Mission Control
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Image Name Short Description Launch Date Target
Artists's Conception of Cassini Saturn Orbit Insertion Cassini-Huygens Orbiting the ringed planet Saturn and its numerous moons, the Cassini spacecraft has been and continues to be a keystone of exploration of the Saturnian system and the properties of gaseous planets in our solar system. 10/15/1997 Saturn
Studying Land Deformation Deformation, Ecosystem Structure and Dynamics of Ice A proposed Earth satellite mission with the potential to identify likely earthquakes, volcanos and landslides, the Deformation, Ecosystem Structure and Dynamics of Ice, or DESDynI, mission will use specialized sensors to study land surface and climate changes. 2019 Earth
Comet Hartley 2 Gets a Visitor (Artist Concept) Deep Impact - EPOXI The EPOXI mission recycled the Deep Impact spacecraft, which had formerly visited comet Tempel 1, to visit a second comet, Hartley 2. 01/12/2005 comet Hartley 2
Artist's concept of Galaxy Evolution Explorer Galaxy Evolution Explorer The Galaxy Evolution Explorer, or GALEX, is an orbiting space telescope observing the universe in ultraviolet wavelengths to measure the history of star formation in the universe. 04/28/2003 Universe
GRAIL Artist's Rendition Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, mission was designed to create the most accurate gravitational map of the moon to date, which when combined with topographic data, can provide insight into the moon's internal structure, composition and evolution. 09/10/2011 Moon
Herschel Space Observatory Herschel Space Observatory A space-based telescope studying the universe in infrared light, the European Space Agency's Herschel mission is responsible for numerous findings about dark matter, galaxies and other cosmic mysteries. 05/14/2009 Universe
Keck Interferometer Keck Interferometer The Keck Interferometer is a ground-based instrument that combines the light from the twin Keck telescopes to create an instrument equal in power to an 85-meter telescope that can detect and study stars and planets beyond our solar system. 03/12/2001 Universe
Artist's concept of Mariner 4 Mariner 4 One of the great successes of the early American space program, the Mariner 4 mission journeyed to Mars -- making its closest approach on July 15, 1965 -- and took the first photos of another planet from space. 11/28/1964 Mars
Mariner Spacecraft Mariner 8 (Mariner H) Designed to be the first American spacecraft to study the Red Planet from a Martian orbit, Mariner 8 (also called Mariner H) fell victim to a malfunction in the stage's flight-control system shortly after launch. 05/08/1971 Mars
Artist's concept of Mariner 10 Mariner
9
10		 The first mission to employ gravity assit, or using the gravity of a planet to alter a spacecraft's speed and trajectory to fly by its target planet, the Mariner 10 mission flew by both Venus and Mercury, snapping photos and collecting data. 11/03/1973 Mercury, Venus
Artist concept of Mars Exploration Rover Mars Exploration Rover - Spirit One of two rovers launched in 2003 to explore Mars and search for signs of past life, Spirit far outlasted her planned 90-day mission. 06/10/2003 Mars
Mars Exploration Rover Mars Exploration Rover - Opportunity Opportunity was the second of the two rovers launched in 2003 to land on Mars and begin traversing the Red Planet in search of signs of past life. 07/07/2003 Mars
Mars Observer Spacecraft Mars Observer The Mars Observer was based on a commercial Earth-orbiting spacecraft and designed to study and take high-resolution photography of the Martian surface. 09/25/1992 Mars
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter over Nilosyrtis Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, or MRO, has studied the Red Planet's atmosphere and terrain from orbit since 2006 and also serves as a key data relay station for other Mars missions, including the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. 08/12/2005 Mars
Curiosity: The Next Mars Rover (Artist's Concept) Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover The Mars Science Laboratory mission's Curiosity rover, the most technologically advanced rover ever built, landed in Mars' Gale Crater the evening of Aug. 5 PDT (morning of Aug. 6 EDT) using a series of complicated landing maneuvers never before attempted. 11/26/2011 Mars
Ocean Surface Topography Mission / Jason 2 Ocean Surface Topography Mission / Jason 2 The Ocean Surface Topography Mission /Jason 2 is an Earth satellite designed to make observations of ocean topography for investigations into sea-level rise and the relationship between ocean circulation and climate change. 06/20/2008 Earth
InSight Lander InSight The InSight mission (formerly called GEMS), would place a lander on Mars that would be designed to drill beneath the surface and investigate the planet's deep interior to better understand Mars' evolution as a rocky planet. 03/2016 Mars
Hubble's Sees Clearly Now Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 Also known as "the camera that saved Hubble," the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, or WFPC2, served as the principal imaging instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope for 25-plus years, producing more than 135,000 of the most stunning photographs of the universe ever seen. 12/09/1993 Universe
Artist's concept of Space VLBI Space Very Long Baseline Interferometry The Space Very Long Baseline Interferometry is a network of space- and Earth-based radio antennas that combine to create the equivalent of a telescope with a diameter more than two-and-a-half times the diameter of Earth. 02/12/1997 Universe
Ranger 9 Ranger 9 Ranger 9 was the last of the Ranger series of spacecraft launched in the 1960s to explore the moon and was designed to image and impact the moon's crater Alphonsus, which was thought to be the site of recent lunar volcanic activity. 03/21/1965 Moon
Ranger 6 Ranger 6 Ranger 6 was principally designed to transmit high-resolution photographs of the moon before impacting the lunar surface and was part of the series of nine Ranger spacecraft launched in the early 1960s to explore the moon. 01/30/1964 Moon
Ranger Spacecraft Ranger 4 The Ranger 4 spacecraft, which was designed to collect data on interplanetary space, photograph the moon up close and make a rough landing on the lunar surface, was the first American spacecraft to reach another celestial body. 04/23/1962 Moon
The Pioneer Missions Pioneer 4 The Pioneer 4 mission was the second of two early attempts by the United States to send a spacecraft to the moon. 03/03/1959 Moon
The Planck Space Telescope Planck Designed to study ancient radiation from the big bang, the Planck space telescope is a European Space Agency mission that aims to better understand the origin of the universe and the formation of galaxies. 05/14/2009 Universe
Inertial Stellar Compass Inertial Stellar Compass A brainchild of the Space Technology 6 project, the Inertial Stellar Compass is a conceptual advanced navigation system designed to allow spacecraft of the future to operate more autonomously. To be determined To be determined
Europa Clipper mission Europa Clipper The Europa Clipper is a concept under study by NASA that would conduct detailed reconnaissance of Jupiter's moon Europa and would investigate whether the icy moon could harbor conditions suitable for life. To be determined Europa