Spacecraft have transported humanity into previously uncharted regions in space, to the Moon and beyond, and transformed our understanding of the universe. But what has become of the most famous spacecraft, and where are their final destinations?

Apollo 11 Command Module – Washington, DC.

In 1969, the Apollo 11 mission saw the first humans land on the Moon. This spacecraft’s command module, Columbia, was the only part to return to Earth. It’s now displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Voyager 1 – Outer Space 

Voyager 1 was created by NASA in 1977 to study the outer planets. After close encounters with Jupiter and Saturn, it became the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space. Now at over 14 billion miles from Earth, Voyager 1 continues sending data back to NASA.

Hubble Space Telescope – Earth’s Atmosphere

Set up in 1990 by the Space Shuttle Discovery, it orbits about 340 miles above Earth. It helped determine the age of the universe and discover exoplanets. Despite being in operation for over three decades, this craft still produces stunning images and significant scientific data.

International Space Station (ISS) – Earth’s Atmosphere

Since 2000, astronauts from various countries have continuously inhabited the ISS. Orbiting Earth roughly every 90 minutes at an altitude of about 250 miles, it serves as a laboratory for scientific research. The station is expected to remain operational until at least 2030.

Curiosity Rover – Mars 

This car-sized rover landed on Mars in 2012 as part of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission. Currently, it is exploring Gale Crater, an ancient lakebed, to assess whether Mars ever had life-supporting environmental conditions and continues to analyze rock and soil samples.

Challenger Shuttle (STS-51-L) – Lost

During its 10th mission in 1986, the Challenger was tragically lost when it broke apart 73 seconds after launch. Investigations show that the failure was due to a fault in one of its solid rocket boosters. The loss of Challenger resulted in the deaths of all crew members.

Mars Perseverance Rover – Mars

In 2021, Perseverance landed on Mars to search for signs of past life, collect soil and rock samples, and prepare for future human missions. The rover is exploring Jezero Crater, a former lakebed believed to have once been habitable. It is also carrying the Ingenuity helicopter.

Cassini-Huygens – Saturn’s Atmosphere

Launched in 1997, the craft spent 13 years orbiting Saturn and collecting data. One of its major discoveries was detecting hydrothermal activity on the moon Enceladus. In 2017, after orbiting Saturn 294 times, it was directed into the planet’s atmosphere to avoid contaminating Saturn’s moons.

Galileo Orbiter – Jupiter

NASA launched Galileo in 1989 to study Jupiter and its moons. After spending eight years orbiting the planet, it made discoveries, including evidence of subsurface oceans on the moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. It crashed into Jupiter to prevent contamination in 2003.

New Horizons – Kuiper Belt

In 2015, it became the first spacecraft to fly by Pluto, providing the first close-up images of the dwarf planet and its moons. The mission revealed Pluto’s complex surface and atmosphere. New Horizons continues to send back data from the Kuiper Belt, a region beyond Neptune.

Vostok 1 – Moscow, Russia

On April 12, 1961, Vostok 1 carried Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into space, where he became the first human to orbit Earth. This expedition lasted 108 minutes and was a major victory for the Soviet space program. Its descent module is at the RKK Energia Museum in Moscow, Russia.

Lunar Module (Eagle) – Moon

The Eagle lunar module was used during the Apollo 11 mission to land the astronauts on the Moon. After completing their mission, the astronauts took off for Earth, leaving the Eagle’s descent stage behind. This module remains on the Moon at the Sea of Tranquility.

Sputnik 1 – Burnt

The Soviet Union set out Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, which was the world’s first artificial satellite. It marked the beginning of the space age and the U.S.-Soviet space race. Sputnik 1 orbited Earth for three months before burning up in the atmosphere upon re-entry.

Space Shuttle Atlantis – Florida

Atlantis was NASA’s fourth space shuttle. Between 1985 and 2011, it flew 33 missions, and its assignment included deploying satellites. After its final flight in July 2011, Atlantis was retired and put on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

Pioneer 10

This was the first spacecraft to travel through the asteroid belt and closely encounter Jupiter. Launched in 1972, it provided the first direct observations of the planet. After passing Jupiter, Pioneer 10 continued on a trajectory toward interstellar space. NASA lost contact with it in 2003.