NASA Science Missions
NASA Science Missions

The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (Space Act) established NASA as an aerospace research and development agency that sponsors and conducts flight missions to obtain data in furtherance of its objectives.

In NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD), flight missions range from suborbital projects—including balloons, sounding rockets, and airplanes—to interplanetary probes and flagship observatories.  All investigations and missions selected and flown must respond to Agency goals and strategic objectives.  Mission opportunities are open to all proposers, within fixed rules, via public announcement, and selections are based primarily on scientific and technical merit as evaluated by independent peer review.  Foreign partners are frequent and valued participants in joint missions.  The partnerships are generally conducted on a cooperative, no-exchange-of-funds basis.  NASA also works closely with a number of other Federal agencies to implement and support our flight missions.  To learn more about mission planning and development, see Section 3.3 of the Science Plan for NASA's Science Mission Directorate 2007 - 2016 (PDF 5.1 MB).

Missions are divided into four divisions: Astrophysics, Earth, Helliophysics, and Planets.

This page provides a brief listing of all SMD missions, with links to each for more detail.

Astrophysics Missions (50)

The exploration into the origins of our solar system ... of our very existence, requires the development of complex space missions.

• Report of the 2008 Senior Review of the Astrophysics Division Operating Missions (PDF)

A-Z	Launch Date	Phase
ASCA - ASCA was the first X-ray astronomy mission to combine imaging capability with a broad pass band, good spectral resolution, and a large effective area. The mission was also...	February 20, 1993	Past
Astro Observatory (ASTRO 1 & 2) - The "Astro Observatory" was developed as a system of telescopes that could fly multiple times on the space shuttle....	December 02, 1990	Past
BBXRT - The Broad Band X-ray Telescope (BBXRT) was the first focusing X-ray telescope to operate over a broad energy range (0.3-12 keV) with moderate energy resolution. BBXRT was...	December 02, 1990	Past
CGRO - Compton Gamma Ray Observatory mission studied very energetic celestial phenomena: solar flares, cosmic gamma-ray bursts, pulsars, nova and supernova explosions, accreting...	April 05, 1991	Past
Chandra - Chandra explores the hot turbulent regions in space with images 25 times sharper than previous x-ray pictures. Chandra is performing detailed studies of black holes,...	July 23, 1999	Operating
CHIPS - CHIPS uses an extreme ultraviolet spectrograph to study the "Local Bubble," a tenuous cloud of hot gas surrounding our Solar System that extends about 300 light-years from...	January 12, 2003	Past
COBE - The COBE satellite was developed to measure the diffuse infrared and microwave radiation from the early universe, to the limits set by our astrophysical...	November 18, 1989	Past
DXS - The primary objective of the Diffuse X-ray Spectrometer (DXS) payload was to obtain measurements on the diffuse soft X-ray background radiation in the Milky Way Galaxy. DXS...	January 13, 1993	Past
EUVE - The Extreme-Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) was a part of NASA's Explorer spacecraft series, and designed to operate in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) range of the spectrum, from...	June 07, 1992	Past
Fermi - Fermi, NASA's new gamma-ray observatory, will open a wide window on the universe. Gamma rays are the highest-energy form of light, and the gamma-ray sky is spectacularly...	June 11, 2008	Operating
FUSE - Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) studies the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum from high orbit. This range provides an opportunity to...	June 24, 1999	Past
GALEX - Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) is exploring the origin and evolution of galaxies and the origins of stars and heavy elements, and is also conducting an all-sky...	April 28, 2003	Operating
Gravity Probe B (GPB) - The GP-B satellite was designed as a pristine, space-borne laboratory, whose primary task was to use four ultra-precise gyroscopes to measure directly two effects predicted...	April 20, 2004	Past
HALCA - HALCA is a spacecraft with a radio telescope in orbit to co-observe astronomical objects with radio telescopes on Earth. The project synthesizes a radio telescope as large as...	February 12, 1997	Past
Herschel - The Herschel Space Observatory is a space-based telescope that will study the Universe by the light of the far-infrared and submillimeter portions of the spectrum. It is...	April 29, 2009	Development
HETE-2 - The High Energy Transient Explorer is a small scientific satellite designed to detect and localize gamma-ray bursts. ...	October 09, 2000	Past
Hipparcos - Hipparcos was a European Space Agency mission dedicated to the precise measurement of the positions, parallaxes and proper motions of the stars....	August 08, 1989	Past
Hubble Space Telescope - Hubble Space Telescope (HST), an ultraviolet, visible and infrared orbiting telescope, has expanded our understanding of star birth, star death, and galaxy evolution, and has...	April 24, 1990	Operating
IEH-3 - Seven experiments made up the IEH-3 payload on the STS-95 Space Shuttle mission. The seven hitchhiker experiments were attached to a carrier system in the bay of the Shuttle...	October 29, 1998	Past
INTEGRAL - International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) seeks to unravel the secrets of the highest-energy - and therefore the most violent - phenomena in the Universe....	October 17, 2002	Operating
ISO - The Infrared Space Observatory (ISO), a project of the European Space Agency (ESA), provided astronomers with a unique facility of unprecedented sensitivity for a detailed...	November 17, 1995	Past
IUE - The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite launched in 1978 and was a unique space observatory in that it was operated like a ground-based observatory....	January 26, 1978	Past
IXO - International X-ray Observatory (IXO) has been designed to perform X-ray spectroscopy with unprecedented sensitivity and spectral resolution, to determine the flow of gas in...		Under Study
JDEM - NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy will support a probe to investigate dark energy, the Joint Dark Energy Mission (JDEM). The Joint Dark Energy Mission will be an...		Under Study
JWST - James Webb Space Telescope (formerly the Next Generation Space Telescope) is designed for observations in the far visible to the mid infrared part of the spectrum. JWST will...	June 30, 2013	Development
KAO - The Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) is a national facility operated by NASA to support research in infrared astronomy. The observation platform is a highly modified C-141A...	May 21, 1975	Past
Keck Interferometer - The Keck Interferometer is part of NASA's overall effort to find planets and ultimately life beyond our solar system. It combines the light from the twin Keck telescopes to ...		Operating
Kepler - The Kepler Mission is a space mission specifically designed to detect Earth-size planets around stars in the solar neighborhood of the Galaxy. This mission is part of the...	March 06, 2009	Operating
LBTI - The Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI) is part of NASA's overall effort to find planets and ultimately life beyond our solar system. It will combine the light...		Development
Leonid MAC - Leonid MAC used two aircraft carrying a variety of instruments to examine the particles from the comet Tempel -Tuttle as well as the impact of these on the upper...	November 17, 1998	Past
LISA - The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a space-based observatory that will allow us to view the Universe in a new spectrum, that of gravitational radiation. This...		Under Study
NuSTAR - The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array is a pathfinder mission that will open the high energy X-ray sky for sensitive study for the first time. This mission is part of...	August 15, 2011	Development
OAO - The Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO) was a series of four satellites launched by NASA between 1966 and 1972....		Past
ORFEUS-SPAS II - ORFEUS-SPAS II mission conducted investigations of celestial sources in the far and extreme ultraviolet spectral range, and to increase understanding of the evolution of...	November 20, 1996	Past
Planck - Planck is designed to image minor variations in the Cosmic Background Radiation over the whole sky, with unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution. Planck will provide...	April 29, 2009	Development
ROSAT - The ROentgen SATellite, was an X-ray observatory developed through a cooperative program between the Germany, the United States, and the United...	June 01, 1990	Past
RXTE - Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer studies variability over time in the emission of X-ray sources, with moderate spectral resolution. This time behavior is a source of important...	December 30, 1995	Operating
SAC-B - Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas-B was designed to advance the study of solar physics and astrophysics through the examination of solar flares, gamma ray bursts, diffuse...	November 04, 1996	Past
SIM - SIM PlanetQuest (formerly called Space Interferometry Mission), will determine the positions of stars and planets several hundred times more accurately than any previous...		Under Study
SOFIA - SOFIA is an airborne observatory that will study the universe in the infrared spectrum. This mission is part of SMD's Cosmic Origins...		Development
Spitzer - Spitzer Space Telescope (formerly known as SIRTF) conducts infrared astronomy from space. From an unusual heliocentric orbit designed to keep its sensitive instruments away...	August 25, 2003	Operating
ST7 - Space Technology 7 project will flight test a Disturbance Reduction System (DRS) that will aid scientists in their quest to detect and measure gravitational waves in...	December 01, 2009	Development
Suzaku (Astro-E2) - Suzaku (formerly Astro-E2) provides powerful tools to use the Universe as a laboratory for unraveling complex, high-energy processes and the behavior of matter under extreme...	July 10, 2005	Operating
SWAS - The Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) instrument is a submillimeter wave telescope that incorporates dual heterodyne radiometers and an acousto-optical...	December 06, 1998	Past
Swift - Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer is a three-telescope space observatory for studying the position, brightness, and physical properties of gamma ray bursts. Although gamma ray...	November 20, 2004	Operating
TPF - Terrestrial Planet Finder observatories will study the particular characteristics of many planets outside our solar system: from their formation and development in disks of...		Under Study
WIRE - The Wide-field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) is a Small Explorer Mission designed to study the evolution of starburst galaxies and search for distant ultra-luminous...	March 04, 1999	Past
WISE - WISE is a NASA-funded scientific research project that will provide a vast storehouse of knowledge about the solar system, the Milky Way, and the Universe. Among the objects...	November 01, 2009	Development
WMAP - Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) produced the earliest “baby picture” of the universe, showing the minute temperature variations within the microwave light...	June 30, 2001	Operating
XMM-Newton - XMM-Newton is an X-ray astrophysics observatory that enables astronomers to conduct sensitive X-ray spectroscopic observations of a wide variety of cosmic sources. This...	December 10, 1999	Operating

Earth Missions (59)

From our vantage point above the Earth, we can view Earth as a whole system, observe the results of complex interactions, and begin to understand how our planet is changing.

Senior Reviews for Earth Operating Missions:

• 2007 NASA Earth Science CoMRP Report
• 2007 NASA Earth Science Senior Review - Education/Public Outreach
• 2007 NASA Earth Science Senior Review Report

 Visit the Decadal Surveys page for CLARREO, ICESat-II, DESDynI, SMAP reports.

A-Z	Launch Date	Phase
ACRIMSAT - ACRIMSAT is the latest in a series of long-term solar-monitoring missions, utilizing the proven Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor III (ACRIM III) instrument. This...	December 20, 1999	Operating
ADEOS - Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) was the first international space platform dedicated to Earth environmental research developed and managed by the National Space...	August 17, 1996	Past
Aqua - Aqua will obtain a set of precise atmosphere and oceans measurements to understand their role in Earth's climate and its variations. Aqua carries six state-of-the-art...	May 04, 2002	Operating
Aquarius - Aquarius is a focused satellite mission to measure global sea surface salinity (SSS). Its instruments will measure changes in SSS equivalent to about a "pinch" (i.e., 1/6 of...	May 22, 2010	Development
ATLAS - ATLAS missions were part of Phase I of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth, a large-scale, unified study of planet Earth as a single, dynamic system. Throughout the ATLAS series,...	March 24, 1992	Past
ATS - The Applications Technology Satellite series was a set of 6 NASA spacecraft created to explore & flight test new technologies and techniques for communications,...	December 07, 1966	Past
Aura - The Aura satellite hosts a suite of scientific instruments designed to make the most comprehensive measurements ever undertaken of atmospheric trace gases. Aura's objective...	July 15, 2004	Operating
CALIPSO - The CALIPSO satellite was developed to help scientists answer significant questions and provide new information about the effects of clouds and aerosols (airborne particles)...	April 28, 2006	Operating
CHAMP - CHAMP will generate for the first time simultaneously highly precise gravity and magnetic field measurements over a 5 years period. This will allow us to detect besides the...	July 15, 2000	Past
CLARREO - The Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) Mission has been recommended in the NRC Decadal Survey as a key component of the future climate observing...	TBD	Under Study
CloudSat - CloudSat uses advanced radar to "slice" through clouds to see their vertical structure, providing a completely new observational capability from space. CloudSat is one of the...	April 28, 2006	Operating
CRRES - The Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) was launched into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) for a nominal three-year mission to investigate fields,...	July 25, 1990	Past
DESDynI - The Deformation, Ecosystem Structure and Dynamics of Ice mission combines two sensors that, taken together, provide observations important for solid-Earth (surface...	TBD	Under Study
Dynamics Explorer - The Dynamics Explorer Plasma Wave Investigator mission's general objective was to investigate the strong interactive processes coupling the hot, tenuous, convecting plasmas...	August 03, 1981	Past
Earth Observing-1 (NMP) - The NMP EO-1 mission is an advanced land-imaging mission that will demonstrate new instruments and spacecraft systems. EO-1 will validate technologies contributing to the...	November 21, 2000	Operating
ERBS - Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), expected to have a two-year operation life, provided scientific data about the Earth's ozone layer for more than two decades. ERBS...	October 05, 1984	Past
ERS - The European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) is the most sophisticated Earth observation satellite ever developed in Europe. It weighs well over two tons and, fully...	July 17, 1991	Past
ESSA - The Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) Satellite Program provided cloud-cover photography to the American National Meteorological Center from 1966 –...	February 03, 1966	Past
Geosat - The U.S. Navy GEOdetic SATellite, GEOSAT, was launched on 12 March 1985, into an 800-km, 108-deg inclination orbit, carried an altimeter that was capable of measuring the...	March 12, 1985	Past
GLORY - Glory is a remote-sensing Earth-orbiting observatory designed to achieve two separate mission objectives. One is to collect data on the chemical, microphysical, and optical...	October 01, 2009	Development
GOES A - C - The launch of the prototype Synchronous Meteorological Satellite, SMS-A, in May 1974 inaugurated the series of geosynchronous satellites that has provided systematic,...	October 16, 1975	Past
GOES D - H - GOES-4 advanced meteorologists’ capabilities by continuously profiling vertical temperature and water vapor. This major advancement permitted, for the first time, the...	September 09, 1980	Past
GOES I - M - The GOES I-M satellites are the primary element of U.S. weather monitoring and forecast operations and are a key component of NOAA's National Weather Service operations and...	April 13, 1994	Operating
GOES N - P - GOES - N/O/P is the next series of GOES satellites. The multi-mission GOES series N - P will be a vital contributor to weather, solar, and space operations and science. These...	April 28, 2009	Development
GPM - GPM Constellation follows the success of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) in initiating the measurement of global precipitation, a key climate factor. Its science...	June 01, 2013	Under Study
GRACE - The primary goal of the GRACE mission is to accurately map variations in the Earth's gravity field over its 5-year lifetime. This provides scientists from all over the world...	March 17, 2002	Operating
ICESat - ICESat (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite) is the benchmark Earth Observing System mission for measuring ice sheet mass balance, cloud and aerosol heights, as well as...	January 12, 2003	Operating
ICESat II - ICESat (Ice, Cloud,and land Elevation Satellite) is the benchmark Earth Observing System mission for measuring ice sheet mass balance, cloud and aerosol heights, as well as...	2015	Under Study
Jason-1 - Jason is an oceanography mission to monitor global ocean circulation, improve global climate predictions, and monitor events such as El Nino conditions and ocean eddies. The...	December 07, 2001	Operating
LAGEOS 1&2 - LAGEOS, or Laser Geodynamics Satellites, are a series of satellites designed to provide an orbiting benchmark for geodynamical studies of the Earth. LAGEOS 1 & 2 provide...	May 04, 1976	Operating
Landsat 7 - Landsat 7 systematically provides well-calibrated, multispectral, moderate resolution, substantially cloud-free, Sun-lit digital images of the Earth's continental and coastal...	April 15, 1999	Operating
LDCM - LDCM is a joint NASA-United States Geological Survey (USGS) mission to extend the Landsat record of multispectral, 30-meter resolution, seasonal, global coverage of the...	December 01, 2012	Under Study
MOMS - The Modular Optoelectronic Multispectral Scanner (MOMS) is a scanning system (based on CCD technique) for airborne and predominantly spaceborne geoscientific remote sensing...	June 18, 1983	Past
MOS - Marine Observation Satellite (MOS-1), Japan's first marine observation satellite, was launched in 1987 as a link in a global satellite observation system for more effective...	February 19, 1987	Past
Nimbus - The Nimbus series of missions was the United States’ primary research and development platform for satellite remote-sensing of the Earth. The satellites increased the...	August 27, 1964	Past
NOAA-N - NOAA-N broadcasts data directly to thousands of users around the world and continues to provide a polar-orbiting platform to support the environmental monitoring instruments...	May 20, 2005	Operating
NOAA/POES - Since the 1960s, NASA has developed polar-orbiting environmental observation satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NOAA satellites...	March 28, 1993	Past
NPOESS - The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) is a satellite system used to monitor global environmental conditions, and collect and...	December 31, 2012	Development
NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) - NPP is a joint mission to extend key measurements in support of long term monitoring of climate trends and of global biological productivity. This mission is part of SMD's...	September 01, 2009	Development
OCO - OCO provides space-based observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal human-initiated driver of climate change. This mission uses mature technologies to...	February 24, 2009	Past
OSTM - OSTM measures sea surface height to an accuracy of < 3.3 cm every ten days. Sea surface topography measured by satellite altimeters has numerous applications important to...	June 20, 2008	Operating
QuikSCAT - QuikSCAT mission is intended to record sea-surface wind speed and direction data under all weather and cloud conditions over Earth's oceans. QuikSCAT was initiated as a...	June 19, 1999	Operating
Radarsat - Canada's Radarsat is a radar satellite featuring variable resolution, and different view angles at a number of preset...	November 04, 1995	Past
SAGE III - The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE III) was an Earth Observing System (EOS) - joint mission between the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration...	December 10, 2001	Past
Seasat 1 - The Ocean Dynamics Satellite (Seasat 1) was designed to provide measurements of sea-surface winds, sea-surface temperatures, wave heights, internal waves, atmospheric liquid...	June 27, 1978	Past
SeaStar (SeaWiFS) - The SeaStar satellite carries the SeaWiFS instrument which is designed to monitor the color of the world's oceans. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions...	August 01, 1997	Operating
SeaWinds (ADEOS II) - The SeaWinds scatterometer is a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind velocity (both speed and direction) under all weather and cloud conditions over...	December 14, 2002	Operating
SIR-C - Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR), part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth, is studying how our global environment is changing. From the unique vantage point of space, the...	April 19, 1994	Past
SMAP - The Soil Moisture Active-Passive (SMAP) will use a combined radiometer and high-resolution radar to measure surface soil moisture and freeze-thaw state, providing for...	2013	Under Study
SMS - The Synchronous Meterological Satellites were the first operational spacecrafts to sense meteorological conditions from a fixed location. They carried instrumentation for...	May 17, 1974	Past
SORCE - SORCE is a NASA-sponsored satellite mission that will provide state-of-the-art measurements of incoming x-ray, ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, and total solar radiation....	January 25, 2003	Operating
SRTM - The goal of SRTM, a joint project of NASA, NIMA, and the German and Italian space agencies, is to map the world in three dimensions. In its 11-day mission on STS-99 in...	February 11, 2000	Past
Terra - Terra (formerly EOS AM-1) is the flagship satellite of NASA's Earth observing systems. Terra is the first EOS (Earth Observing System) platform and provides global data on...	December 18, 1999	Operating
TERRIERS - TERRIERS was a very small "University-class" Explorer intended to study a number of ionospheric and thermospheric phenomena, and test the utility of long term solar EUV...	May 18, 1999	Past
TIROS - TIROS spacecraft were the beginning of a long series of polar-orbiting meteorological satellites. The objective was to establish a global weather satellite...	April 01, 1960	Past
TOMS-EP - The Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer, launched in July 1996 onboard an Earth Probe Satellite (TOMS/EP), continues NASA's long-term daily mapping of the global distribution of...	July 02, 1996	Past
TOPEX/Poseidon - TOPEX/Poseidon monitored global ocean circulation, improved global climate predictions, and tracked El Niño conditions and ocean eddies. The mission's most important...	August 10, 1992	Past
TRMM - TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan. TRMM is particularly devoted to determining rainfall in the tropics and...	November 27, 1997	Operating
UARS - Launched from the Space Shuttle Discovery on September 15, 1991, UARS orbited the Earth more than 78,000 times, using 10 onboard scientific instruments to collect data on a...	September 12, 1991	Past

Heliophysics Missions (36)

Heliophysics research and exploration aims to explore the Sun-Earth system to understand the Sun and its effects on Earth, the solar system, and the space environmental conditions that will be experienced by explorers, and to demonstrate technologies that can improve future operational systems.

• 2008 Senior Review of the Mission Operations and Data Analysis Program for the Heliophysics Operating Missions
• 2005 Senior Review of Sun-Solar-System Connection Missions Operations and Data Analysis Program
• 2003 Senior Review of the Sun-Earth Connection Mission Operations and Data Analysis Program
• 2001 Senior Review of the Sun-Earth Connection Mission Operations and Data Analysis Program
• 1997 Senior Review of the Sun-Earth Connection Mission Operations and Data Analysis Program

A-Z	Launch Date	Phase
ACE - Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) observes particles of solar, interplanetary, interstellar, and galactic origins, spanning the energy range from solar wind ions to...	August 25, 1997	Operating
AIM - Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) is a mission to determine the causes of the highest altitude clouds in the Earth's atmosphere. The number of clouds in the middle...	April 25, 2007	Operating
BARREL 1 - The Balloon Array for Radiation-belt Relativistic Electron Losses mission is a balloon-based Mission of Opportunity to augment the measurements of NASA's RBSP spacecraft....	2012	Development
CINDI/CNOFS - The Coupled Ion-Neutral Dynamics Investigations (CINDI) is a mission to understand the dynamics of the Earth's ionosphere. CINDI will provide two instruments for the...	April 16, 2008	Operating
Cluster-II - Cluster is a European Space Agency program with major NASA involvement. The 4 Cluster spacecraft are providing a detailed three-dimensional map of the magnetosphere, with...	July 16, 2000	Operating
Equator-S - Equator-S was a German Space Agency project, with contributions from ESA and NASA, related to the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics program. The mission provided...	December 02, 1997	Past
FAST - Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST) studies the detailed plasma physics of the Earth's auroral regions. Ground support campaigns coordinate satellite measurements with...	August 21, 1996	Operating
Geotail - The GEOTAIL mission is a collaborative project undertaken by the Japanese Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and NASA. Its primary objective is to study the...	July 24, 1992	Operating
Hinode (Solar-B) - Hinode (formerly known as Solar-B) is a Japanese ISAS mission proposed as a follow-on to the highly successful Japan/US/UK Yohkoh (Solar-A) collaboration. The mission...	September 23, 2006	Operating
IBEX - IBEX will be the first mission designed to detect the edge of the Solar System. As the solar wind from the sun flows out beyond Pluto, it collides with the material between...	October 19, 2008	Operating
IMAGE - IMAGE studied the global response of the magnetosphere to changes in the solar wind. Major changes occur to the configuration of the magnetosphere as a result of changes in...	March 25, 2000	Past
IMP-8 - IMP 8 has deepened understanding of the space environment near Earth in many ways. Observations from IMP 8 provided insight into plasma physics, the Earth's magnetic field,...	October 26, 1973	Past
ISEE - The ISEE (International Sun-Earth Explorer) program was an international cooperative program between NASA and ESA to study the interaction of the solar wind with the Earth's...	October 22, 1997	Past
MMS - The Magnetospheric Multiscale mission will determine the small-scale basic plasma processes which transport, accelerate and energize plasmas in thin boundary and current...	2014	Development
Pioneer 10 & 11 - These Pioneer missions traveled through the asteroid belt to observe Jupiter, Saturn and continue on to the outer solar...	March 03, 1972	Past
Polar - Polar is the second of two NASA spacecraft in the Global Geospace Science (GGS) initiative and part of the ISTP Project. GGS is designed to improve greatly the understanding...	February 24, 1996	Past
RBSP - The RBSP mission will provide scientific understanding, ideally to the point of predictability, of how populations of relativistic electrons and ions in space form and change...	2012	Development
RHESSI - Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscope Imager (RHESSI) studies solar flares in X-rays and gamma-rays. It explores the basic physics of particle acceleration and...	February 05, 2002	Operating
SAMPEX - The Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer is investigating the composition of local interstellar matter and solar material and the transport of magnetospheric...	July 03, 1992	Past
SDO - Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), the first satellite mission in NASA's Living With a Star Program, is a solar observatory whose primary goals are to understand the solar...	2009	Development
Sentinels - The primary scientific objective of the Sentinels is to discover, understand, and model the connection between solar phenomena and interplanetary disturbances, particularly...	TBD	Under Study
SNOE - SNOE ("snowy") was a small satellite investigating the effects of energy from the Sun and from the magnetosphere on the density of nitric oxide in the Earth's upper...	February 26, 1998	Past
SOHO - Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) is a solar observatory studying the structure, chemical composition, and dynamics of the solar interior. SOHO a joint venture of...	December 02, 1995	Operating
Solar Orbiter - Solar Orbiter is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission to study the Sun from a distance closer than any spacecraft previously has, and will provide images and measurements in...	TBD	Under Study
Solar Probe Plus - Solar Probe Plus will be a historic mission, flying into one of the last unexplored regions of the solar system, the Sun’s atmosphere or corona, for the first time. This...	TBD	Under Study
Spartan 201 - Spartan is a small, Shuttle-launched and retrieved satellite. Spartan 201, whose mission is to study the Sun, has a science payload consisting of two telescopes: the...	September 13, 1994	Past
ST5 - Space Technology 5 (ST5) flight tested its miniaturized satellites and innovative technologies in the harsh environment of Earth's...	March 22, 2006	Past
STEREO - The goal of STEREO is to understand the origin the Sun's coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and their consequences for Earth. The mission consists of two spacecraft, one leading...	October 25, 2006	Operating
THEMIS - Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) is a study of the onset of magnetic storms within the tail of the Earth's magnetosphere....	February 17, 2007	Operating
TIMED - Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) explores the energy transfer into and out of the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere/Ionosphere (MLTI)...	December 07, 2001	Operating
TRACE - Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) observes the effects of the emergence of magnetic flux from deep inside the Sun to the outer corona with high spatial and...	April 01, 1998	Operating
TWINS A & B - TWINS will provide stereo imaging of the Earth's magnetosphere, the region surrounding the planet controlled by its magnetic field and containing the Van Allen radiation...	March 13, 2008	Operating
Ulysses - The Ulysses Mission is the first spacecraft to explore interplanetary space at high solar latitudes, orbiting the Sun nearly perpendicular to the plane in which the planets...	October 06, 1990	Operating
Voyager - The twin Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft continue exploring where nothing from Earth has flown before. In the 25th year after their 1977 launches, they each are much farther away...	September 05, 1977	Operating
Wind - Wind studies the solar wind and its impact on the near-Earth environment. This mission is part of SMD's Heliophysics Research...	November 01, 1994	Operating
Yohkoh - Yohkoh, an observatory for studying X-rays and gamma-rays from the Sun, is a project of the Institute for Space and Astronautical Sciences, Japan....	August 30, 1991	Past

Planets Missions (47)

Planetary exploration missions are conducted by some of the most sophisticated robots ever built. Through them we extend our senses to the farthest reaches of the Solar System and into remote and hostile environments, where the secrets of our origins and destiny lie hidden.

• Report of the Cassini Extended Mission Senior Review Board - March 8, 2007

A-Z	Launch Date	Phase
Cassini - The Cassini Mission is in the midst of a detailed study of Saturn, its rings, its magnetosphere, its icy satellites, and its moon Titan. Cassini also delivered a probe...	October 15, 1997	Operating
Chandrayaan-1 (M3) - The Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) is one of two instruments that NASA is contributing to India's first mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan-1, which is scheduled to be launched in...	October 22, 2008	Operating
Clementine - The Clementine mission was designed to test lightweight miniature sensors and advanced spacecraft components by exposing them, over a long period of time, to the difficult...	January 25, 1994	Past
CONTOUR - The Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) was a mission intended to greatly expand what is known of comet nuclei and to assess their diversity. This mission is part of SMD's Discovery...	July 03, 2002	Past
Dawn - The Dawn mission intends to orbit Vesta and Ceres, two of the largest asteroids in the solar system. According to current theories, the very different properties of Vesta and...	September 27, 2007	Operating
Deep Impact - The Deep Impact mission was selected as a Discovery mission in 1999. The spacecraft was launched aboard a Delta II rocket on January 12, 2005 and left Earth’s orbit toward...	January 12, 2005	Operating
Deep Impact Epoxi - Extrasolar Planet Observation and Deep Impact Extended Investigation EPOXI is a follow-on mission to Deep Impact. This mission is part of SMD's Discovery...	January 12, 2005	Operating
Deep Space 1 - During its 11-month primary mission, DS1 successfully tested 12 revolutionary technologies destined for future missions. In 2001, DS-1 returned the best pictures and other...	October 24, 1998	Past
ExoMars - The European Space Agency plans for the ExoMars rover to grind samples of Martian soil to fine powder and deliver them to a suite of analytical instruments, including Urey...	2013	Under Study
Galileo - The Galileo mission produced a string of discoveries about asteroids, a fragmented comet, Jupiter's atmosphere, Jupiter's magnetic environment, and especially about the...	October 18, 1989	Past
Genesis - The Genesis mission was designed to collect samples of the charged particles in the solar wind and return them to Earth laboratories for detailed analysis. This mission is...	August 08, 2001	Past
GRAIL - The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission is a proposed Discovery Program mission to study the lunar interior. This mission is part of SMD's Discovery...	September 08, 2011	Under Study
Hayabusa - The Hayabusa (formerly Muses-C) mission is to collect a surface sample of material from the small asteroid and return the sample to Earth for analysis....	May 09, 2003	Operating
ILN - International Lunar Net-work (ILN), aims to provide an organizing theme for all landed science missions in the 2010s by involving each landed station as a node in a...	2013	Under Study
Juno - The Juno mission is the next scientific investigation in the NASA New Frontiers Program. The mission's primary science goal is to significantly improve our understanding of...	August 11, 2011	Development
LADEE - Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is a NASA mission that will orbit the Moon and its main objective is to characterize the atmosphere and lunar dust...	2011	Under Study
Lunar Prospector - Lunar Prospector was the third of NASA's Discovery missions. The project mapped the chemical composition of the lunar surface and the Moon's global magnetic and gravity...	January 07, 1998	Past
Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter - The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is the first mission in NASA's plan to return to the moon and then to travel to Mars and beyond. This mission is part of SMD's Robotic...	April 24, 2009	Development
Magellan - The Magellan mission scientific objectives were to study land forms and tectonics, impact processes, erosion, deposition, chemical processes, and model the interior of...	May 04, 1989	Past
Mariner Missions - Between 1962 and 1973, NASA designed and built 10 spacecraft named Mariner to explore the inner solar system – visiting the planets Mercury, Venus, and Mars for the first...	July 21, 1962	Past
Mars 2016 - In 2016, the Astrobiology Field Laboratory (AFL), a pair of Mid-Rovers, or a set of three to four long-lived landers is planned for launch with the results of MRO’s and...	2016	Under Study
Mars Climate Orbiter - Mars Climate Orbiter was designed to function as an interplanetary weather satellite and a communications relay for Mars Polar Lander. This mission is part of the Mars...	December 11, 1998	Past
Mars Exploration Rover - Opportunity - The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity landed at on a flat plain known as Meridiani Planum on Mars in January 2004. It carries a sophisticated set of instruments that allow...	July 07, 2003	Operating
Mars Exploration Rover - Spirit - Mars Exploration Rover Spirit landed in Gusev crater on Mars in January 2004. The rover carries a sophisticated set of instruments that allow it to search for evidence of...	June 10, 2003	Operating
Mars Express (ASPERA-3) - Mars Express is exploring the atmosphere and surface of Mars from polar orbit. The mission's main objective is to search for sub-surface water from orbit and deploy a lander...	June 02, 2003	Operating
Mars Global Surveyor - Mars Global Surveyor is returning an unprecedented amount of data regarding Mars' surface features, atmosphere, and magnetic properties. Scientists are using the data...	November 07, 1996	Past
Mars Missions Beyond 2009 - NASA is developing a long-term Mars exploration program that charts a course for the next two decades. This visionary program will build on scientific discoveries from past...	January 01, 2011	Under Study
Mars Observer - Mars Observer was designed to study the geoscience and climate of Mars. This mission is part of SMD's Mars Exploration...	September 25, 1992	Past
Mars Odyssey - The 2001 Mars Odyssey is an orbiter carrying science experiments designed to make global observations of Mars to improve our understanding of the planet's climate and...	April 07, 2001	Operating
Mars Pathfinder - Mars Pathfinder launched December 2, 1996 and arrived on the surface of Mars on July 4, 1997. The mission was an engineering demonstration of key technologies and concepts...	December 04, 1996	Past
Mars Polar Lander - The Mars Polar Lander was to touch down on the southern polar layered terrain and record local meteorological conditions near the martian south pole. This mission is part of...	January 03, 1999	Past
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) - The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) will seek to find out about the history of water on Mars with its science instruments. They will zoom in for extreme close-up...	August 12, 2005	Operating
Mars Science Laboratory - NASA proposes to develop and to launch a roving long-range, long-duration science laboratory that will be a major leap in surface measurements and pave the way for a future...	October 01, 2011	Development
Mars Science Orbiter - The Mars Science Orbiter (MSO) is a major infrastructure component for the next decade of Mars exploration. This mission is part of SMD's Mars Exploration...		Under Study
Mars Scout 13 - In the first round of the Mars Scout 2006 competition, two missions for 2011 were selected from 26 proposals for further evaluation in a concept study phase. The selected...	2013	Under Study
MESSENGER - MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) is a scientific investigation of the planet Mercury, the least explored terrestrial planet. This...	August 03, 2004	Operating
NEAR-Shoemaker - As the first spacecraft to orbit and land on an asteroid, the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Shoemaker mission continues to answer fundamental questions about the nature and...	February 17, 1996	Past
New Horizons - The New Horizons Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission will help us understand worlds at the edge of our solar system, by making the first reconnaissance of Pluto and Charon. The mission...	January 19, 2006	Operating
Phoenix - Phoenix seeks to verify the presence of the Martian Holy Grail: water and habitable conditions....	August 04, 2007	Operating
Pioneer 10 & 11 - These Pioneer missions traveled through the asteroid belt to observe Jupiter, Saturn and continue on to the outer solar...	March 03, 1972	Past
Pioneer Venus Missions - Pioneer Venus consisted of two spacecraft to study Venus: the Orbiter and the...	May 20, 1978	Past
Ranger - The Ranger project of the 1960s was the first U.S. effort to launch probes directly toward the Moon. The spacecraft were designed to relay pictures and other data as they...	August 22, 1961	Past
Rosetta - The Rosetta Orbiter will study the origin of comets, the relationship between cometary and interstellar material and its implications with regard to the origin of the Solar...	March 02, 2004	Operating
Stardust - Stardust is the first U.S. space mission dedicated solely to the exploration of a comet, and the first robotic mission designed to return extraterrestrial material from...	February 07, 1999	Past
Stardust-NExT - STARDUST-NExT - short for “New Exploration of Tempel-1” is a follow-on mission for STARDUST This mission is part of SMD's Discovery...		Operating
Surveyor - Surveyor succeeded the Ranger program. Its primary focus was engineering work in preparation for Apollo, specifically soft landings and lifting off from the moon's...	May 29, 1966	Past
Viking 1 - 2 - Two Viking spacecraft, each composed of an orbiter and a lander, flew to Mars in the mid 1970's. They measured atmospheric water vapor, did chemical analysis of the soil, and...	August 20, 1975	Past

[Editor's Note: This listing is current as of March, 2009.]