http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions SMD sponsors and conducts flight missions ranging from suborbital projects to interplanetary probes and flagship observatories. daily 1 2007-12-28T12:54:31Z http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 atmosphere (mesosphere) over the Earth's poles has been increasing over the past couple of decades, and it is hypothesized that this results from increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases at high altitudes. AIM will determine the connection between the clouds and their environment and lead to the study of long-term changes in the upper atmosphere and global climate change. This mission is part of the Heliophysics Explorers Program. This mission is part of the Explorers Program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-11-10T18:50:49Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/ace Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) observes particles of solar, interplanetary, interstellar, and galactic origins, spanning the energy range from solar wind ions to galactic cosmic ray nuclei. This mission is part of SMD's Explorers Program. This mission is part of SMD's Heliophysics Explorers program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-07-23T19:47:46Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 a teaspoon) of salt in 1 gallon of water. By measuring SSS over the globe with such unprecedented precision, Aquarius will answer long-standing questions about how our oceans respond to climate change and the water cycle. This mission is part of the Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. This mission is part of SMD's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-08-28T14:18:31Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 is to study the chemistry and dynamics of the Earth's atmosphere with emphasis on the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (0-30km) by employing multiple instruments on a single satellite. The satellite's measurements enable scientists to investigate questions about ozone trends, air quality changes and their linkages to climate change. These observations provide accurate data for predictive models and provide useful information for local and national government agencies. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-08-26T15:34:35Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 Comet Tempel 1. The spacecraft consists of two main sections, the 370 kg copper-core "smart impactor" which impacted the comet, and the "flyby" section, which imaged the comet from a safe distance during the encounter. After imaging the comet, in early July 2005 the larger “flyby” spacecraft pointed high-precision tracking telescopes at Tempel 1 and released the “impactor” spacecraft into the comet’s path for a planned collision to the icy body’s sunlit side. This mission is part of SMD's Discovery program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-05-15T15:02:04Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 (called Huygens, provided by the European Space Agency) to Titan, and has remained in orbit around Saturn. This mission is part of SMD's Solar System Exploration Program. This mission is part of SMD's Outer Planets Flagship program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-11-22T13:17:43Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/cgro Compton Gamma Ray Observatory mission studied very energetic celestial phenomena: solar flares, cosmic gamma-ray bursts, pulsars, nova and supernova explosions, accreting black holes of stellar dimensions, quasar emission, and interactions of cosmic rays with the interstellar medium. Compton left a legacy of outstanding science and revolutionized our knowledge of the gamma ray sky. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-12T18:09:16Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/fast Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST) studies the detailed plasma physics of the Earth's auroral regions. Ground support campaigns coordinate satellite measurements with ground observations of the Aurora Borealis, commonly referred to as the Northern Lights. The science instruments on board FAST are helping scientists to learn about the interaction of the solar wind with Earth's magnetosphere. This mission is part of SMD's Heliophysics Explorers program. This mission is part of SMD's Explorers Program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-10-01T17:03:38Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/cluster 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 surprising results. This mission is part of SMD's Heliophysics Research program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T19:25:04Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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, supernovas, and dark matter, to increase our understanding of the origin, evolution, and destiny of the universe. This mission is part of SMD's Physics of the Cosmos program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-10-29T15:09:55Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 high-resolution plasma, magnetic, and electric field measurements in several regions not adequately covered by any of the existing ISTP missions. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T19:40:20Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 observations have also been used to determine how human activities such as the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and the burning of fossil fuels affect Earth's radiation balance. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-04T15:50:05Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/glast 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 different from the one we perceive with our own eyes. With a huge leap in all key capabilities, Fermi data will enable scientists to answer persistent questions across a broad range of topics, including supermassive black-hole systems, pulsars, the origin of cosmic rays, and searches for signals of new physics. This mission is part of SMD's Physics of the Cosmos program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-11-20T14:16:57Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 probe the era when stars and galaxies started to form; it will also address many other astronomical questions. This mission is part of SMD's Cosmic Origins program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-15T23:53:55Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 land topography and vegetation characteristics. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:26:56Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 ultraviolet survey. This mission is part of SMD's Astrophysics Explorers program. This mission is part of SMD's Explorers program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T20:16:39Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 tail of the Earth's magnetosphere. The information gathered is allowing scientists to model and more accurately predict Earth-Sun interactions and their effects on space exploration, communications and technology systems. This mission is part of SMD's Heliophysics Research program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T10:00:27Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 gathered from this mission both to learn about the Earth by comparing it to Mars, and to build a comprehensive data set to aid in planning future missions. This mission is part of SMD's Mars Exploration program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T20:03:03Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/hst 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 helped move black holes from theory to fact. It has recorded over 100,000 images in the past eight years. This mission is part of SMD's Cosmic Origins program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-11-20T14:16:28Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 information about processes and structures in white-dwarf stars, X-ray binaries, neutron stars, pulsars and black holes. This mission is part of SMD's Astrophysics Explorers program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-11-14T16:25:09Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 Ceres are the result of the asteroids being formed and evolving in different parts of the solar system. By observing both asteroids with the same set of instruments, Dawn would probe the early solar system as well as determine in detail the properties of each asteroid. This mission is part of SMD's Discovery Program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-12-29T14:22:51Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 of the flow of energy, mass and momentum in the solar-terrestrial environment with particular emphasis on geospace. This mission is part of SMD's Heliophysics Research program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-06-20T12:52:20Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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. NASA funds U.S. science participation on the mission. No publisher vbutcher 2008-08-13T17:03:26Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 the state of the atmosphere, land, and oceans, as well as their interactions with solar radiation and with one another. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-11-05T19:33:27Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 variations that influence life on Earth and our technological systems. The mission's objectives are to understand the production of the Sun's magnetic field and its conversion into solar activity, as well as predicting solar activity. No publisher vbutcher 2009-08-26T16:18:31Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 explosive energy release in these energetic events in the Sun's atmosphere. This is accomplished by imaging spectroscopy of X-rays and gamma-rays with unprecedented spectral, spatial and temporal resolution. This mission is part of SMD's Heliophysics Explorers program. This mission is part of SMD's Explorers Program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T20:10:13Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 the European Space Agency and NASA. This mission is part of SMD's Heliophysics Research program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-01-12T23:52:09Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 WISE will study are asteroids, the coolest and dimmest stars, and the most luminous galaxies. This mission is part of SMD's Astrophysics Explorers program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-09-21T14:07:54Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/hinode 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 consists of a coordinated set of optical, EUV and X-ray instruments that are studying the interaction between the Sun's magnetic field and its high temperature. The result will be an improved understanding of the mechanisms which give rise to solar magnetic variability and how this variability modulates the total solar output and creates the driving force behind space weather. This mission is part of SMD's Solar Terrestrial Probes program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-08-26T15:43:49Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 from Earth's radiated heat, Spitzer has detected several distant objects, including several supermassive black holes, that are nearly invisible in even the deepest images from telescopes operating at other wavelengths. This mission is part of SMD's Cosmic Origins program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-07-08T14:15:25Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/suzaku 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 conditions. This mission is part of SMD's Astrophysics Explorers program. This mission was awarded via the Missions of Opportunity program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-12T15:00:55Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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. THEMIS will fly five microsatellite probes through different regions of the magnetosphere and observe the onset and evolution of storms. THEMIS will determine the causes of the global reconfigurations of the Earth's magnetosphere that are evidenced in auroral activity. This mission is part of SMD's Heliophysics Explorers Program. This mission is part of SMD's Explorers Program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-12-15T13:49:10Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T18:55:04Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 temporal resolution. This mission is part of SMD's Heliophysics Explorers program. This mission is part of SMD's Explorers Program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T20:14:38Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/timed Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) explores the energy transfer into and out of the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere/Ionosphere (MLTI) region of the Earth's atmosphere. This mission is part of SMD's Solar Terrestrial Probes Program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-03-18T15:35:04Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/fuse Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) studies the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum from high orbit. This range provides an opportunity to answer important questions about many types of astrophysical objects, such as the nuclear regions of active galaxies and quasars, massive stars, supernovae, planetary nebulae, and the outer atmospheres of cool stars and planets. This mission is part of SMD's Astrophysics Explorers program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T17:08:23Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/mars-rovers 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 it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. This mission is part of SMD's Mars Exploration program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-08-26T16:10:05Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 bursts are the largest known explosions in the Universe, outshining the rest of the Universe when they explode unpredictably in distant galaxies, their underlying nature and the cause of the explosion are true mysteries of astrophysics. This mission is part of SMD's Astrophysics Explorers program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-11-20T20:55:35Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 and the other lagging Earth in its orbit. The spacecraft carries instrumentation for solar imaging and for in-situ sampling of the solar wind. No publisher vbutcher 2009-10-06T20:38:42Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/wmap Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)
 produced the earliest “baby picture” of the universe, showing the minute temperature variations within the microwave light produced when the Universe was about 400,000 years old. These data provided a wealth of information about the Universe and its structure, and marked the coming of age of cosmology as a “precision science.” This mission is part of SMD's Astrophysics Explorers program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T09:31:24Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/mars-express 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 onto the Martian surface. No publisher vbutcher 2009-01-13T15:50:14Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 geologic history, including the search for water and evidence of life-sustaining environments. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-05T15:00:21Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter 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 photography of the martian surface to analyze minerals, look for subsurface water, trace how much dust and water are distributed in the atmosphere, monitor daily global weather, and bridge the gap between surface observations and measurements from orbit. This mission is part of SMD's Mars Exploration program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-11-05T15:45:00Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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) on changes in the Earth's climate. Understanding these components will provide the international science community with a more comprehensive data set that is essential for a better understanding of the Earth's climatic processes. This mission is part of the Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. This mission is part of SMD's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:06:10Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 first satellites to study clouds on a global basis. This mission is part of SMD's Earth System Science Pathfinder program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-11-14T16:20:35Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 objectives are: to improve ongoing efforts to predict climate by providing near-global measurement of precipitation, its distribution, and physical processes; to improve the accuracy of weather and precipitation forecasts through more accurate measurement of rain rates and latent heating; and to provide more frequent and complete sampling of the Earth's precipitation. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-12T15:46:50Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 with an efficient and cost-effective way to map the Earth's gravity fields with unprecedented accuracy. The results from this mission yield crucial information about the distribution and flow of mass within the Earth and it's surroundings. This mission is part of SMD's Earth System Science Pathfinder program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:25:21Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 instruments to observe the Earth's oceans, atmosphere, land, ice and snow covers, and vegetation, providing high measurement accuracy, spatial detail, and temporal frequency. This comprehensive approach to data collection enables scientists to study the interactions among the four spheres of the Earth system--the oceans, land, atmosphere, and biosphere. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-10-14T15:17:20Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 Jason-1 satellite carries a radar altimeter, and it is a follow-on mission to the highly successful TOPEX/Poseidon mission, that measured ocean surface topography to an accuracy of 4.2 cm, enabled scientists to forecast the 1997-1998 El Nino, and improved understanding of ocean circulation and its effect of global climate. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:28:08Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 areas with global coverage on a seasonal basis. It covers the United States every 16 days. Operations were transferred to USGS on Fall 2000. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:30:49Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 long-term data sets to monitor the motion of the Earth's tectonic plates; measure the Earth's gravitational field; measure the "wobble" in the Earth's axis of rotation; and better determine the length of an Earth day. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-19T11:26:09Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/eo-1 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 significant reduction in cost of follow-on Landsat missions. The future of Earth science measurements requires that spacecraft have even greater capabilities packaged in more compact and lower cost spacecraft. To this end, EO-1 tests, for the first time, five new technologies that will enable new or more cost-effective approaches to conducting science missions in the 21st Century. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:43:25Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 "quick recovery" mission to help reduce the ocean-wind vector data gap created by the loss of the NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) on the Japanese Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS), which ceased functioning when ADEOS failed on June 30, 1997. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:52:10Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/seawinds 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 Earth's oceans. This is a twin sister to the QuikSCAT sensor and flies on the Japanese ADEOS-II Spacecraft to provide similar observations beyond the QuikSCAT mission. As the only remote-sensing system to provide accurate, frequent, high-resolution measurements of ocean surface wind velocities, under all weather conditions, scatterometers play an increasingly important role in oceanographic, meteorological and climatic studies. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:55:28Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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. The measurements provided by SORCE specifically address long-term climate change, natural variability and enhanced climate prediction, and atmospheric ozone and UV-B radiation. These measurements are critical to studies of the Sun, its effect on our Earth system, and its influence on humankind. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T19:30:08Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 spatial variations of both fields also their variability with time. The CHAMP mission will open a new era in geopotential research and will become a significant contributor to the Decade of Geopotentials. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:07:13Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/goes-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 modernization program. These missions are part of the GOES / POES program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:24:11Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/npoes The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) is a satellite system used to monitor global environmental conditions, and collect and disseminate data related to weather, atmosphere, oceans, land and near-space environment. This mission is part of the GOES/POES program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:47:14Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 global environmental monitoring including predicting hurricane intensification, improving tide models, mapping deep ocean bathymetry, monitoring and forecasting El Niño Southern Oscillation, measuring the rate of global sea level rise, and charting surface currents. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-06-20T14:36:06Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 address NASA's highest priority carbon cycle measurement requirement. OCO will generate precise global maps of the abundance of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will then analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the distribution of CO2 in the atmosphere This mission is part of SMD's Earth System Science Pathfinder program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-03-13T17:31:44Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/sage-3 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 (NASA) and the Russian Space Agency (RSA). The SAGE III instrument is one of nine experiments on the Russian Meteor-3M (1) spacecraft. It provides accurate, long-term measurements of ozone, aerosols, water vapor and other key parameters of Earth's atmosphere. These observations are crucial for providing a better understanding of how natural processes and human activities may influence our climate. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:53:52Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 2000, SRTM collected an unprecedented 8.6 Terabytes of interferometric C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data (equivalent to about 14,317 CDs). This would be the most accurate and complete topographic map of Earth's surface that has ever been assembled. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:58:03Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/toms 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 the Earth's atmospheric ozone. This NASA-developed instrument, measures ozone indirectly by mapping ultraviolet light emitted by the Sun to that scattered from the Earth's atmosphere back to the satellite. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T20:01:12Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 achievement was to determine the patterns of ocean circulation - how heat stored in the ocean moves from one place to another. Another of the mission's major accomplishments was to develop the most accurate ever global ocean tide models. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T20:02:50Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 variety of chemicals, including carbon dioxide, ozone, chlorine, methane, nitrogen oxides and chlorofluorocarbons. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T20:04:47Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 properties, and spatial and temporal distributions of aerosols. The other is to continue collection of total solar irradiance data for the long-term climate record. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-08-26T15:41:44Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 Earth's land surface. The Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 directs NASA and USGS to assess various system development and management options for a satellite system to succeed Landsat 7. NASA and USGS are working together on the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) to meet this goal, and to ensure continued collection of Landsat data. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T19:30:33Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/ats The Applications Technology Satellite series was a set of 6 NASA spacecraft created to explore & flight test new technologies and techniques for communications, meteorological and navigation satellites. No publisher vbutcher 2008-08-28T14:31:20Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/essa The Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) Satellite Program provided cloud-cover photography to the American National Meteorological Center from 1966 – 1972. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-13T16:35:49Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 scientific community’s knowledge of the Earth’s atmosphere, land surface and ecosystems, weather, and oceanography. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-01T19:16:46Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/tiros TIROS spacecraft were the beginning of a long series of polar-orbiting meteorological satellites. The objective was to establish a global weather satellite system. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T18:50:07Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/sms The Synchronous Meterological Satellites were the first operational spacecrafts to sense meteorological conditions from a fixed location. They carried instrumentation for visible and international remote imaging, collection of data from automated remote platforms, relay of weather products (WEFAX), and measurement of a number of characteristics of the near space environment. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T18:23:51Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 orbit. This mission is part of SMD's Heliophysics Research program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T18:57:28Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/wind Wind studies the solar wind and its impact on the near-Earth environment. This mission is part of SMD's Heliophysics Research program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-11-18T16:23:07Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/cindi 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 Communication/Navigation Outage Forecast System (C/NOFS) satellite, a project of the United States Air Force. This mission is part of SMD's Heliophysics Explorers program. This mission was awarded via the Missions of Opportunity program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-07-28T14:32:13Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 the stars, forming a shock front. This mission is part of SMD's Explorers Program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-10-15T14:07:10Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/mms The Magnetospheric Multiscale mission will determine the small-scale basic plasma processes which transport, accelerate and energize plasmas in thin boundary and current layers – and which control the structure and dynamics of the Earth's magnetosphere. MMS will for the first time measure the 3D structure and dynamics of the key magnetospheric boundary regions, from the subsolar magnetopause to the distant tail. This mission is part of SMD's Solar Terrestrial Probes program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-05-11T20:21:26Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/st6 ST6 consists of two technologies onboard two different spacecrafts: Autonomous Sciencecraft Constellation and Inertial Stellar Compass. No publisher vbutcher 2008-04-10T14:23:21Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/twins 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 belts and other energetic charged particles. This mission is part of SMD's Explorers Program. This mission is part of SMD's Heliophysics Explorers program. These missions were awarded via the Missions of Opportunity program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-11-14T16:23:15Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/de The Dynamics Explorer Plasma Wave Investigator mission's general objective was to investigate the strong interactive processes coupling the hot, tenuous, convecting plasmas of the magnetosphere and the cooler, denser plasmas and gases corotating in the earth's ionosphere, upper atmosphere, and plasmasphere. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-13T17:08:23Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 and on the Sun, which in turn change the solar wind. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-05T14:18:39Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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, the structure of the solar wind and the nature of cosmic rays. No publisher vbutcher 2009-09-10T16:22:50Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 X-ray cosmic background, and energetic neutral atoms. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T18:04:54Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/sampex The Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer is investigating the composition of local interstellar matter and solar material and the transport of magnetospheric charged particles into the Earth's atmosphere. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T18:06:13Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/st5 Space Technology 5 (ST5) flight tested its miniaturized satellites and innovative technologies in the harsh environment of Earth's magnetosphere. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T18:36:32Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 atmosphere. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T18:27:16Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/spartan 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 Ultraviolet Coronal Spectrometer (UVCS) and the White Light Coronagraph (WLC). Spartan 201 was launched aboard the Space Shuttle five times.
 No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-13T19:54:36Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/starshine NASA deployed three Starshine satellites, which were designed by the US Naval Research Laboratory and built by a coalition of volunteers. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T18:42:58Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 (extreme ultraviolet) irradiance measurements. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T18:48:24Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/tss The Tethered Satellite System (TSS) consists of a satellite, a conducting tether, and a tether deployment/retrieval system to be flown on the Space Shuttle. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T12:35:18Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T19:09:30Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 mission is part of SMD's Physics of the Cosmos program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-04-13T20:04:36Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/constellation-x 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 accretion disks around black holes in active galactic nuclei and in binary X-ray sources, to measure the population of newly created elements in supernova remnants, and to detect the influence of dark matter on the hot intergalactic medium in clusters of galaxies. This mission is part of the Beyond Einstein Program. This mission is part of SMD's Physics of the Cosmos program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-05-29T13:49:14Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 expected to reveal new information about the earliest, most distant stars and galaxies, as well as those closer to home in space and time. It will also take a unique look at our own Solar System. This mission is part of SMD's Cosmic Origins program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-07-07T19:10:17Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 Exoplanet Exploration program. This mission is part of SMD's Discovery program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-08-26T15:52:08Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 mission is part of the Physics of the Cosmos Program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T15:15:44Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 from the twin telescope mirrors to make high resolution measurements of stars and galaxies and to measure the emission from dust orbiting nearby stars. This mission is part of SMD's Exoplanet Exploration program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-03-26T16:28:10Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 a major source of information relevant to several cosmological and astrophysical issues, such as testing theories of the early universe and the origin of cosmic structure. This mission is part of SMD's Physics of the Cosmos program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-10-28T14:24:05Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/st-7 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 space. No publisher vbutcher 2008-04-10T14:39:56Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/sofia SOFIA is an airborne observatory that will study the universe in the infrared spectrum. This mission is part of SMD's Cosmic Origins program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-11-19T21:31:08Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 the first satellite to use CCDs for X-ray astronomy. No publisher vbutcher 2008-08-28T14:20:05Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 flown on the space shuttle Columbia (STS-35) on December 2-11, 1990, as part of the ASTRO-1 payload. No publisher vbutcher 2008-08-28T14:52:04Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 environment. No publisher vbutcher 2009-11-19T14:17:48Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 the Sun. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-03T20:46:49Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 flew successfully in January 1993 as a shuttle cargo bay attached payload. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-04T15:02:07Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 70 - 760 Angstroms. The science payload consisted of three grazing incidence scanning telescopes and an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrometer/deep survey instrument. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-04T16:16:56Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/sim SIM PlanetQuest (formerly called Space Interferometry Mission), will determine the positions of stars and planets several hundred times more accurately than any previous program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-04-21T14:18:52Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 dust and gas around newly forming stars to their suitability as abodes for life. No publisher vbutcher 2009-04-29T13:13:33Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/keck 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 make high resolution measurements of stars and galaxies and to measure the emission from dust orbiting nearby stars. This mission is part of SMD's Exoplanet Exploration program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-03-26T16:30:13Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/gravity-probe-b 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 by general relativity. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T17:09:16Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 the size of the satellite’s orbit - about 40,000 kilometers. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-04T20:18:53Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/hete-2 The High Energy Transient Explorer is a small scientific satellite designed to detect and localize gamma-ray bursts. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-04T20:34:52Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/hipparcos Hipparcos was a European Space Agency mission dedicated to the precise measurement of the positions, parallaxes and proper motions of the stars. No publisher vbutcher 2009-08-06T13:46:16Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 orbiter for the flight in space. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-05T14:12:27Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 exploration of the universe ranging from objects in the solar system to the most distant extragalactic sources. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-05T15:07:26Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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. Astronomers came to the Telescope Operations Center and directed their observations while observatory staff members commanded the instrument and read down the data in real time. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-05T15:18:23Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 jet transport aircraft with a range of 6000 nautical miles, capable of conducting research operations to 45000 feet (14 km). No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-05T15:40:22Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 stars, the structure of galaxies, and the nature of the interstellar medium. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-13T16:47:10Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/rosat The ROentgen SATellite, was an X-ray observatory developed through a cooperative program between the Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T17:59:56Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/swas The Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) instrument is a submillimeter wave telescope that incorporates dual heterodyne radiometers and an acousto-optical spectrometer to investigate the composition of dense interstellar clouds. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T18:47:08Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/astro The "Astro Observatory" was developed as a system of telescopes that could fly multiple times on the space shuttle. No publisher vbutcher 2008-08-28T14:20:17Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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, plasmas, and energetic particles inside the Earth's magnetosphere. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-13T16:38:02Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 observatory containing a telescope and appropriate focal plane instruments. This mission is part of SMD's Physics of the Cosmos program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-25T17:50:32Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/messenger MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) is a scientific investigation of the planet Mercury, the least explored terrestrial planet. This mission is part of SMD's Discovery program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-11-13T21:21:10Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 galaxies. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T19:07:50Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 subtropics of the Earth. These regions make up about two thirds of the total rainfall on Earth and are responsible for driving our weather and climate system. TRMM will contribute to a better understanding of where and how much the winds blow, where the clouds form and rain occurs, where floods and droughts will occur, and how the winds drive the ocean currents. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T20:03:47Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 will then visit one or more Kuiper Belt Objects, in the region beyond Neptune. This mission is part of the New Frontiers program. This mission is part of SMD's Solar System Exploration Program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-05T02:29:43Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 System. This mission is part of SMD's Solar System Exploration Program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T18:03:55Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 outside the orbit of the Moon. This mission is part of SMD's Discovery Program. This mission is part of SMD's Solar System Exploration Program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-27T19:26:04Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 from Earth and the Sun than Pluto is and approaching the boundary region -- the heliopause -- where the Sun's dominance of the environment ends and interstellar space begins. This mission is part of the Outer Planets Flagship program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-10-21T15:27:00Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 the formation and structure of Jupiter. No publisher vbutcher 2009-07-30T14:54:25Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/msl 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 sample return mission. The mission will also demonstrate the technology for "smart landers" with accurate landing and hazard avoidance, in order to reach what may be very promising but difficult-to-reach scientific sites. No publisher vbutcher 2009-08-26T16:11:31Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/phoenix Phoenix seeks to verify the presence of the Martian Holy Grail: water and habitable conditions. No publisher vbutcher 2009-11-20T15:23:07Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 environment of outer space. Clementine also completed the complex task of mapping the moon. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-03T21:00:54Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T20:07:42Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 scientific data ever collected at a comet. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-04T13:49:58Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 geologic diversity of Jupiter's four largest moons. This mission is part of SMD's Outer Planets Flagship program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-16T00:02:13Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 part of SMD's Discovery program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-04-10T17:36:10Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 magnetosphere. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-13T17:11:23Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/lenoid-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 atmosphere. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-05T17:05:30Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 fields at a level of detail greater than that achieved by previous missions. This mission is part of SMD's Discovery Program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-05T17:34:40Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/magellan The Magellan mission scientific objectives were to study land forms and tectonics, impact processes, erosion, deposition, chemical processes, and model the interior of Venus. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-05T18:06:12Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 time, and returning to Venus and Mars for additional close observations. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-05T18:44:35Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/mars-observer Mars Observer was designed to study the geoscience and climate of Mars. This mission is part of SMD's Mars Exploration program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-24T17:04:13Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 for use in future missions to Mars; it also delivered science instruments to the surface of Mars to investigate the structure of the martian atmosphere, surface meteorology, surface geology, form, and structure, and the elemental composition of martian rocks and soil. A small, 10-kilogram (22-pound) rover was carried on the Pathfinder and became the first rover ever to explore the Martian surface. No publisher vbutcher 2009-11-20T19:53:41Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-05T18:51:00Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 SMD's Mars Exploration program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-12T14:26:10Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/near 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 origin of near-Earth objects. This mission is part of SMD's Discovery Program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T17:49:40Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/pioneer-10-11 These Pioneer missions traveled through the asteroid belt to observe Jupiter, Saturn and continue on to the outer solar system. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-13T19:58:04Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/pioneer-venus-orbiter Pioneer Venus consisted of two spacecraft to study Venus: the Orbiter and the Multiprobe. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T16:04:49Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 approached the Moon and finally crash-landed into its surface. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T17:58:21Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/surveyor-1-7 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 surface. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T18:44:42Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/viking 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 took photographs of the entire surface. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-20T12:30:28Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/maven Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution would study atmospheric gas escape from Mars to understand how the atmosphere has evolved and what effect atmospheric evolution has had on the planet’s climate and habitability. No publisher vbutcher 2009-04-09T14:23:04Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/moon-mineralogy-mapper 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 2008. This mission is part of SMD's Discovery Program. This mission is part of SMD's Discovery program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-10-24T14:47:22Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 water content, sea ice features, ocean features, ocean topography, and the marine geoid. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-06T18:07:31Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/radarsat Canada's Radarsat is a radar satellite featuring variable resolution, and different view angles at a number of preset positions. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-13T16:44:59Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/seastar 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 program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:54:39Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/goes-l GOES-4 advanced meteorologists’ capabilities by continuously profiling vertical temperature and water vapor. This major advancement permitted, for the first time, the monitoring of frame-to-frame movement of water vapor concentrations, a technique introduced by the European Meteosat-1 satellite. These missions are part of the GOES / POES program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-19T16:42:25Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 in response to variable inputs of energy from the Sun. No publisher vbutcher 2009-11-04T20:01:59Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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, scientists gathered new information to gain a better understanding of how the atmosphere reacts to natural and human-induced atmospheric changes. That knowledge helped us identify measures to keep our planet suitable for life for future generations. No publisher vbutcher 2008-08-28T14:21:12Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 Program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-06-25T12:57:10Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/space-environment-testbeds The Space Environment Testbeds (SET) Project performs flight and ground investigations to understand how the Sun/Earth interactions affect humanity. No publisher vbutcher 2008-04-10T15:04:16Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/adeos Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) was the first international space platform dedicated to Earth environmental research developed and managed by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) (The Japanese call her MIDORI). No publisher dpruitt 2008-08-28T14:11:03Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/mission.2007-08-30.9274228994 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 deployed, covers almost 12 metres. No publisher dpruitt 2008-03-04T15:56:45Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 distance from satellite to sea surface with a relative precision of about 5 cm. After a classified mission for the Navy, GEOSAT's scientific Exact Repeat Mission (ERM) began on 8 November 1986 after it was manoeuvred into a seventeen-day repeat orbit. No publisher dpruitt 2008-03-04T19:23:48Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/goes The launch of the prototype Synchronous Meteorological Satellite, SMS-A, in May 1974 inaugurated the series of geosynchronous satellites that has provided systematic, continuous observations of weather patterns. A second prototype, SMS-B, followed in February 1975. The GOES program formally began with the launch of the first operational spacecraft, GOES-A, in 1975, which was renamed GOES-1 when it reached orbit. These missions are part of the GOES / POES program. No publisher dpruitt 2008-03-19T14:15:29Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 natural resource utilization and for environmental protection. No publisher dpruitt 2008-03-06T13:28:35Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/moms The Modular Optoelectronic Multispectral Scanner (MOMS) is a scanning system (based on CCD technique) for airborne and predominantly spaceborne geoscientific remote sensing application. No publisher dpruitt 2008-03-19T15:57:20Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/noaa Since the 1960s, NASA has developed polar-orbiting environmental observation satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NOAA satellites carry instruments that observe our Earth and provide global data for NOAA's operational user requirements including short- and long-range weather forecasts. No publisher dpruitt 2008-03-11T13:53:25Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/sir 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 radar system will observe, monitor and assess large-scale environmental processes with a focus on climate change. No publisher dpruitt 2008-03-07T18:03:04Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/interagency-agreements NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) pursues partnerships with a wide variety of intra-NASA, federal, international, academic, and commercial organizations. These partnerships enable SMD to leverage others' resources to accomplish our common scientific goals. They also serve to fulfill national policy objectives, including reducing unnecessary overlap among agencies, and pursuing the peaceful use of space for the benefit of all mankind. On the larger scale, partnerships enable more of humanity to participate in the enterprise of scientific exploration and discovery. No publisher pbeal 2009-08-21T18:46:34Z Related Link http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 SMD's Astrophysics Explorers program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-03-17T17:07:04Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-30T19:50:32Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-09-11T14:06:45Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/oao The Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO) was a series of four satellites launched by NASA between 1966 and 1972. No publisher vbutcher 2008-02-25T14:29:06Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 Program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-04-07T19:48:21Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/planetary-protection-missions No publisher sgilbert 2008-04-02T19:10:25Z Related Link http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/solar-probe 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 mission is part of SMD's LWS Program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-01-12T23:56:04Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 environment. This mission is part of SMD's Robotic Lunar Exploration program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-08-26T15:57:28Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 system. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T19:47:56Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/desdyni The Deformation, Ecosystem Structure and Dynamics of Ice mission combines two sensors that, taken together, provide observations important for solid-Earth (surface deformation), ecosystems (terrestrial biomass structure) and climate (ice dynamics). This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-04-10T18:22:58Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 that will search for signs of life. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T12:44:21Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 geophysical network. This mission is part of SMD's Robotic Lunar Exploration program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-11T08:31:46Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 unprecedented resolution and detail. This mission is part of SMD's LWS program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-06-20T19:59:39Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 scientific advances and societal benefits. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-04-13T14:31:28Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/hyabusa 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. No publisher vbutcher 2008-03-10T16:45:24Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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. This mission is part of SMD's LWS program. No publisher vbutcher 2008-07-07T17:12:15Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 land topography and vegetation characteristics. This mission is part of SMD's Earth Systematic Missions program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-10-09T16:19:52Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/goes-r GOES-R satellites will comprise improved spacecraft and instrument technologies, which will result in more timely and accurate weather forecasts, and improve support for the detection and observations of meteorological phenomena that directly affect public safety, protection of property, and ultimately, economic health and development. This mission is part of the GOES / POES program. No publisher vbutcher 2009-02-18T17:05:51Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/goes-n-o-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 missions are part of the GOES / POES program. No publisher mmengele 2009-08-05T15:38:18Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 for imaging and measurement of the Earth's atmosphere, its surface, and cloud cover. Observations include information about Earth radiation, sea and land surface temperature, atmospheric vertical temperature, water vapor, and ozone profiles in the troposphere and stratosphere. This mission is part of the GOES/POES program. No publisher mmengele 2009-02-06T15:02:39Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. This mission is part of SMD's Mars Exploration program. No publisher mmengele 2009-11-20T20:13:17Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/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 Lunar Exploration program. No publisher mmengel 2009-10-14T14:33:26Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/mission-models-strategic-pi-led No publisher mmengel 2008-09-04T17:18:54Z Related Link http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/astro-h Astro-H will be Japan's sixth X-ray astronomy mission, and will be primarily developed at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA) in collaboration with NASA and Japanese institutions. No publisher vnolasco astrophysics DEVELOP 2009-07-09T19:41:44Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/operation-ice-bridge Operation Ice Bridge is a six-year airborne campaign designed to capture measurements of changes in polar ice sheets and sea ice during a gap in the space-based observations of ICESAT and ICESat II. No publisher mmengel 2009-10-13T17:09:14Z Science Mission http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/geospace-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 in response to variable inputs of energy from the Sun. No publisher vbutcher 2009-10-23T20:27:58Z Science Mission