what is a space probe?

Answer 1

A space probe is an unmanned, usually telerobotic space mission in which a spacecraft leaves Earth's orbit. The first successful space probe was the Soviet Luna 1, which studied the Moon in 1959. Subsequently, space agencies in the United States, Europe and Japan have flown probes to each of the eight other planets in the solar system and several asteroids and comets.

Many space missions are more suited to telerobotic rather than crewed operation, due to lower cost and lower risk factors. In addition, some planetary destinations such as Venus or the vicinity of Jupiter are too hostile for human survival, given current technology. Outer planets such as Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are too distant to reach with current crewed spaceflight technology, so telerobotic probes are the only way to explore them.

Answer 2

space probe

An instrumented vehicle, the payload of a rocket-launching system designed specifically for flight missions to other planets or the moon and into deep space, as distinguished from earth-orbiting satellites.