So far the record is two.
Specifically, it must decelerate to the point where it's not on an escape trajectory from that body.
The sun doesn't count.
Close date updated to 2023-02-08 12:00 am
@Mqrius Ah, hmm. Looks like my criteria here were poor. I think my "the record is two" comment indicates I didn't mean to count the sun, so I guess I should just exclude that body.
@IsaacKing Yeah, I agree any reasonable reading would exclude the sun, but I prefer relying on the specificity of the definition than on reasonableness where possible!
If a spacecraft starts on Earth, captures into Mars' sphere of influence, and then captures into Phobos or Deimos' SOI, does that count as 3? Same question with any of Jupiter's or Saturn's moons.
If that counts, and it sounds like it should, then we have at least one mission planned that visits Jupiter and Ganymede before 2040: JUICE
@IsaacKing If Earth counts, hasn't Dawn already visited three bodies? It was briefly in a parking orbit around Earth, then orbited Vesta for a while, and finally orbited Ceres.
Oh, look at that.
Dawn is the first spacecraft to orbit two extraterrestrial bodies
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_(spacecraft)
Any objections to me resolving this YES?