Editing List of Solar System probes (section)

== Solar probes ==
{{main|Heliophysics|Sun#Solar space missions}}
While the Sun is not physically explorable with current technology, the following [[Sun|solar]] observation probes have been designed and launched to operate in [[heliocentric orbit]] or at one of the Earth–Sun [[Lagrangian point]]s – additional solar observatories were placed in Earth orbit and are not included in this list:

=== 1960–1969 ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; font-size:95%;"
! colspan="2"  style="text-align:left; width:15%;"| Spacecraft
!  style="text-align:left; width:11%;"| Organization
!  style="text-align:left; width:17%;"| Date
!  style="text-align:left; width:10%;"| Type
!  style="text-align:left; width:10%;"| Status
!  style="text-align:left; width:24%;"| Notes
!  style="text-align:left; width:7%;"| Image
!  style="text-align:left; width:6%;"| Ref

|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| colspan="2" | ''[[Pioneer 5]]''
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]/<br />[[File:No image.svg|24px]] [[United States Department of Defense|DOD]]
| March–April 1960
| orbiter
| success
| measured magnetic field phenomena, solar flare particles, and ionization in the interplanetary region
| [[File:Pioneer-5.jpg|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|1960-001A}}

|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| colspan="2" | ''[[Pioneer 6, 7, 8, and 9|Pioneer 6(A)]]''
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| December 1965 – still contactable in 2000
| orbiter
| success
| rowspan="4" | network of solar-orbiting "space weather" monitors, observing solar wind, cosmic rays, and magnetic fields
| rowspan="4" | [[File:Pioneer-6-9.jpg|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|1965-105A}}
|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| colspan="2" | ''[[Pioneer 6, 7, 8, and 9|Pioneer 7(B)]]''
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| August 1966 – still contactable in 1995
| orbiter
| success
| {{COSPAR|1966-075A}}
|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| colspan="2" | ''[[Pioneer 6, 7, 8, and 9|Pioneer 8(C)]]''
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| December 1967 – still contactable in 2001
| orbiter
| success
| {{COSPAR|1967-123A}}
|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| colspan="2" | ''[[Pioneer 6, 7, 8, and 9|Pioneer 9(D)]]''
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| November 1968 – May 1983
| orbiter
| success
| {{COSPAR|1968-100A}}

|- style="background:#F2F2F2"
| colspan="2" | ''[[Pioneer 6, 7, 8, and 9|Pioneer-E]]''
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| 27 August 1969
| orbiter
| failure
| intended as part of the Pioneer {{nowrap|6–9}} network; failed to reach orbit
| [[File:Pioneer-6-9.jpg|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|PIONE}}

|}

=== 1974–1997 ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; font-size:95%;"
! colspan="2"  style="text-align:left; width:15%;"| Spacecraft
!  style="text-align:left; width:11%;"| Organization
!  style="text-align:left; width:17%;"| Date
!  style="text-align:left; width:10%;"| Type
!  style="text-align:left; width:10%;"| Status
!  style="text-align:left; width:24%;"| Notes
!  style="text-align:left; width:7%;"| Image
!  style="text-align:left; width:6%;"| Ref

|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| colspan="2" | ''[[Helios probes|Helios A]]''
| {{flagicon|FRG}} [[DFVLR]]/<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| November 1974 – 1982
| orbiter
| success
| rowspan="2" | observations of solar wind, magnetic and electric fields, cosmic rays and cosmic dust between Earth and Sun
| rowspan="2" | [[File:Helios spacecraft.jpg|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|1974-097A}}
|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| colspan="2" | ''[[Helios B]]''
| {{flagicon|FRG}} [[DFVLR]]/<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| January 1976 – 1985?
| orbiter
| success
| {{COSPAR|1976-003A}}

|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| colspan="2" | ''[[ISEE-3]]''
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| 1978–1982
| orbiter
| success
| observed solar phenomena in conjunction with earth-orbiting ISEE-1 and ISEE-2; later renamed ''International Cometary Explorer'' (''ICE'') and directed to Comet Giacobini-Zinner
| [[File:ISEE3-ICE.jpg|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|1976-003A}}

|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ''[[Ulysses probe|Ulysses]]''<br />(first pass)
| rowspan="2" | {{flagicon|EUR}} [[European Space Agency|ESA]]/<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| 1994
| rowspan="2" | orbiter
| rowspan="2" | success
| south polar observations
| rowspan="2" | [[File:Ulysses spacecraft.jpg|50px]]
| rowspan="2" | {{COSPAR|1990-090B}}
|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| 1995
| north polar observations

|- style="background:#CCFFD9"
| colspan="2" | ''[[WIND (spacecraft)|WIND]]''
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| November 1994 – still active as of October 2024<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/windnrt/ |title=WIND Near Real-Time Data |publisher=[[NASA]] |date=3 December 2017 |access-date=14 December 2017}}</ref>
| orbiter
| success
| solar wind measurements
| [[File:Wind probe.jpg|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|1994-071A}}

|- style="background:#CCFFD9"
| colspan="2" | ''[[Solar and Heliospheric Observatory|SOHO]]''
| {{flagicon|EUR}} [[European Space Agency|ESA]]/<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| May 1996 – extended to December 2025<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sci.esa.int/web/soho/-/47368-fact-sheet |title=soho FACT SHEET |publisher=[[European Space Agency]] |date=3 November 2020 |access-date=4 December 2022}}</ref>
| orbiter
| success
| investigation of Sun's core, corona, and solar wind; comet discoveries
| [[File:NASA SOHO spacecraft.png|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|1995-065A}}

|- style="background:#CCFFD9"
| colspan="2" | ''[[Advanced Composition Explorer|ACE]]''
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| August 1997 – projected until 2024
<ref name = "ACE Home Page">{{cite web |url=http://www.srl.caltech.edu/ACE/ace_mission.html |title=Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) Mission Overview |publisher=[[California Institute of Technology]] |date=10 February 2017 |first1=Eric R. |last1=Christian |first2=Andrew J. |last2=Davis |access-date=14 December 2017}}</ref>
| orbiter
| success
| solar wind observations
| [[File:Advanced Composition Explorer.jpg|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|1997-045A}}

|}

=== Since 2000 ===
{{sticky header}}
{| class="wikitable sticky-header" style="font-size:95%;"
|-
! colspan="2"  style="text-align:left; width:15%;"| Spacecraft
!  style="text-align:left; width:11%;"| Organization
!  style="text-align:left; width:17%;"| Date
!  style="text-align:left; width:10%;"| Type
!  style="text-align:left; width:10%;"| Status
!  style="text-align:left; width:24%;"| Notes
!  style="text-align:left; width:7%;"| Image
!  style="text-align:left; width:6%;"| Ref

|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ''[[Ulysses probe|Ulysses]]''<br />(second pass)
| rowspan="2" |{{flagicon|EUR}} [[European Space Agency|ESA]]/<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| 2000
| rowspan="2" | orbiter
| rowspan="2" | success
| south polar observations
| rowspan="2" | [[File:Ulysses spacecraft.jpg|50px]]
| rowspan="2" | {{COSPAR|1990-090B}}
|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| 2001
| north polar observations

|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| colspan="2" | ''[[Genesis (spacecraft)|Genesis]]''
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| 2001–2004
| orbiter/<br />sample return
| success
| solar wind sample return; crash landed on return to Earth, much data salvaged
| [[File:Genesis in collection mode.jpg|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|2001-034A}}

|- style="background:#CCFFD9"
| colspan="2" | ''[[STEREO|STEREO A]]''
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| December 2006 – <br/>still active as of October 2024<ref>{{Cite web|title=STEREO|url=https://stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/|access-date=2021-02-19|website=stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov}}</ref><ref name="stereo-status">{{cite web |url=http://stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/status.shtml |title=STEREO Status |publisher=[[NASA]] Stereo Science Center |date=22 August 2016 |access-date=26 September 2016}}</ref><ref name="stereo-where">{{cite web |url=http://stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/where.shtml |title=Positions of STEREO A and B for 26-Sep-2016 13:00 UT |publisher=[[NASA]] Stereo Science Center |date=26 September 2016 |access-date=26 September 2016}}</ref>
| orbiter
| success
| stereoscopic imaging of coronal mass ejections and other solar phenomena
| [[File:STEREO spacecraft.gif|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|2006-047A}}
|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| colspan="2" | ''[[STEREO|STEREO B]]''
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| December 2006 – October 2014. <br/> August 2016 – October 2018 <br/> (communication lost between 1 October 2014 and 21 August 2016) <br/> NASA directed that periodic recovery operations of Stereo-B cease with last support on October 17, 2018.<ref name="stereo-where" /><ref name="stereo20181023">{{cite web |url=https://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/behind_status.shtml |title=STEREO-B Status Update |publisher=NASA/STEREO Science Center |editor-first=Therese A. |editor-last=Kucera |date=October 23, 2018 |access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref>
| orbiter
| success
| stereoscopic imaging of coronal mass ejections and other solar phenomena
| [[File:STEREO spacecraft.gif|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|2006-047B}}

|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ''[[Ulysses probe|Ulysses]]''<br />(third pass)
| rowspan="2" | {{flagicon|EUR}} [[European Space Agency|ESA]]/<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| 2007
| rowspan="2" | orbiter
| success
| south polar observations
| rowspan="2" | [[File:Ulysses spacecraft.jpg|50px]]
| rowspan="2" | {{COSPAR|1990-090B}}
|- style="background:#EFE7B8"
| 2008
| partial success
| north polar observations; some data returned despite failing power and reduced transmission capacity

|- style="background:#CCFFD9"
| colspan="2" | ''[[Deep Space Climate Observatory|DSCOVR]]''
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[NOAA]]
| February 2015 – still active as of October 2024<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-02 |title=DSCOVR: Deep Space Climate Observatory |url=https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/current-satellite-missions/currently-flying/dscovr-deep-space-climate-observatory |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service |language=en}}</ref>
| orbiter
| success
| solar wind and [[coronal mass ejection]] monitoring, as well as Earth climate monitoring
| [[File:DSCOVR_rendering_(transparent_bg).png|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|2015-007A}} <ref>[http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/nation-s-first-operational-satellite-in-deep-space-reaches-final-orbit NASA.gov]</ref>

|- style="background:#CCFFD9"
| colspan="2" | ''[[Parker Solar Probe]]''
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[NASA]]
| | November 2018 – December 2025
| orbiter/flyby<br />(approach 26 times)
| ''en route''
| close-range solar coronal study
| [[File:Parker Solar Probe.jpg|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|2018-065A}} <ref name="Solar probe">{{cite web |url=http://solarprobe.gsfc.nasa.gov/SolarProbePlus_pre.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719144215/http://solarprobe.gsfc.nasa.gov/SolarProbePlus_pre.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-07-19 |title=Solar Probe Plus |author=Science and Technology Definition Team |publisher=[[NASA]] |date=2008 |access-date=1 July 2008}}</ref>

|- style="background:#CCFFD9"
| colspan="2" | ''[[Solar Orbiter]]''
| {{flagicon|EUR}} [[ESA]]
| 10 February 2020 (launch)
| orbiter
| ''en route''
| solar and heliospheric physics
| [[File:Solar Orbiter orbiting the Sun.png|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|2020-010A}} <ref name="ESA Solar Orbiter">{{cite web |url=http://sci.esa.int/solar-orbiter/ |title=Solar orbiter |access-date=17 March 2016 |publisher=[[European Space Agency]]}}</ref>
|- style="background:#CCFFD9"
| colspan="2" | '' [[Aditya-L1]]''
| {{flagicon|IND}} [[ISRO]]
| 2 September 2023 (launch)
| orbiter
| success
| [[Solar corona]] observation
| [[File:Aditya L1.png|50px]]
| {{COSPAR|2023-132A}} <ref>{{Cite web |title=ADITYA-L1 |url=https://www.isro.gov.in/Aditya_L1.html |access-date=2023-02-02 |website=[[Indian Space Research Organisation]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=C.S.|first=Hemanth|title=ISRO's Aditya-L1 successfully placed in a halo orbit around L1 point|  url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/isros-aditya-l1-successfully-placed-in-a-halo-orbit-around-l1-point/article67712914.ece|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=2024-01-06|access-date=2024-01-06|issn=0971-751X|language=en}}</ref>
|}