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Missions
Stardust is the first U.S. mission dedicated solely to a comet and will be the first to return extraterrestrial material from outside the orbit of the Moon. Stardust’s main objective is to capture a sample from a well-preserved comet called Wild-2 (pronounced “Vilt-2”).
Jason 1 is an oceanography mission to monitor global ocean circulation, study the ties between the oceans and atmosphere, improve global climate forecasts and predictions, and monitor events such as El Niño conditions and ocean eddies.
SeaWinds on Advanced Earth Observation Satellite 2. Radar study of near-surface ocean winds
Kepler, a NASA Discovery mission, is a spaceborne telescope designed to look for Earth-like planets around stars beyond our solar system. Scheduled to launch in 2007, Kepler will hunt for planets using a specialized one-meter diameter telescope called a photometer to measure the small changes in brightness caused by the transits.
Dawn’s goal is to characterize the conditions and processes of the solar system’s earliest epoch by investigating in detail two of the largest protoplanets remaining intact since their formations. Ceres and Vesta reside in the extensive zone between Mars and Jupiter together with many other smaller bodies, called the asteroid belt.
Smart Lander and Long-range Mars Rover, with landing and hazard avoidance capabilities. NASA is studying options to launch this mobile science laboratory mission as early as 2007.
Deep Impact is a spacecraft that will travel to comet Tempel 1 and release a small impactor, creating a hole in the side of the comet.
Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI). Provides high-resolution images of many faint objects over a wide field-of-view, including galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field with 10 times the Hubble resolution.
Hawaii’s Keck Observatory, World’s Largest Ground-Based Telescope.
Aerogel heat shield demonstration, Low-density comet catcher on Stardust mission to collect comet dust and sample return. Even insulating from a torch, the matches won’t heat up enough to ignite.
Comet Halley taken by the Giotto spacecraft in 1986
Deep Space 1 encounter with comet Borrelly
Ion Engine. This image of a xenon ion engine, photographed through a port of the vacuum chamber where it was being tested at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, shows the faint blue glow of charged atoms being emitted from the engine. Part of the advanced propulsion for Deep Space Probes.
Galileo Spacecraft, Mission to Jupiter and its moons
Ulysses to study the environment around the Sun’s north and south poles
Topex/Poseidon high-fidelity radar view of the changing heights of the seas
Cassini mission to Saturn. Onboard Cassini is a scientific probe called Huygens that will be released from the main spacecraft to parachute through the atmosphere to the surface of Saturn’s largest and most interesting moon, Titan, which is shrouded by an opaque atmosphere. Titan’s atmosphere includes organic compounds leading scientists to believe that the moon may be like a frozen vault of conditions similar to those on Earth before life began. The Cassini orbiter will also use imaging radar to map Titan’s surface.
Mars Global Surveyor low-altitude, nearly polar orbit over Mars studying the entire surface, atmosphere and interior
Venera 14, Camera II, Russian lander on Venus, courtesy, click here
Venera 14, Camera I, Russian lander on Venus, courtesy, click here
Venera 14, Camera II, Russian lander on Venus, courtesy, click here
Venera 13, Camera II, Russian lander on Venus, courtesy, click here
Venera 14, Camera I, Russian lander on Venus, courtesy, click here
Aura Concept to investigate terrestrial atmosphere including ozone and trace chemistry
Artist’s impression of ESA’s Cluster spacecraft. Credit: ESA
The magnetosphere – a natural protective bubble. Credit: ESA
This aerogel array, which was mounted atop the Stardust spacecraft, was used to collect interstellar dust particles as well as dust from the tail of comet Wild 2. Credit: Berkeley
Artist’s conception of Stardust spacecraft collecting dust from the tail of comet Wild 2. (NASA images)
In an experiment using a special air gun, particles shot into aerogel at high velocities leave carrot-shaped trails in the substance. Credit: Berkeley
Retrieving the stardust capsule
Venus conference cake
HMS Challenger. On 21 December 1872 the Challenger sailed from Portsmouth on a 3-year voyage of marine exploration which laid the foundations of oceanography.
Artist’s conception of the Mars Science Laboratory rover using ChemCam to analyze a rock. Image Credit: French Space Agency (CNES) and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Artist’s conception of the Mars Science Laboratory moving across the planet surface. Image credit:NASA
Lyon, France, location of the 2006 European workshop on Astrobiology
Artist’s concept of Mars Global Surveyor. Image credit: NASA/JPL
Smart dust is able to maneuver by changing shape. Roughening the surface causes increased drag on the smart dust particle and it floats higher in the air; conversely, smoothing out the surface causes the particle to sink.Credit: Glasgow University
his image shows one example of dust particle components that have a size of 63 mm cubed. Credit: UC Berkeley/Peter Menzel Photography
NASA’s Kepler mission will not only help in the search for extrasolar planets, butwill also study the rotation periods of the stars that host them.Credit: NASA
MIT postdoctoral associate Aaron Edsinger gets some help from Domo, an assistiverobot he has been developing for the last three years. Credit: Donna Coveney
An assistive robot has to be able to sense when a human is touching it. Domo hassprings in its arms, hands and neck that can sense force and respond to it. Credit: Donna Coveney
Image of the planet Jupiter’s moon, Io, as seen by the New Horizonsspacecraft. A plume from a huge volcanic eruption can be seen at thenorth pole of the moon. Click image to enlarge. Credit: NASA/JHUAPL
Conceptual drawing of a Mars base based on bio-power. A greenhouse, microbial fuel cells, and algal growing compartments are all visible. Image by Chris Lund (c) IntAct Labs
Schematic of a microbial fuel cell. Microbes in the anode compartment metabolize organic fuel (in this case glucose) and release electrons, ions and C02. In the cathode compartment Electrons combine with ions and oxygen to form water and close the circuit. (c) IntAct Labs
Schematic drawing showing the extent of the Zacatón sinkhole system. Credit: Marcus Gary
John Spear, in kayak, paddles out to greet DEPTHX as it is lowered into Cenote Zacatón. Credit: Henry Bortman
Cenote El Zacatón, the world´ deepest water-filled sinkhole. Credit: Art Palmer
Bacterial mats like this one cover the walls of the sinkholes in the Zacatón system. Credit: Marcus Gary
NASA’s Dawn mission will visit two of the first bodies formed in oursolar system: the “dwarf planet” Ceres and the massive asteroid Vesta.Credit: NASA
In this image, workers secure the attachments of the Dawn spacecraftonto the upper stage booster of the Delta II launch vehicle. Credit: NASA, George Shelton
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft is set to launch on July 7th from Cape Canaveral.Credit: NASA
Dawn spacecraft arrives at Pad-17B of the Cape Canaveral Air ForceStation. Next stop – asteroid belt. Credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
This is an image of Salmonella typhimurium. A strain of this bacteria was used totest the affects of spaceflight on microbes.Credit: University of Florida
STS-115 crew portrait. Astronauts Brent W. Jett, Jr. (right) and Christopher J.Ferguson, commander and pilot, respectively, flank the mission insignia. The missionspecialists are, from left to right, astronauts Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper,Joseph R. (Joe) Tanner, Daniel C. Burbank, and Steven G. MacLean.Credit: NASA
The salmonella experiment was flown aboard NASA’s space shuttle mission STS-115.Credit: NASA
Hyperion explores Devon Island in the Canadian high Arctic, autonomously positioning itself to obtain enough solar energy to continue operation.Credit: Carnegie Mellon University
Zoë makes tracks across Chile´ barren Atacama Desert, mapping the distribution of life in the driest place on Earth.Credit: Carnegie Mellon University
Researchers at a makeshift control center for Zoë, set up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, simulated the experience of commanding a rover as it explores a distant world.Credit: Carnegie Mellon University
The semi-autonomous robotic rover Zoë hunts for rocks in Chile´ Atacama Desert. Credit: Carnegie Mellon University
Zoë under construction at Carnegie Mellon University. Credit: Carnegie Mellon University.
This 2006 NASA-sponsored Desert RATS exercise in the Arizona desert studied how humans and robots might work together to explore an unknown world. Credit: Henry Bortman
An artist’s cross-section of Lake Vostok, the largest known subglacial lake in Antarctica. Liquid water is thought to take thousands of years to pass through the lake, which is the size of North America’s Lake Ontario. Image Credit: Nicolle Rager-Fuller / National Science Foundation
In developing his WSL robots, Dr. Hong took inspiration from amoebas, microscopic single-celled organisms that move by extending “pseudopods.”
An experiment to test the theory of using expanding and contracting rings to generate the novel motion of the amoeba robot. Credit: RoMeLa: Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory.
An early prototype built from measuring tapes and specialized springs known as shape-memory coils. Credit: RoMeLa: Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory.
Zoë, a robot configured to create geologic maps, explores the Mojave Desert near Amboy Crater, which is seen in the background on the right. credit: Henry Bortman
David Thompson, who wrote Zoë´ mapping software, communes with the robot over a wireless network. credit: David Thompson
credit: Henry Bortman
At the beginning of a traverse (l), Zoe´ map has minimal detail, but as it travels farther (r), it is able to make geological distinctions with more confidence. The dark blue line represents Zoe´ path through its target region. credit: David Thompson/Carnegie Mellon. The underlying grayscale image is based on ASTER data (credit: NASA).
The new images from MESSENGER show cliffs on Mercury’s surface that extend forhundreds of kilomters. This picture shows a large cliff crossing vertically throughthe scene, on the far right of the image. The width of this image is about 200 km.Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/CarnegieInstitution of Washington
This artist’s impression shows the types of molecules that Venus Express hasidentified in the planet’s lower atmosphere.Credits: C. Carreau, ESA
In 2011, NASA will launch two spacecraft that will orbit the Earth and sample theharsh radiation belt environment. The Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission willprovide scientists with the information they need to make predications about changesin this critical region of space.Credit: NASA
Biodesign Institute scientist John Chaput and his research team havemade the first self-assembled nanostructures composed entirely ofglycerol nucleic acid — a synthetic analog of DNA. The nanostructurescontain additional properties not found in natural DNA, including theability to form mirror image structures. The ability to make mirrorimage structures opens up new possibilities for nanotechnology.Credit: Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University
The only chemical difference between DNA and a synthetic cousin, GNA, isin the sugar molecule.Credit: Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University
UMan Working with a Wooden Toy. Credit: U Mass Amherst.
An array of printed transistors on plastic.Credit: Northwestern University
Cut-away illustration of the WEAVCredit: University of Florida
SnoMotes measure just two feet long and one foot wide, enabling their light weight bodies to traverse volatile terrain more effectively and without endangering scientists. Credit: University of Alaska Southeast/Alex Bogolepov
University of Alaska Southeast scientist Matt Heavner and Georgia Tech engineer Ayanna Howard observe SnoMotes during field tests of the robots’ navigation and communications capabilities in June on Juneau, Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier. Credit: University of Alaska Southeast/Matt Heavner
The cryobot thermal probe uses heat to melt through ice, rather than a drill to cut. Image credit: NASA / JPL
The thermal drill features spinning blades and a series of heaters, designed to be as effective and efficient as possible.Image credit: Hong Kong Polytechnic University
A melting probe combined with a more conventional drill would make short work of solid obstacles like layers of sand.Image credit: Hong Kong Polytechnic University
With its successful test this month, Sentry is set to replace its predecessor, the Autonomous Benthic Explorer (ABE).Image Credit: University of Washington
A NASA image of the asteroid Eros (left) can be seen here compared to Robert Gaskell’s shape model of the asteroid (right).Credit: PSI
The location of Devon Island, where the Mars Society conducted a Mars simulation experiment in 2007.
The “Flashline” Mars Arctic Research Station (F-MARS) on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic.
Inspecting tracks during Mars simulation. Credit: Mars Society.
Returning to the habitation after a day exploring on “Mars”. Photo Credit: The Mars Society.
Collecting a core sample on Devon Island. Credit: The Mars Society.
A moment of reflection while exploring Devon Island. Credit: The Mars Society.
Dinner in the hab during the 2007 FMARS experiment. Credit: The Mars Society.
Collecting samples during the 2007 FMARS experiment on Devon Island. Credit: The Mars Society.
Water ice diagram
MSL
watermap
Credit: University Of Aarhus, Denmark
Rhodri Armour with the ‘Jollbot’. Credit: University of Bath
Allen SETI/RAL
CIAUFO
Ozma
The Allen Array
Arecibo
AllenTelescopeArray
TPF Interferometer
LISA
SIM Life Astrometric Observatory
TPF Impression
TPF-I
O/OREOS
EXPOSE-R
BIOPAN
O/OREOS assembly
William Herschel Telescope
Ariane 5
Herschel Impression
Planck Impression
comet ice simulator
ENDURANCE bouyancy test
Bot House
Taylor Glacier
EELT4
THEMIS
MBARISphere
MBARICore
SwiftSatellite
ALVIN1
Alvin2
Svalbard2
Svalbard3
Genebox
SvalbardRaman
RocketLaunch
IBEXMission
ImmersionSuit
KeplerPhotometer
VoyagerArt
VoyagerTravels
MercuryVolcanism
MercuryCoverage
VoyagerRecord
UracilMaker
DeepWorker
PLRP Team
BiosafetyCabinet
SRFFlad
IDCSRF
LASSRF
AntarcticaRequirements
Trench
Tents
cargo
Aquarius
DawnLaunch
MEarth
Kepler Launch
UKIRT
VehicleAssemblyBuilding
Apollo 1 Crew
Apollo 1 Capsule
Launch Complex
Challenger Ice
Challenger Disaster
Columbia Disaster
UCYN-A
Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith
Robonauts at Work
Dextre ISS
Robonaut Telepresence
RobonautLeg
DaVinci
DaVinci System
Davinci Interface
VIEW
AvatarBody
RTS HAVNet
Avatar A.L. Gronstal
OSIRIS-REx
Juno w Jupiter
USS Hornet
ISS EVA
Brain Implants
wearable kidney
Robot Moth
Digital Eye
Skinput2
Skinput
EnduranceArrival
Skinput3
PioneerPlaque
VLA New Mexico
ThermalDrill
ThermalDrill2
Palomar
Enterprise Titan
Voyager at the edge
League City
TitanBlimp
Fermilab
DZero Detector
GravitationalMicrolensing
Honeybee Chamber
Keck Telescopes
VLT Array
Gavia vehicles
Rohzen 60cm
jena
Debris
CubeSat
Nanosat
CubeSat Kit
GeneSat
PharmaSat
Juno Cleanroom
Juno Shielding
Hubble Repair
Satellite Earth
Venus Samples
Venus Samples 2
Venus Samples 3
CloudSat
IKAROS Spacecraft
LightSail-1
NanoSail-D
NanoSail-D Integration
BIOPAN Image
Robot Exploration
Discover Supercomputer
Pan-Starrs
RFID chip
CDATA centers
Chang´E-2
Chang’e 1
EPOXI/Deep Impact spacecraft
Spitzer Earth dust
oreos in lab
Kodiac
Nanotube
nanotube diameter
WMAP Big Bang timeline
Microwave lightcraft
Lasercraft
Laserlaunch
solar sail in orbit
Dry lake beds
Yeager Bell X1
re-usable concept
M2F1
1969 Classic NB-52B
Manned Orbiting Lab
Young Crippen
Bell X-1
X15 B52
Dale A Gardner
Spaceship One plane
CryoSat mission
CryoSat measurements
Solar Irradiance Monitor
IBEX
Genetic circuits
two Voyagers
GOCE satellite
Megellan aerobraking
Brian Basset Shuttle Commemorative
NASA Radiation Labs
Galaxy Evolution Explorer
MC3E Experiment
Solar system from outside
Voyager model
NASA´ most distant spacecraft 2011
dual electron spec
MMS mission
Spacetime warp
Gravity B gyroscope
C-130
Argentinian C-130
Inside C-130
TPF-C and TPF-I
SIM mission components
74 DNA molecule
Planetary Lake Lander project
GETGAMM Greenland site
Mars methane map
ALPHA Capture device
DREAMS in Mojave
DREAMS 8 image
DREAMS-11 payload
DREAMS tracking
DREAMS recovery
ESA/NASA ExoMars TGO
CoRot spacecraft
Forward osmosis for STS-135
Forward osmosis bags for STS-135
Voyagers exploring the edge
neutrino detector
J-PARC Accelerator
CT Scan
Chiao and Sharipov on ISS
Amir Seni Ultrasound
space ultrasound
STS-1
STS-134 poster
Atlantis final roll out
Launch Pad 39A
Gaia focal plane
completed CCD array for Gaia
ARTEMIS representation
ARTEMIS P1 probe orbit
Dawn illustration
KamLAND anti-neutrino detector
KAMLand Illustration
Juno folded
Juno spacecraft
WMAP mission
Juno Launch
Space Elevator
deployment of CTD
MOST
Laboratory Diamonds
GV in Anchorage
2003 ESA Mars Express Mission
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
OSIRIS-REx spacecraft
SLS on launchpad.
Future ex targs
SLS launch
Kepler’s photometer
OPERA neutrinos
Opera Detector schematic
LCRD concept
LADEE mission
Kepler spacecraft
HIPWAC
microformulators Wikswo Lab
JWST concept
JWST L2 orbit
Hubble mirror
Mirror segments
JWST primary mirror segments
Star shade JWST
tractor beam sample collection
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchip
Phobos-Grunt and Yinghuo-1
Phobos-Grunt payload adapter
Phobos-Grunt spacecraft
Phobos-Grunt prep
Phobos-Grunt launch
ID24
Diamond Anvil Cell
New Horizons at Pluto in 2015
Soyuz TMA-22 crew boarding
Soyuz TMA-22 launch
MAVEN artist concept
cyborg beetle
cyborg beetle 2
Voyager between the Solar System and interstellar space
Titan Mare Explorer craft
Sensorbot
ROPOS and Sensorbots
Autosub6000
CORK recovery tool
Rendering of the Cluster satellite
One of ESA’s four Cluster satellites
atomic experiment chamber
Scripps Research and Technion logos
Technion logos
Scripps Research logo
EXCEDE schematic
PR2 robot
Pioneer 10 in space
Pioneer 10 construction
Pioneer 10 trajectory
Pioneer 10 RTGs
Pioneer 10 plaque
Pioneer 10 launch
Pioneer 10 view of Jupiter
TIMED satellite
Rosetta navigating with pulsars
Enterprise navigation
FINESSE mission
OSIRIS-REx concept
IceCube Lab
ESA JUICE mission
Vehicle Assembly Building
Amber mounted on microtomograph
Proposed Enterprise
Enterprise size comparison
Building an enterprise
FINESSE spacecraft
Tumbleweed rover
Inside Dragon module
SpaceX Dragon
Visible Nulling Coronagraph
RoboJelly
RoboJelly 2
Arctic wide-field camera
StennisSphere
Student Airborne Research Program
Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator Project
Wide-field Infrared Survey
Geoflow
Inside Geoflow
Sentinel orbit
Sentinal mission concept
Expedition 31 Crew
Baikonur, Kazakhstan
ISS preparations
Russian Soyuz
Soyuz capsule
View above the clouds
outside neutron monitor
Don Pettit and Soyuz suits
Graffiti in Baikonur
Baikonur Graffiti
Below the Soyuz
Soyuz down
Facilities
Spacecraft 3D
Deep space human mission
Two weeks of crew clothing
Deep Space Habitat
Group living area
Pioneer spacecraft
Radiation Belt Storm Probe spacecraft
Mini magnetosphere
Friendship 7
Earth by John Glenn
Friendship 7 capsule
STS-7 in the clouds
ISS above the atmosphere
ISS above the lights
Leonardo
San Antonio from ISS
Tierra del Fuego lights
Lights of Tierra del Fuego
The cold box
Cold box Antarctica
Voyager spacecraft concept
Voyager 1 encountering a stagnation region
Radiation Belt Storm Probe spacecraft arrive at KSC
Astrotech payload processing facility
The Large Hadron Collider
SMART-1 electric propulsion
Solar electric propulsion
Gordon supercomputer
2012 RATS team
ARGOS at JSC
RATS Crew Member
InSight
Voyager launch
Atlas V payload fairing with RBSP spacecraft
RBSP satellite launch
Hayabusa 2
Dawn at Vesta
Biomimetic tuna
BIOSwimmerâ„¢
Pioneer Venus Orbiter
ExoPlanetSat
TALISE boat mission
ISS star trails
Star trails over the horizon
Seven faces
Sample study
Atlantis astronauts
Cheops
NASA’s Aqua satellite
Columbus Space Lab at the ISS
Kepler timeline
Voyager 1 Explores
The Sun’s Southern Wind Flows Northward
CERN’s Large Hadron Collider
SOFIA Flying in Clouds
Extreme Ultraviolet Normal Incidence Spectrograph
The EUNIS team
Supplies strapped down onboard the ISS
ISS coffee cup
Coffee in a cup on the ISS
AIDA mission concept
Asteroid Impact Monitor design
Voyager spacecraft illustration
Cryobot & hydrobot on Europa
Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO) concept
Concept drawing of the DE-STAR system
Goddard’s Cosmic Ice Lab
Sample trajectory from a new web-based NASA tool
Pu-238 pellet
New Horizons RTG
Asteroid capture mission
The Planetary Science Decadal Survey
Preparing for launch: SAGE III in the laboratory at Langley Research Center
Artist rendering of the Russian Meteor 3M spacecraft with the SAGE III instrument onboard.
Artist impression of TESS mission
Graph from NASA’s 2014 Budget Request.
Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) project
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) team
The 100-year starship
ESA’s CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite)
The Next-Generation Transit Survey atop Cerro Paranai
The Next-Generation Transit Survey
An artist’s illustration of the MOST space telescope.Credit: Canadian Space Agency
Artist concept of the IRIS mission
GOSAT
MetOp satellite
TESS trajectory from launch to final mission orbit
Possible robotic lander for a future mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa
Artist’s concept of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft
The Micro-2 investigation launched aboard space shuttle Atlantis on May 14, 2010.
Voyager spacecraft against a field of stars in the darkness of space
This artist’s concept shows the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE spacecraft, in its orbit around Earth. In September of 2013, engineers will attempt to bring the mission out of hibernation to hunt for more asteroids and comets in a project called NEOWISE. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Notional Zephyr Entry, Descent and Landing Profile
Orion Docking Approach
This concept image shows an astronaut retrieving a sample from the captured asteroid.
This concept image shows an astronaut preparing to take samples from the captured asteroid after it has been relocated to a stable orbit in the Earth-moon system. Hundreds of rings are affixed to the asteroid capture bag, helping the astronaut carefully navigate the surface.
COROT space telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope will launch in 2018 and, amongst other things, characterize the atmospheres of planets orbiting bright stars. Image: NASA
View of a CubeSat equipped with an inflated antenna, in a NASA radiation chamber. Photo: Alessandra Babuscia
A glimpse of the signal from Voyager 1’s transmitter
Voyager 1’s position on the sky
Over its ten years in space, NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has evolved into a premier tool for studying exoplanets.
A commemorative stamp featuring Russian pioneers in spaceflight
This artist’s concept shows the MAVEN spacecraft in orbit around the Red Planet, with a fanciful image of her home planet in the background. Credit: NASA/Goddard
Inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, reporters and photographers look over the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
The current design of ExoplanetSat. The telescope is approximately the size of a loaf of bread. Image Credit: Pong et al. 2010 (SPIE 7731).
The Keck Telescopes in Hawaii. Credit: NASA/JPL
The field of stars that the Kepler space telescope examined as it searched for exoplanets. Credit: NASA/JPL
Artist impression of two spacecraft concepts for the PLATO mission that were studied during the assessment phase: (left) concept from Thales Alenia Space, and (centre) concept from EADS Astrium. Credit: ESA
India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) swings around Earth on its final orbit and breaks free of the Home Planet following final engine burn on Dec. 1 placing her on Mars Transfer Trajectory in this artists concept. Credit: ISRO
Trans Mars Injection (TMI), carried out on Dec 01, 2013 at 00:49 hrs (IST) has moved the spacecraft in the Mars Transfer Trajectory (MTT). With TMI the Earth orbiting phase of the spacecraft ended and the spacecraft is now on a course to encounter Mars after a journey of about 10 months around the Sun. Credit: ISRO
An artist’s rendition of the Dawn spacecraft in orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/McREL
This artist’s concept shows NASA’s Dawn spacecraft heading toward the dwarf planet Ceres. Dawn spent nearly 14 months orbiting Vesta, the second most massive object in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, from 2011 to 2012. It is heading towards Ceres, the largest member of the asteroid belt. When Dawn arrives, it will be the first spacecraft to go into orbit around two destinations in our solar system beyond Earth. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft will be getting an up-close look at the dwarf planet Ceres starting in late March or the beginning of April 2015. This graphic shows the science-gathering orbits planned for the spacecraft, with the altitudes above the surface noted for each of the orbits. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
This graphic shows the planned trek of NASA’s Dawn spacecraft from its launch in 2007 through its arrival at the dwarf planet Ceres in early 2015. When it gets into orbit around Ceres, Dawn will be the first spacecraft to go into orbit around two destinations in our solar system beyond Earth. Its journey involved a gravity assist at Mars and a nearly 14-month-long visit to Vesta. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
This cosmic pirouette of Earth and our moon was captured by the Juno spacecraft as it flew by Earth on Oct. 9, 2013. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Artist representation of the Gaia spacecraft mapping the stars in the Milky Way galaxy.Image credit: ESA/ATG medialab/ESO/S. Brunier
Gaia will make the largest, most precise 3D map of our Galaxy by surveying an unprecedented number of stars.Image Credit: ESA
Artist rendering of a RAVAN (Radiometer Assessment using Vertically Aligned Nanotubes) satellite in orbit. Credit: JHU
An artists rendering of a cubesat network. Credit: APL/JHU
Cubesat schematic. Credit APL/JHU
Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex
Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex (large)
Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex
Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (large)
Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex
Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (large)
Map of Deep Space Network Sites
Map of Deep Space Network Sites (Large)
Artist concept of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory satellite.
GPM Constellation Concept
Artist concept of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory satellite (large)
Orbital Sciences Corp. Cygnus
Cygnus Attached
Cygnus Approaches
Antares launches
Mars lost much of its nitrogen early in its history, presumably because it has a weak magnetic field. NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft will study more about the planet’s atmospheric composition when it arrives at Mars in September 2014. Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
The “Gordon” supercomputer at the San Diego Supercomputer Center. How can we define and parameterize it and its even more advanced future brethren’s’ modes of intelligence, when we made them? Credit: University of California, San Diego, publications/Erik Jepsen
The technology is also being tested onboard the IPEX cubesat for Earth science applications. IPEX measures 10 centimeters on each side and carries several low-resolution cameras. IPEX is funded by funded by NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO). Credit: NASA ESTO, NASA JPL, California Polytechnic State University
Commander Mark Kelly
Luis Zea CU Ph.D. candidate
NASA’s Global Hawk 872 on a checkout flight from Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., in preparation for the 2014 ATTREX mission over the western Pacific Ocean.Image Credit: NASA/Tom Miller
Artist’s concept of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer instrument flown on the Terra satellite. Image Credit: NASA
MAVEN just before launch. Credit: Courtesy of Lockheed Martin
MAVEN deployed over Mars. Credit: Courtesy NASA/GSFC
NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has found over 5,000 potential planets, most of which will likely be confirmed. Scientists have combed through the list in search of the best planets to hunt for exomoons around. Credit: NASA/Kepler Mission/Wendy Stenzel
This equipment is used by Goddard’s Astrobiology Analytical Lab to analyze very small samples. On the right is the nanoelectrospray emitter, which gives sample molecules an electric charge and transfers them to the inlet of the mass spectrometer (left), which identifies the molecules by their mass. Image Credit: Michael Callahan
This is an artist’s depiction of NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) observatory in space with the moon in the distance.Image Credit: NASA Ames/Dana Berry
NGIMS instrument, just prior to integration with into the MAVEN spacecraft. Credit: Courtesy of NASA/Goddard
22kg IUVS instrument. Credit: Courtesy of LASP, Colorado
Artist impression of the MAVEN spacecraft. Credit: NASA
Dual Magnetometers. Courtesy of LASP.
Magnetometers on MAVEN
The five Lagrangian points for the Sun-Earth system are shown in the diagram below. An object placed at any one of these 5 points will stay in place relative to the other two. Credit: NASA
Human fibroblasts will be grown in the BioServe’s cell culture system.Image Credit: Bioanalytical Core Laboratory
Damage in human fibroblasts will be measured by the phosphorylation of a histone protein H2AX after bleomycin treatment.Image Credit: Bioanalytical Core Laboratory
TYPE IV damage to human fibroblasts after bleomycin treatment, shown in a 53BP1 stain.Image Credit: Bioanalytical Core Laboratory
Thyroid cancer cell line FTC-133 after four hours of exposure to simulated microgravity. Nuclei are stained blue, components of the cytoskeleton stained green and red.Image Credit: Team Daniela Grimm
Three-dimensional, multicellular tumor spheroids that begin to form after exposure to real microgravity.Image Credit: Team Daniela Grimm
The automated Astrium Type-IV experiment chambers that will be used to culture thyroid cancer cells on board the International Space Station.Image Credit: Team Daniela Grimm
Galactic Gas Station – Christine Daniloff/MIT
The Icebreaker drill in the laboratory at Honeybee Robotics. Credit: Honeybee Robotics
University Valley, Antarctica (approximate coordinates: -77.866427, 160.725585). Credit: Honeybee Robotics
Icebreaker at work in the field at University Valley, Antarctica. Credit: Honeybee Robotics
Cape Armitage, Antarctica (approximate coordinates: -77.850261, 166.708475). Credit: Honeybee Robotics
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile is designed to search for astronomical phenomena such as complex molecules in protoplanetary discs. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/B. Tafreshi (twanight.org)
Artist’s conception of the Square Kilometre Array, a set of telescopes that will work together using a technique called interferometry. Credit: SKA Organisation/Swinburne Astronomy Productions
Concept art showing LADEE over the lunar surfaceImage Credit: NASA