Uncrewed spacecraft

A spacecraft that operates without people aboard, either under remote control or autonomously. It includes robotic probes, satellites, landers, and cargo vehicles.

Spacecraft: A vehicle or device designed to operate beyond Earth's atmosphere. Uncrewed spacecraft are one branch of spacecraft, distinguished by the absence of people aboard.
Space probe: An uncrewed spacecraft sent to investigate celestial bodies or regions of space. Probes extend uncrewed missions beyond routine Earth-orbit operations.
Sputnik 1: The first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. Its simple radio beacon demonstrated that an uncrewed spacecraft could reach orbit.
Crewed spacecraft: A spacecraft designed to carry people during at least part of a mission. The presence of people aboard changes vehicle design, safety requirements, and mission operations.
Spacecraft bus: The structural and service platform that supports a spacecraft's instruments and payload. It supplies the shared structure and services on which an uncrewed mission depends.
Earth observation satellite: An artificial satellite that gathers information about Earth's land, oceans, atmosphere, or ice. These spacecraft turn orbital vantage points into measurements used on Earth.
Voyager program: NASA's twin-spacecraft mission to study the outer planets and interstellar space. Voyager shows how robotic spacecraft can conduct long-duration exploration far from Earth.
Human spaceflight: Spaceflight involving people traveling or working beyond Earth's atmosphere. It contrasts missions whose goals and systems must support human occupants.
Attitude control: The process of determining and controlling a vehicle's orientation. Pointing antennas, instruments, and solar panels requires precise orientation control.
Space lander: A spacecraft designed to descend and make a controlled landing on a celestial body. Landers carry uncrewed missions from orbital or cruise flight onto a surface.

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