Space probes are unmanned spacecraft designed to explore outer space, other planets, moons, and celestial bodies.
There are various types of space probes, including flyby, orbiter, lander, and rover
Probes carry various instruments such as cameras, spectrometers, magnetometers, and seismometers to collect data about a target's atmosphere, surface, composition, magnetic fields, and more
Space probes have explored planets like Mars (e.g., Mars rovers Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, Perseverance), Jupiter (e.g., Galileo), Saturn (e.g., Cassini), and Pluto (e.g., New Horizons).
Probes transmit data back to Earth using radio signals. These signals can take minutes or even hours to reach us due to vast distances
Space probes face challenges like extreme temperatures, radiation, vacuum, and limited power supply. Engineers must design them to withstand these conditions
Rovers, like NASA's Mars rovers, are remotely operated from Earth. They receive commands, perform tasks, and send data back to scientists
Space probes have made groundbreaking discoveries, such as evidence of water on Mars, the intricate rings of Saturn, the geysers on Enceladus, and the diverse landscape on Pluto
Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are interstellar probes that have exited the solar system. They continue to send data and are humanity's most distant emissaries
Future space probes are planned to explore the icy moon Europa (Jupiter's moon), Titan (Saturn's moon), and other distant objects in the Kuiper Belt