Jupiter to Saturn: 8 planets and Spacecrafts that sent us first photos

Jupiter to Saturn: Discover the pioneering spacecraft missions that captured our solar system's 8 planets, from Mercury to Neptune including dwarf planet Pluto

The first close-up images of Mercury were taken by NASA's Mariner 10 spacecraft during its flybys in 1974 and 1975

The Soviet Venera program was the first to successfully send back images of Venus. Venera 7, launched in 1970, was the first spacecraft to transmit data from the surface of Venus

There was no need for a spacecraft to send photos of our own planet back to us. Earth observation satellites, like NASA's Earth-observing satellites continuously capture images

The Mariner 4 spacecraft, launched by NASA in 1964, was the first to capture and transmit images of Mars in 1965. The Viking landers, which arrived on Mars in 1976 also sent photos

The Pioneer 10 spacecraft, launched by NASA in 1972, was the first to capture close-up images of Jupiter during its flyby in 1973

The Pioneer 11 spacecraft, launched in 1973 by NASA, was the first to capture close-up images of Saturn during its flyby in 1979

The Voyager 2 spacecraft, launched by NASA in 1977, conducted a flyby of Uranus in 1986, providing the first close-up images of the planet

Like Uranus, the Voyager 2 spacecraft also conducted a flyby of Neptune in 1989, providing the first close-up images of the planet