Past Missions
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Apollo
President Kennedy's bold challenge set the nation on a journey unlike any before in human history--a journey to land on the moon.
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Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
The first international partnership in space wasn't the ISS or even the Shuttle-Mir missions; it was the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
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Ares I-X Flight Test
Ares I-X completes a successful flight test.
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Constellation
Ares rockets and the Orion crew vehicle.
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Deep Impact
Exploring Comet Tempel 1 to determine the origins of life in our Solar System.
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Explorer
America's first artificial satellite.
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Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST)
FAST, the second mission in NASA's Small Explorer Satellite Program (SMEX), is a satellite designed to study Earth's aurora.
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Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) Mission
FUSE looks at light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
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Galileo
Journey to Jupiter.
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Gemini
Bridge to the moon.
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Genesis Mission
The search for origins.
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Glory
The Glory mission failed to reach orbit after launch. Telemetry indicated the fairing did not separate as expected.
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Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE)
IMAGE is a mission to study the global response of the magnetosphere to the changes in solar wind.
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International Space Station
Read more about past missions to the International Space Station.
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Mars Global Surveyor
After studying the Red Planet four times longer than originally planned, the Mars Global Surveyor orbiter succumbed to battery failure.
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Mars Pathfinder
Mars Pathfinder was the first mission to deliver a lander and a free-ranging robotic rover to the surface of Mars.
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Mercury
America's First Space Program.
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Orbiting Carbon Observatory
NASA's first spacecraft dedicated to studying carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth's climate.
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Phoenix Mars Lander
The search for possible conditions for life in the Martian arctic.
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Pioneer
A journey through our solar system and beyond.
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Pioneer Venus
The mission's objective was to investigate the Venus's solar wind, map the planet's surface and study the upper atmosphere.
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Polar Mission
The Polar Mission was designed to obtain data from both high- and low-altitude perspectives of the polar region of geospace.
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QuikScat
The Quick Scatterometer, or QuikScat, replaces the NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) instrument on Japan's Midori satellite.
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Shuttle-Mir
In the arena of space exploration, the U.S. and Russia share a history of competition and cooperation.
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Skylab
America's first space station and orbital science and engineering laboratory.
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Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer (SAMPEX) Mission
SAMPEX studies the energy, composition and charge states of particles from supernova explosions in the distant reaches of the galaxy, from the heart of solar flares and from the depths of nearby interstellar space.
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Space Shuttle
Read more about past shuttle missions.
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Space Technology 5
The Space Technology 5 (ST5) Project built and tested micro-satellites to validate new technologies for future science missions.
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Stardust
Exploring Comet Tempel 1
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Topex Mission
The Topex mission will collect information with which scientists can relate changes in ocean currents to atmospheric and climate patterns.
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Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) Mission
TRACE enables solar physicists to study the connections between fine-scale magnetic fields and the associated plasma structures on the Sun.
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Viking
The Viking Mission to Mars: Determining whether life ever existed on Mars.
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UARS Mission
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), launched in 1991, orbited at an altitude of 375 miles.
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Ulysses Mission
A mission to study the sun at all latitudes.
Current Missions
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Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE)
Major mission of the Explorer program.
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AIM: Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere
AIM's two-year mission is to study Polar Mesospheric Clouds, the Earth’s highest clouds, which form an icy membrane 50 miles above the surface at the edge of space.
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Aqua
Aqua, Latin for water, is a NASA Earth Science satellite mission named for the large amount of information that the mission will be collecting about the Earth's water cycle.
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Aquarius
The Aquarius/SAC-D mission launched on June 10, 2011 on a mission to map ocean salinity.
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ARCTAS
Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites
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ARTEMIS
ARTEMIS: Studying the Moon's Interaction With the Sun
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Astro-E2/Suzaku
The Suzaku mission is a joint effort of JAXA and NASA designed to discover more about the x-ray universe.
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Aura Mission
A mission dedicated to the health of Earth's atmosphere.
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CALIPSO
CALIPSO will provide the next generation of climate observations, drastically improving our ability to predict climate change and to study the air we breathe.
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Cassini-Huygens Mission
Unlocking the secrets of Saturn.
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Chandra X-ray Observatory
NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory probes the mysteries of space with unprecedented x-ray images that help to unravel the structure and evolution of the universe.
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CINDI
CINDI will study the elements that influence space weather near Earth's equator.
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CloudSat
CloudSat's cloud-profiling radar is 1,000 times more sensitive than typical weather radar and can detect clouds and distinguish between cloud particles and precipitation.
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Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS)
CHIPS uses an extreme ultraviolet spectrograph to study the "Local Bubble" surrounding our Solar System.
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Cluster ESA/NASA Mission
The four Cluster spacecraft carry out 3D measurements in the Earth's Magnetosphere.
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Dawn
Dawn launched in September, becoming the first spacecraft ever planned to orbit two different bodies after leaving Earth. The spacecraft will orbit Vesta and Ceres, two of the largest asteroids in the solar system.
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Earth Probe Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (EP-TOMS)
Earth Probe Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (EP-TOMS), along with the Ozone Monitoring Instrument onboard AURA, are currently the only NASA spacecraft on orbit specializing in ozone retrieval.
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Earth Observing-1
As the first New Millennium Program Earth Observing Mission, EO-1 has validated advanced land imaging and unique spacecraft technologies.
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EPOXI
NASA's EPOXI mission successfully flew by comet Hartley 2 at about 10 a.m. EDT, Nov. 4, 2010. Hartley 2 is the fifth comet nucleus visited by a spacecraft.
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Fire and Smoke
NASA satellites, aircraft, and research know-how have created a wealth of cutting-edge tools to help firefighters battle wildfires.
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GALEX
Mapping the history of star formation in the universe.
› Galaxy Evolution Explorer
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GLAST Launches on Gamma Ray Mission
The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope will answer questions about supermassive black hole systems, pulsars and the origin of cosmic rays.
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Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)
GOES-N is the latest in a series of satellites that provide a constant vigil for the atmospheric "triggers" for severe weather conditions such as tornadoes and hurricanes.
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GOES-O
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-O represents the newest generation of environmental satellites.
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GOES-P
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-P represents the newest generation of environmental satellites.
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Geotail Mission
A mission to study the tail of Earth's magnetosphere.
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Gravity Probe B
This mission is the relativity gyroscope experiment developed by NASA and Stanford University to test two unverified predictions of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity.
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Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment
The twin satellites are making detailed measurements of Earth's gravity field to learn more about gravity and Earth's natural systems.
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GRAIL
The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory mission will create the most accurate gravitational map of the moon to date.
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Hayabusa (MUSES-C)
Hayabusa (MUSES-C) is Japan's asteroid sample return mission.
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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.
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High Energy Transient Explorer-2 (HETE-2) Mission
HETE-2 is a small scientific satellite designed to detect and localize gamma-ray bursts.
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Hinode (Solar B)
A collaboration between the space agencies of Japan, the United States, United Kingdom and Europe, Hinode's mission is to investigate the interaction between the sun's magnetic field and its corona.
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Hubble Space Telescope
Learn how Hubble has expanded our knowledge of the cosmos.
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Hurricanes
Latest storm images and data from NASA.
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IBEX
A mission to achieve the first global observations of the region beyond the termination shock at the very edge of our solar system.
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Ice Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICEsat) Mission
The ICESat mission will provide multi-year elevation data regarding ice sheet mass balance as well as cloud property information, especially for stratospheric clouds common over polar areas.
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International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL)
INTEGRAL is the most sensitive gamma-ray observatory ever launched.
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International Space Station
Aboard the International Space Station, astronauts work to improve life on Earth and extend life beyond our home planet.
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J-2X Engine Development
J-2X is a highly efficient and versatile rocket engine with the ideal thrust and performance characteristics to power the upper stage of a heavy-lift launch vehicle.
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Jason
Jason-1 is the first follow-on to the highly successful TOPEX/Poseidon mission that measured ocean surface topography.
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Juno
Beneath its clouds, Jupiter holds secrets about our solar system’s early history. Juno will endeavor to unlock these secretss.
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Kepler
NASA's search for habitable planets.
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Landsat
The Landsat Program is a series of Earth-observing satellite missions jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.
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LCROSS
The LCROSS mission's objective is to confirm the presence or absence of water ice in a permanently shadowed crater at the moon's South Pole.
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LRO: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
The LRO mission objectives are to find safe landing sites, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment, and demonstrate new technology.
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Lunar Quest Program
NASA's Lunar Quest Program is a multi-element program consisting of flight missions, instruments for lunar missions of opportunity, as well as research and analysis efforts.
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Mars Express
Mission to search for subsurface water from orbit.
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Mars Exploration Rovers
Rovers Spirit and Opportunity explore the Martian landscape.
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Mars Odyssey
This orbiter is mapping the mineralogy and morphology of the Martian surface.
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Moon Mineralogy Mapper
Aboard the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, whose technology mission has been completed successfully and now embarks on a scientific mission.
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Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
The mission will determine whether long-standing bodies of water ever existed on Mars.
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Mars Science Laboratory
Scheduled to launch in the fall of 2011, the Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory rover will assess whether Mars ever was, or is still today, an environment able to support microbial life. In other words, its mission is to determine the planet's "habitability."
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Mercury, Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) Mission
MESSENGER will study Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun.
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Mini-RF
The Mini-RF project will fly two radar instruments to the moon to map the lunar poles, search for water ice, and to demonstrate future NASA communication technologies.
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NEEMO
The NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations project, provides a convincing analog to space exploration, and its crew experience some of the same challenges underwater as they would in space.
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New Horizons
New Horizons began its journey across the solar system to conduct flyby studies of Pluto and its moon.
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NOAA Environmental Satellites
NOAA-N is the latest in a series of polar-orbiting satellites, that will collect information to improve weather prediction and climate research across the globe.
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NOAA-N Prime
NOAA-N Prime will provide a polar-orbiting platform to support environmental monitoring instruments for imaging and measuring Earth's atmosphere and sea surface temperature.
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NPOESS Preparatory Project
NPOESS Preparatory Project is a first step in building the next-generation of Earth-observing satellites.
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Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason 2
The joint NASA-French satellite will help scientists better monitor and understand rises in global sea level, study the world's ocean circulation and its links to Earth's climate.
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Operation Ice Bridge
Operation Ice Bridge, a six-year NASA field campaign, is the largest airborne survey of Earth's polar ice ever flown. It will yield a three-dimensional view of Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, ice shelves and sea ice.
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Pioneer
A journey through our solar system and beyond.
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Planck
Planck will provide a map of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) field.
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Polar Operational Environmental Satellite (POES)
POES is a cooperative effort between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United Kingdom and France.
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Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI)
RHESSI's primary mission is to explore the basic physics of particle acceleration and explosive energy release in solar flares.
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Rosetta Mission
Rosetta will orbit comet 67P and accompany it on its journey to the Sun.
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Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) Mission →
RXTE is a satellite that observes the fast-moving, high-energy worlds of black holes, neutron stars, X-ray pulsars and bursts of X-rays that light up the sky and then disappear forever.
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SERVIR
The SERVIR initiative integrates satellite observations, ground-based data and forecast models to monitor and forecast environmental changes.
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SMART 1
SMART 1's two part mission will test new technologies and explore darker regions of the Moon's south pole for the first time.
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SOFIA
The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy--or SOFIA--is an airborne observatory that will complement the Hubble, Spitzer, Herschel and James Webb space telescopes, as well as major Earth-based telescopes.
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Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
SOHO, designed to study the sun, from its deep core to its outer corona, is a cooperative program between ESA and NASA.
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Solar Dynamics Observatory (sdo)
The Solar Dynamics Observatory began its mission on Feb. 11, 2010, in an effort to help us understand the sun's influence on Earth.
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Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE)
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.
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Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO)
STEREO continues its mission to capture 3D images of the sun.
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Small Satellite Missions
Small satellite missions provide NASA with valuable opportunities to test emerging technologies and economical commercial off-the-shelf components, which may be useful in future space missions.
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Spitzer Space Telescope
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, studying the universe in infared.
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Stardust-NExT
Exploring Comet Tempel 1
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Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS)
A mission that was designed to study the chemical composition of interstellar gas clouds.
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Suzaku
The Suzaku mission is a joint effort of JAXA and NASA designed to discover more about the x-ray universe.
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Swift
The Swift mission seeks to tell us more about gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe.
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TacSat-2
TacSat-2 features 11 onboard experiments, which will be conducted during the spacecraft’s planned six to 12-month mission.
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Terra
Terra is a multi-national, multi-disciplinary partnership between the U.S., Canada and Japan that is an important part of helping us better understand and protect our home planet.
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THEMIS
The 2-year mission of Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions During Substorms (THEMIS) is to track these violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole.
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Thermospere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics Mission (TIMED)
The TIMED mission is studying the influences of the Sun and humans on the least explored region of Earth's atmosphere.
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Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)
This system of satellites and ground stations makes up a portion of the Space Network and provides mission services for near Earth satellites and orbiting vehicles.
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Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling (TC4)
The TC4 study will tackle challenging questions about Earth's ozone layer and climate using coordinated observations from satellites and high-flying NASA airplanes.
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Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)
TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency designed to monitor and study tropical rainfall.
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Voyager - The Interstellar Mission
Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 journey to study the region in space where the Sun's influence ends and the dark recesses of interstellar space begin.
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WISE: Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
WISE will study the solar system, Milky Way and universe. Among the objects WISE will study are asteroids, the coolest and dimmest stars and the most luminous galaxies.
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Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)
A mission to take the first full sky picture of the early Universe.
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Wind Mission
A mission to investigate the solar wind and its impact on the near-Earth environment.
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XMM-Newton
The Mirror Modules on this x-ray observatory allow XMM-Newton to detect millions of sources, far more than any previous X-ray mission.
