougher -- guest investigator
Venera 2-16 (1965-1983)
Vega 1 and 2 (1984)
B. Smith, S. Larson -- Imaging team
Magellan (1989)
V. Baker -- Imaging Radar (+ G. Komatsu, J. Kargel)

Mars:

Mariner 4, 6, 7 (1964-9)
Mariner 9 (1971)
Viking 1 and 2 (1975)
B. Smith, V. Baker -- Orbital Imaging
A. Binder -- Lander Imaging
Phobos 2 (1988)
Mars Observer (1992)
W. Boynton -- P.I. of GRS
Mars Pathfinder (1996)
P. Smith -- P.I. of IMP (Imager for Mars Pathfinder)
M. Tomasko, L. Doose, R. Singer -- IMP Co-Is (+ many others--see: http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/IMP/imp/team/team.html)
Mars Global Surveyor (1996)
S. Bougher -- aerobraking and accelerometer (+ P. Withers)
A. McEwen -- MOC (Mars Orbital Camera) (+ R. Beyer, P. Lanagan, D. Burr)
Planet B/Nozomi (1998)
S. Bougher and D. Hunten -- Neutral Mass Spectrometer
Mars Climate Orbiter (1998)
S. Bougher -- aerobraking and accelerometer
Mars Polar Lander and Deep Space 2 (DS2) (1999)
P. Smith -- MVACS (Mars Volatiles and Climate Surveyor) -- built SSI/RAC (Surface Stereo Imager and Robotic Arm Camera)
W. Boynton -- MVACS -- built TEGA (Thermal Evolved Gas Analyzer)
D. Kring -- TEGA
R. Lorenz -- DS2 and TEGA
Mars Odyssey (2001)
W. Boynton -- P.I. of GRS (Gamma Ray Spectrometer) (+ many others, see: http://grs.lpl.arizona.edu/team/)
S. Bougher -- Aerobraking team (+ P. Withers)
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2005-present)
A. McEwen -- P.I. of High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) (see http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/)
Phoenix Mars Mission (2007)
P. Smith -- P.I. (see http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/")

Comet and Asteroid Missions:

VEGA 1 and 2 (1984)
B. Smith, S. Larson -- Imaging team
Sakigake and Suisei (1985)
Giotto (1985)
NEAR Shoemaker (1996)
W. Boynton -- XRS/GRS (+ I. Mikheeva, J. Bhangoo, S. Bailey, C. Shinhara, C. Fellows, F. Ciesla)
DS1 (Deep Space 1) (1998)
R. Brown, B. Sandel, D. Britt -- MICAS (Miniature Camera and Spectrometer) (+ A. Rivkin)
Stardust (1999)

Outer Solar System:

Pioneer 10 and 11 (1972-3)
T. Gehrels -- P.I. Imaging Photopolarimeter, also M. Tomasko, R. McMillan
C. Sonett -- Co-I magnetometer
Voyager 1 and 2 (1977)
B. Smith -- P.I. Imaging team
R. Strom, C. Porco, R. Brown -- Imaging Team (+ S. Croft, J. Kargel, A. McEwen, J. Spencer, N. Schneider, and others)
A.L. Broadfoot -- P.I. UVS (Ultraviolet Spectrometer)
S. Shemansky and B. Sandel -- UVS (+ A. Dessler, J. Holberg, R. Yelle, F. Herbert, D Hunten, J. Lunine)
Galileo (1989)
R. Greenberg -- SSI (Solid State Imaging) (+ G. Bart, P. Geissler, G. Hoppa, T. Hurford, D. O'Brian, J. Plassmann, R. Tufts)
A. McEwen -- SSI and IDS (+ W. Jaeger, L. Keszthelyi, M. Milazzo, C. Phillips, J. Plassmann, J. Radebaugh, E. Turtle)
D. Hunten -- IDS (+ S. Engel)
M. Tomasko -- Net Flux Radiometer on probe (+ P. Smith, L. Doose)
B. Sandel and L. Broadfoot -- UVS (part LPL-built)
C. Sonett -- IDS, planning only
Cassini (1997)
J. Lunine -- IDS on Huygens probe; RADAR, VIMS
R. Brown -- P.I. of VIMS (Visual Infrared Mapping Spectrometer) (+ R. McCloskey, D. Moynihan, J. Ivens, D. Lytle, J. Barnes, ...)
M. Tomasko -- P.I. of DISR (Descent Imager and Spectrometer) on Huygen's probe
L. Doose and P. Smith -- DISR Co-Is (+ many others, see: http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~aeibl/disr_uateam.html)
C. Porco -- Team Leader for ISS (+ D. Dawson, D. Lytle, V. Haemmerle, B. Janes, M. Tiscareno, J. Spitale)
A. McEwen -- ISS team member (+ M. Milazzo, E. Turtle, P. Geissler, J. Radebaugh, D. Dawson)
R. Lorenz -- RADAR, Surface Science Package of Huygens
D. Hunten -- Huygens

Summary: LPL has participated via:

13 PIs or Team Leaders
more than 50 Co-Is, team members, or participating scientists
6 IDSs
11 instruments built at LPL
Many other research associates, students, and technical and administrative staff

This summary was originally created by Alfred McEwen, but if you have any corrections or additions please e-mail them to

LPL Webmaster / webmaster

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