▁prob es , ▁sat ell ites ▁and ▁robot ic ▁space craft ▁and ▁miss ions . ▁Un cre wed ▁space fl ight ▁is ▁the ▁opposite ▁of ▁cre wed ▁space fl ight , ▁which ▁is ▁usually ▁called ▁human ▁space fl ight . ▁Sub categories ▁of ▁un cre wed ▁space fl ight ▁are ▁" ro bot ic ▁space craft " ▁( objects ) ▁and ▁" ro bot ic ▁space ▁miss ions " ▁( activ ities ). ▁A ▁robot ic ▁space craft ▁is ▁an ▁un cre wed ▁space craft ▁with ▁no ▁humans ▁on ▁board , ▁that ▁is ▁usually ▁under ▁t eler ob otic ▁control . ▁A ▁robot ic ▁space craft ▁designed ▁to ▁make ▁scientific ▁research ▁measurements ▁is ▁often ▁called ▁a ▁space ▁pro be . ▁ ▁Un cre wed ▁space ▁miss ions ▁use ▁remote - control led ▁space craft . ▁The ▁first ▁un cre wed ▁space ▁mission ▁was ▁S put nik , ▁launched ▁October ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁to ▁orbit ▁the ▁Earth . ▁Space ▁miss ions ▁where ▁other ▁animals ▁but ▁no ▁humans ▁are ▁on - board ▁are ▁considered ▁un cre wed ▁miss ions . ▁ ▁Ben ef its ▁ ▁Many ▁space ▁miss ions ▁are ▁more ▁su ited ▁to ▁t eler ob otic ▁rather ▁than ▁cre wed ▁operation , ▁due ▁to ▁lower ▁cost ▁and ▁lower ▁risk ▁factors . ▁In ▁addition , ▁some ▁planet ary ▁destin ations ▁such ▁as ▁Ven us ▁or ▁the ▁vic inity ▁of ▁Jup iter ▁are ▁too ▁host ile ▁for ▁human ▁surv ival , ▁given ▁current ▁technology . ▁Out er ▁plan ets ▁such