NASA Missions - Past - Current - Future

Sometimes we comment that NASA is not going and doing everything we would like.
You know, go to the Moon, go to Mars, and why not the Stars.

Money.

Still, there are a number of things going on now and more planned for
the future.
I copied the list of Current Missions below and I think you will see
that quite a bit is going on.
Still, you say, not enough.
Looks like one needs to speak to their representatives in Congress if
you are in the USA.
With all the talk of a down turn in the economy sometimes missions get canceled.
Let us hope folks can see the benefit and provide the funds to carry on.
- LRK -


Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
NASA TV
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

Continue viewing what NASA is doing.
- LRK -

snip
==============================================================
NASA Missions Index page where you might check on Past, Present, and
Future missions.
- LRK -

Missions
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/index.html

snip
==============================================================
Just because I am lax in probing the World of the Internet doesn't
mean there aren't things going on.
Do check out the NASA Current Missions page to see that much indeed is
happening.
- LRK -

Missions - Current
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/current/index.html

Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE)
http://www.srl.caltech.edu/ACE/
Major mission of the Explorer program.

Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM)
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/aim/index.html
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.

Aqua
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/aqua/index.html
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.

Arctic sea ice
ARCTAS
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/arctas/
Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft
and Satellites

Astro-E2/Suzaku
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/astro-e2/main/index.html
The Suzaku mission is a joint effort of JAXA and NASA designed to
discover more about the x-ray universe.

Aura Mission
http://www.nasa.gov/aura
A mission dedicated to the health of Earth's atmosphere.

Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO)
CALIPSO
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/calipso/main/index.html
CALIPSO will provide the next generation of climate observations,
drastically improving our ability to predict climate change and to
study the air we breathe.

Cassini
Cassini-Huygens Mission
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/main/index.html
Unlocking the secrets of Saturn.

Chandra X-ray Observatory
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/main/index.html
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.

CloudSat
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cloudsat/main/index.html
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.

Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS)
http://chips.ssl.berkeley.edu/chips.html
CHIPS uses an extreme ultraviolet spectrograph to study the "Local
Bubble" surrounding our Solar System.

Constellation: NASA's Future
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/main/index.html
A new generation of spacecraft will carry humans to the moon, Mars and beyond.

Cluster ESA/NASA Mission
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=8
The four Cluster spacecraft carry out 3D measurements in the Earth's
Magnetosphere.

Dawn
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/dawn/main/index.html
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.

Deep Impact
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/deepimpact/main/index-old-donotuse.html
Exploring Comet Tempel 1 to determine the origins of life in our Solar System.

Earth Probe Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (EP-TOMS)
http://toms.gsfc.nasa.gov/eptoms/ep.html
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.

Earth Observing Mission, EO-1
http://eo1.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Earth Observing-1  →As the first New Millennium Program Earth
Observing Mission, EO-1 has validated advanced land imaging and unique
spacecraft technologies.

EPOXI
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/epoxi/index.html
EPOXI is a low-cost mission that will expand our knowledge of both
cometary bodies and extrasolar planetary systems.

Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX)
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/galex/index.html
Mapping the history of star formation in the universe.
› Galaxy Evolution Explorer

The Gamma-ray Large Space Telescope
GLAST Launches on Gamma Ray Mission
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/GLAST/main/index.html
The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope will answer questions about
supermassive black hole systems, pulsars and the origin of cosmic
rays.

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/goes-n/main/index.html
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.

Geotail Mission
http://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/geotail.shtml
A mission to study the tail of Earth's magnetosphere.

Gravity Probe B
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/gpb/index.html
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.

Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/current/grace.html
The twin satellites are making detailed measurements of Earth's
gravity field to learn more about gravity and Earth's natural systems.

Hayabusa (MUSES-C)
http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/enterp/missions/hayabusa/index.shtml
Hayabusa (MUSES-C) is Japan's asteroid sample return mission.

High Energy Transient Explorer-2 (HETE-2) Mission
http://space.mit.edu/HETE/
HETE-2 is a small scientific satellite designed to detect and localize
gamma-ray bursts.

Hinode (Solar B)
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/solar-b/index.html
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.

Hubble Space Telescope
Learn how Hubble has expanded our knowledge of the cosmos.
> Hubble Section
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/index.html
> Servicing Mission 4
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/servicing/SM4/main/index.html

Ice Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICEsat) Mission
http://icesat.gsfc.nasa.gov/
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.

International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL)
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=21
INTEGRAL is the most sensitive gamma-ray observatory ever launched.

International Space Station
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
Aboard the International Space Station, astronauts work to improve
life on Earth and extend life beyond our home planet.

Jason
http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/jason-1.html
Jason-1 is the first follow-on to the highly successful TOPEX/Poseidon
mission that measured ocean surface topography.

Landsat
http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/
The Landsat Program is a series of Earth-observing satellite missions
jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Mars Express
http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/express/
Mission to search for subsurface water from orbit.

Mars Exploration Rovers
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/mer_main.html
Rovers Spirit and Opportunity explore the Martian landscape.

Mars Odyssey
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey/index.html
This orbiter is mapping the mineralogy and morphology of the Martian surface.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
The mission will determine whether long-standing bodies of water ever
existed on Mars.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/main/index.html

Mercury, Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging
(MESSENGER) Mission
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/messenger/main/index.html
MESSENGER will study Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun.

New Horizons
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html
New Horizons began its journey across the solar system to conduct
flyby studies of Pluto and its moon.

NOAA Environmental Satellites
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/main/index.html
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.

Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason 2
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ostm/main/index.html
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.

Phoenix Mars Lander
Phoenix on Mars
The lander scoops up soil to search for possible conditions for life
in the Martian arctic.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/index.html

Pioneer
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/pioneer/index.html
A journey through our solar system and beyond.

Pioneer Venus
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/pioneer-venus/index.html
The mission's objective was to investigate the Venus's solar wind, map
the planet's surface and study the upper atmosphere.

Polar Mission
http://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/polar/
The Polar Mission is to obtain data from both high- and low-altitude
perspectives of the polar region of geospace.

Polar Operational Environmental Satellite
http://goespoes.gsfc.nasa.gov/poes/project/index.html
POES is a cooperative effort between NASA and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United Kingdom and France.

QuikScat
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/jpl/missions/quickscat.html
The Quick Scatterometer, or QuikScat, replaces the NASA Scatterometer
(NSCAT) instrument on Japan's Midori satellite.

Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI)
http://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/hessi/
RHESSI's primary mission is to explore the basic physics of particle
acceleration and explosive energy release in solar flares.

Rosetta
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=13
Rosetta will orbit comet 67P and accompany it on its journey to the Sun.

Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) Mission
http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/xte_1st.html
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.

SMART 1
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/profile.cfm?MCode=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.

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/SOFIA/index.html
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.

Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/soho/index.html
SOHO, designed to study the sun, from its deep core to its outer
corona, is a cooperative program between ESA and NASA.

Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE)
http://lasp.colorado.edu/sorce/index.htm
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.

Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO)
STEREO continues its mission to capture 3D images of the sun.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/stereo/main/index.html

Small Satellite Missions
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/smallsats/
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.

Space Shuttle
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
The space shuttle is the most complex machine ever built and its
capacity is instrumental in building the International Space Station.

Spitzer Space Telescope
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/main/index.html
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, studying the universe in infared.

Stardust
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/stardust/main/index.html
Stardust returns samples from Comet Wild 2 to Earth.

Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS)
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/swas/
A mission that was designed to study the chemical composition of
interstellar gas clouds.

Swift
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/swift/main/index.html
The Swift mission seeks to tell us more about gamma-ray bursts, the
most powerful explosions in the universe.

TacSat-2
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tacsat-2/main/index.html
TacSat-2 features 11 onboard experiments, which will be conducted
during the spacecraft's planned six to 12-month mission.

Terra
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/terra/index.html
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.

THEMIS
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/themis/main/index.html
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.

Thermospere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics Mission (TIMED)
http://www.timed.jhuapl.edu/
The TIMED mission is studying the influences of the Sun and humans on
the least explored region of Earth's atmosphere.

Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdrs/home/index.html
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.

Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) Mission
http://vestige.lmsal.com/TRACE/
TRACE enables solar physicists to study the connections between
fine-scale magnetic fields and the associated plasma structures on the
Sun.

Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling (TC4)
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/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.

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)
http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov
TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency designed to monitor and study tropical rainfall.

Voyager - The Interstellar Mission
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/index.html
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.

Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)
http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/
A mission to take the first full sky picture of the early Universe.

Wind Mission
http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/istp/wind/
A mission to investigate the solar wind and its impact on the
near-Earth environment.

XMM-Newton
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31249
The Mirror Modules on this x-ray observatory allow XMM-Newton to
detect millions of sources, far more than any previous X-ray mission.

snip
==============================================================
When you have the time and can't think of what to do - check out what
is going on related to space.
- LRK -

JPL Space Calendar
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/#0807
snip
#  Jul 08 - Asteroid 19685 (1999 RB197) Occults HIP 80672 (5.8 Magnitude Star)
               http://asteroidoccultation.com/2008_07/0708_19685_19203.htm
# Jul 08 - Asteroid 2906 Caltech Closest Approach To Earth (2.150 AU)
               http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?orb=1;sstr=2906
# Jul 08-10 - Eufoam Conference, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
               http://www.congrex.nl/08a05/
# Jul 08-11 - Workshop: Radio Galaxies in the Chandra Era, Cambridge,
Massachusetts
               http://cxc.harvard.edu/radiogals08/
# Jul 08-11 - Polar Research Conference: Arctic and Antarctic
Perspectives in the International Polar Year, St. Petersburg, Russia
               http://www.scar-iasc-ipy2008.org/
snip
==============================================================

WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

==============================================================