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Solar System Magnetic Field Path Among Planets

Section

Astrobiology in Missions

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Current missions

Illustration of NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft.

Mission name Advanced Composition ExplorerPurpose to AstrobiologyObserving solar, interplanetary, interstellar, and galactic origins.

Four antennas of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) gaze up at the star-filled night sky.

Mission name Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter ArrayPurpose to AstrobiologyThe most powerful Earth observatory in history

Artist impression of the Chandra Telescope is in orbit around Earth.

Mission name Chandra X-Ray ObservatoryPurpose to AstrobiologyNASA's flagship mission for X-ray astronomy.

Artist's impression of Gaia.

Gaia Space Observatory

Mission name GaiaPurpose to AstrobiologyCapturing a three-dimensional map of our Galaxy

The Gemini North site at twilight on Mauna Kea.

Gemini Observatory

Mission name Gemini North and Gemini SouthPurpose to AstrobiologyExploring the Universe, Sharing its Wonders

The Hubble Space Telescope. Image Credit: NASA

Hubble Space Telecope

Mission name Hubble Space TelecopePurpose to AstrobiologyHubble has provided observations of everything from distant galaxies to nearby planets in our own Solar System.

This artist's concept depicts the stationary NASA Mars lander known by the acronym InSight at work studying the interior of Mars.

Mission name Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat TransportPurpose to AstrobiologyInsight into the early evolution of terrestrial planets.

This illustration depicts NASA's Juno spacecraft at Jupiter, with its solar arrays and main antenna pointed toward the distant sun and Earth.

Mission name JunoPurpose to AstrobiologyJuno will improve our understanding of the solar system's beginnings by revealing the origin and evolution of Jupiter.

Artist's rendering of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO,) above the Moon.

Mission name Lunar Reconnaissance OrbiterPurpose to AstrobiologyMap the Moon's surface like never before.

Artistic Rendition of the MAVEN Mission

Mission name Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutionPurpose to AstrobiologyMAVEN is studying how atmospheric loss triggered the disappearance of liquid water on the surface of Mars.

Odyssey over Mars' South Pole. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Mission name Mars OdysseyPurpose to AstrobiologyMars Odyssey provides detailed maps of Mars that are used to determine the evolution of the Mars environment and its potential for life.

Artist's concept of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in orbit around the Red Planet.

Mission name Mars Reconnaissance OrbiterPurpose to AstrobiologyA Mission to Study the History of Water on Mars

Curiosity Self-Portrait at 'Mojave' Site on Mount Sharp

Mission name Mars Science LaboratoryPurpose to AstrobiologyMSL’s Curiosity rover is studying whether or not Mars ever had environments capable of supporting microbial life.

Artist concept of the New Horizons spacecraft.

Mission name New HorizonsPurpose to AstrobiologyThe First Mission to the Pluto System and the Kuiper Belt

Artist’s concept of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft preparing to take a sample from asteroid Bennu.

Mission name Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith ExplorerPurpose to AstrobiologyOSIRIS-REx is NASA's first sample return mission to an asteroid.

Spitzer Trains Its Eyes on Exoplanets. Credit: NASA

Mission name Spitzer Space TelescopePurpose to AstrobiologyThe Spitzer Space Telescope provides observations relevant to the search for habitable worlds around distant stars, and the study of astrobiology targets in our own solar system.

SOFIA arrives in Germany for major maintenance. Credit: DLR

Mission name Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared AstronomyPurpose to AstrobiologySOFIA is making observations of new solar systems, complex molecules in space, and planets in our own Solar System.

The HPF instrument during installation in its clean-room enclosure in the Hobby Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory.

Mission name The Habitable Zone Planet FinderPurpose to AstrobiologyHighest precision measurements of infrared signals from nearby stars.

Artist impression of the TESS spacecraft.

Mission name Transiting Exoplanet Survey SatellitePurpose to AstrobiologyThe first-ever spaceborne all-sky transit survey.

The Space Between: This artist's concept shows the Voyager 1 spacecraft entering the space between stars. Interstellar space is dominated by plasma, ionized gas (illustrated here as brownish haze), that was thrown off by giant stars millions of years ago.

Mission name Voyager 1 and Voyager 2Purpose to AstrobiologyVoyager Interstellar Mission

Keck I open for buisness as the Hawaiian sun sets on the horrizon, filling the sky with a beautiful mix of blue, pink, and orange.

Mission name W.M. Keck ObservatoryPurpose to AstrobiologyExploring the local and distant Universe

Future missions

Artist's Impression of Dragonfly on Titan's surface.

Mission name DragonflyPurpose to AstrobiologyFlights of exploration across Saturn's moon Titan

September 2009 artist's conception of the James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: NASA

Mission name James Webb Space TelescopePurpose to AstrobiologyJWST will be used to hunt for solar systems capable of supporting habitable planets.

An artist's rendering of the SuperCam instrument aboard the next generation Mars rover scheduled to visit the Red Planet in 2020. Image Credit: NASA

Mission name Mars 2020 MissionPurpose to AstrobiologyThe Mars 2020 mission's Perseverance Rover will provided details about the potential for life on Mars, both past and present.

Artist impression of the WFIRST mission.

Roman Space Telescope

Mission name Nancy Grace Roman Space TelescopePurpose to AstrobiologyStudying dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics

A theoretical instrument that would search for individual microbes on the surface of Mars.

Exobiology on Mars (ExoMars) Rover

Mission name Rosalind Franklin ExoMars RoverPurpose to AstrobiologyEstablishing if life ever existed on Mars

NASA's Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) mission is targeted to launch in 2023.

Mission name Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices ExplorerPurpose to AstrobiologyAn All-Sky Spectral Survey

Concept missions

This illustration shows NASA's Europa mission spacecraft, which is being developed for a launch sometime in the 2020s.

Mission name Europa Clipper MissionPurpose to AstrobiologyEuropa Clipper would conduct detailed reconnaissance of Jupiter's moon Europa and investigate whether the icy moon could harbor conditions suitable for life.

Past missions

Buzz Aldrin beside solar wind experiment (AS11-40-5873). Credit: NASA

Mission name ApolloPurpose to AstrobiologyApollo 11 was the first crewed lunar landing and return to Earth.

Artist impression of the Cassini spacecraft. Image credit: NASA

Cassini-Huygens

Mission name Cassini-Huygens Saturn Orbiter and Titan ProbePurpose to AstrobiologyCassini-Huygens reveals new details about the potential for life on moons around giant planets.

On April 5, 1991, the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory (CGRO) was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis from Kennedy Space Center.

Mission name Compton Gamma Ray ObservatoryPurpose to AstrobiologyObserving the high-energy Universe

This artist's concept shows NASA's Dawn spacecraft orbiting the giant asteroid Vesta. The depiction of Vesta is based on images obtained by Dawn's framing cameras. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Mission name DawnPurpose to AstrobiologyDawn provided new information about the early Solar System and formation of rocky planets by visiting protoplanets in the Main Asteroid Belt.

Artist impression of the Deep Impact spacecraft.

Mission name Deep ImpactPurpose to AstrobiologyMission to a Comet

NASA's Deep Impact/EPOXI spacecraft flew past Earth on June 27, 2010, to get a boost from Earth’s gravity. It is now on its way to comet Hartley 2, depicted in this artist’s concept, with a planned flyby this fall.

Mission name Deep Impact Extended Investigation (DIXI) and Extrasolar Planet Observation and Characterization (EPOCh)Purpose to AstrobiologyTwo intriguing investigations -- One flight-proven spacecraft

Artist’s concept of the Galaxy Evolution Explorer. Its mission is to study the shape, brightness, size, and distance of galaxies across 10 billion years of cosmic history. The 19.7-inch telescope onboard sweeps the skies in search of ultraviolet-light sou

Mission name Galaxy Evolution ExplorerPurpose to AstrobiologyUnderstanding how the galaxies were formed

A computer simulation gives an idea of how Europa's magnetic field interacted with an erupting plume. Magnetic field lines (blue) show how the plume interacts with the ambient flow of Jovian plasma. Red colors on the lines show more dense areas of plasma.

Mission name Galileo missionPurpose to AstrobiologyMission to Jupiter and its mysterious moons

Artist's concept of the Intelligent Payload Experiment (IPEX) and M-Cubed/COVE-2, two NASA Earth-orbiting cube satellites ("CubeSats") that were launched as part of the NROL-39 GEMSat mission from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base on Dec. 5, 2013.

Mission name Intelligent Payload ExperimentPurpose to AstrobiologyValidating technologies for autonomous payload operations on a CubeSat

Mission name Kepler and K2Purpose to AstrobiologyKepler data is used to search for Earth-sized planets around distant stars.

An artist's concept of NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft orbiting the moon and preparing to fire its maneuvering thrusters to maintain a safe orbital altitude. Image credit: NASA Ames / Dana Berry

Mission name Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment ExplorerPurpose to AstrobiologyLADEE provided new data about the lunar atmosphere and air-born dust.

Artist's rendering of the LCROSS spacecraft and Centaur separation. Credit: NASA

Mission name Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing SatellitePurpose to AstrobiologyLCROSS identified water ice and a water cycle on the Moon, providing clues about how rocky bodies might become habitable for life.

A depiction of the MESSENGER spacecraft flying over Mercury’s surface, displayed in enhanced color.

Mission name MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and RangingPurpose to AstrobiologyUnlocking the mysteries of planet Mercury

Artist's impression of Mariner 4. Credit: NASA

Mission name Mariner 4Purpose to AstrobiologyMariner 4 returned the first pictures of the martian surface, and changed the way astrobiologists thought about life's potential on Mars.

Controlling the rover from Earth, scientists drive the rover along Mars' surface inspecting geological features. Credit: NASA/JPL

Mission name Mars Exploration RoversPurpose to AstrobiologyThe MER rovers have shaped our understanding of Mars’ geology and past environments at the surface that may have been suitable for life.

A computer-generated image of the deployed O/OREOS nanosatellite. Image credit: NASA/Eric Stackpole

Mission name Organism/Organic Exposure to Orbital StressesPurpose to AstrobiologyO/OREOS studies how living organisms are affected by the space environment.

An artist concept of Phoenix on Mars.

Mission name Phoenix Mars MissionPurpose to AstrobiologyPhoenix was designed to study the history of water and habitability potential in the Martian arctic's ice-rich soil.

Artist's impression of the Pioneer Venus orbiter. Credit: NASA

Mission name Pioneer Venus OrbiterPurpose to AstrobiologyNASA's early missions to Venus helped to solidify the idea that Mars was a better place to look for potential past or present life.

Stardust was the first spacecraft to return a cometary sample and extraterrestrial material from outside the orbit of the moon to Earth.

Mission name StardustPurpose to AstrobiologyNASA's comet sample return mission

3D Model of the Viking Lander. Credit: Michael Carbajal. NASA Headquarters

Mission name Viking ProjectPurpose to AstrobiologyNASA's Viking Project was the first mission to reach the martian surface and the first to search for evidence of life on Mars.