List of artificial objects in heliocentric orbit

Below is a list of artificial objects currently in heliocentric orbit. This list does not include objects that are escaping from the Solar System, upper stages from robotic missions (only the S-IVB upper stages from Apollo missions with astronauts are listed), or objects in the Sun–Earth Lagrange points.

United States

The United States has placed in heliocentric orbit:

On Apollos 8 and 10–17, each S-IVB upper stage jettisoned four sections of a truncated conical adapter that supported the Apollo service module and (except for Apollo 8) enclosed the Lunar Module. These panels are in heliocentric orbit, including those from Apollos 13–17 whose S-IVBs impacted the moon, as the S-IVBs jettisoned them before maneuvering themselves into lunar impact trajectories. The panels continued on lunar flyby trajectories into heliocentric orbit. (The adapter panels on Apollo 9 were jettisoned in earth orbit before the S-IVB burned into an earth escape trajectory. They eventually decayed.)

U.S.-based commercial spaceflight companies have placed in heliocentric orbit:

U.S.S.R./Russian Federation

The Soviet Union or the Russian Federation has placed in heliocentric orbit:

European Space Agency (ESA)

The European Space Agency has placed in heliocentric orbit:

  • Helios 1 (joint U.S./Germany) – Sun (1975-1985)
  • Helios 2 (joint U.S./Germany) – Sun (1976-1979)
  • Giotto mission – Halley's Comet (1985-1992)
  • Ulysses (joint U.S./ESA) – Jupiter & Sun's north & south poles (1990-2009)

Japan

Japan has placed in heliocentric orbit:

China

China has placed in heliocentric orbit:

References

  1. ↑ "IKAROS wakes up from hibernation mode for the 4th time". JAXA. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
  2. ↑ "Keiichi Okuyama-Lab". Kyushu Institute of Technology. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
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