Current Missions
-
IRIS (Joint Venture) →
The primary goal of the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) explorer mission, expected to be launched in December 2012, is to understand how the solar atmosphere is energized. The IRIS investigation combines advanced numerical modeling with a high-resolution ultraviolet imaging spectrograph. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance Sun-Earth connection studies by tracing the flow of energy and plasma.
-
Kepler
Kepler is NASA's first mission capable of finding Earth-size and smaller planets. The Kepler mission, scheduled to launch in 2009, will monitor the brightness of stars to find planets that pass in front of them during the planets' orbits. During such passes or 'transits,' the planets will slightly decrease the star's brightness.
-
Lunar Atmosphere Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE)
NASA’s LADEE mission will orbit the moon to characterize the atmosphere and lunar dust environment.
-
Mars Science Laboratory, the Next Mars Rover (Joint Venture)
The primary goal of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, expected to launch in late 2011, is to investigate whether conditions have been favorable for microbial life and for preserving clues about possible past life. This mission is preparing to set down a large, mobile laboratory - the rover Curiosity. During the 23 months after landing, Curiosity will analyze dozens of samples drilled from rocks or scooped from the ground as it explores with greater range than any previous Mars rover.
-
Small Satellite Missions
NASA's ability to rapidly develop and launch ground-breaking technologies into space just got more efficient and less expensive. NASA is pulling together engineers and scientist from across the country to develop and fly very small satellites, also called nanosatellites, in extremely short time frames.
-
SOFIA (Joint Venture)
The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a joint venture of the U.S. and German aerospace agencies, NASA and the DLR. The aircraft is supplied by the U.S., and the telescope by Germany. Modifications of the Boeing 747SP airframe to accommodate the telescope, mission-unique equipment and large external door were made by L-3 Communications Integrated Systems of Waco, Texas.
Future Missions
-
IRIS (Joint Venture) →
The primary goal of the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) explorer mission, expected to be launched in December 2012, is to understand how the solar atmosphere is energized. The IRIS investigation combines advanced numerical modeling with a high-resolution ultraviolet imaging spectrograph. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance Sun-Earth connection studies by tracing the flow of energy and plasma.
-
Lunar Atmosphere Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE)
NASA’s LADEE mission will orbit the moon to characterize the atmosphere and lunar dust environment.
Past Missions
-
Public to Help NASA, SETI Institute, Other Scientists Study Meteor Shower
An airborne mission to search for evidence of a comet's primordial crust and help improve meteor storm prediction models. On September 1, 2007, a team of 24 researchers will deploy from NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. to observe the rare Aurigid meteor shower, caused by a trail of 2000-year old dust from long-period comet C/1911 N1 (Kiess).
-
Galileo to Jupiter (included NASA Ames partnership)
Launched in 1989 aboard space shuttle Atlantis, Galileo explored Jupiter and its moons. Upon arrival at Jupiter in December 1995, the Galileo spacecraft delivered a probe that descended into the giant planet's atmosphere. The orbiter completed many flybys of Jupiter's major moons, reaping a variety of science discoveries. The mission ended on Sept. 21, 2003, when the spacecraft plunged into Jupiter's atmosphere.
-
GeneSat-1
The 11-pound (5-kilogram) GeneSat-1, carrying bacteria inside a miniature laboratory, was launched on Dec. 16, 2006. The very small NASA satellite has proven that scientists can quickly design and launch a new class of inexpensive spacecraft -- and conduct significant science.
