Missions

The NASA Astrobiology Program is now outlining the new 2013 Astrobiology Roadmap, which charts future directions for astrobiology research and technology development at the organization. The process has begun with a series of webinars and online discussions, and a call is out to the astrobiology

Scott Hubbard helped guide the Kepler mission when he served as director of NASA Ames Research Center. Here he explains how NASA might bring the planet-hunting spacecraft back online.

Scientists involved in NASA’s Kepler mission reported today that the telescope is in “safe mode” and no longer able to make observations. While not officially "dead," this may be the end of the road for the telescope that has discovered thousands of exoplanets, many

At a NASA conference, a panel of exoplanet scientists held a lively discussion about some of the most important issues facing the search for and understanding of planets orbiting far-distant stars. In part seven of this series, the audience asks questions and makes comments

NASA has released the agency's budget proposal for 2104. In all, the agency is requesting $50 million less than in 2013. There will be no new missions to outer planets or moons, but the proposal does include funding for preliminary work on an asteroid capture

A NASA divulgou a proposta de orçamento da agência para 2014. Ao todo, a agência está requisitando 50 milhões de dólares a menos que em 2013. Não haverá novas missões para outros planetas ou luas, mas a proposta inclui financiamento para um trabalho preliminar

NASA's Astrophysics Explorer Program has selected two missions for launch in 2017. One of the missions is the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, which will use an array of telescopes to search for transiting exoplanets ranging from Earth-sized to gas giants.

The US Department of Energy is considering to possiblility of producing Plutonium-238 for use as a power source for deep space missions.

A group of engineers at NASA have launched a web-based tool for scientists and engineers to use when designing missions to interplanetary destinations.

An all-in-one chemical analysis instrument -- currently under development -- could potentially detect a single amino acid in a gram of Martian soil.