The best source for space science mission information is through the Office of Space Science mission page. We've saved a lot of resouces at the main page on SpecialEssays.com. Here you will also find an updated and comprehensive list of past, current, and future space science missions. Missions are organized by their stage in development (under study, in development, operating, past missions) and by their mission name or acronym. http://spacescience.nasa.gov/missions/index.htm
The following links are a sampling of Office of Space Science missions for each of the four research forums. If you are interested in a mission that does not appear below, please refer to the main OSS Space Missions page for a complete listing.
Astronomical Search for Origins (ASO) Missions Structure and Evolution of the Universe (SEU) Missions Solar System Exploration (SSE) Missions Sun-Earth Connection (SEC) Missions
ASTRONOMICAL SEARCH FOR ORIGINS (ASO) MISSIONS LIST ASO missions listing, including current and future missions. http://origins.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/index.html
SESPD: Astronomical Search for Origins and Planetary Systems Space and Earth Science Program Directorate (SESPD) describes the missions IPAC, Keck, Planet Imager, SIRTF, SIM, StarLight, Terrestrial Planet Finder, and WFPC-2, and links to their appropriate Web sites. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/sespd/space/astro.html
Hubble Space Telescope Detailed information on discoveries and mission of The Hubble Space Telescope, Hubble Deep Space and Hubble Deep Space South. http://www.stsci.edu/hst/
STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION OF THE UNIVERSE (SEU) MISSIONS LIST SEU current missions can be found at the new Beyond Einstein Program. http://universe.gsfc.nasa.gov/lifecycles/seu-missions.html
SESPD: Structure and Evolution of the Universe MISSIONS LIST Space and Earth Science Program Directorate (SESPD) describes the SEU missions ARISE, Herschel and GALEX, and links to their appropriate Web sites. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/sespd/space/structure.html
Chandra X-Ray Observatory: Educational Materials Chandra is designed to observe X-rays from high energy regions of the universe, such as the remnants of exploded stars http://chandra.harvard.edu/index.html
SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION MISSIONS LIST All of the NASA solar system exploration missions can be found listed by topic, alphabetically, chronologically by launch date, or by which major program it is in. http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/index.cfm
Mars Exploration Rovers NASA's twin robot geologists, the Mars Exploration Rovers, launched in June and July of 2003 in search of answers about the history of water on Mars. They are expected to land in January 2004 and begin their missions. http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/mission/
Mars Global Surveyor Mars Global Surveyor has been orbiting and mapping Mars since 1996. http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/
Mars Odyssey Mars Odyssey's job is to orbit and map chemical elements and minerals on the surface of Mars, look for water in the shallow subsurface, and analyze the radiation environment to determine its potential effects on human health from 2001 until August 2004. http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey/
Mars Express Mars Express is a multi-nation effort to orbit Mars and look for signs of subsurface water by mineralogical mapping, characterization of the subsurface to several kilometers depth, and analyses of atmospheric circulation, surface-atmospheric interactions, and interactions between the martian atmosphere and the space environment. http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/express/
Stardust Launched in 1999 the goal of the Stardust mission is to return both particle samples from a comet (2004 encounter) and interstellar dust (2002 encounter). By returning (2006 return) these samples to Earth for analysis a great deal is expected to be learned about the composition of the early universe. http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html
Deep Impact NASA's Deept Impact spacecraft is on a mission to study the pristine interior of Comet 9P/Tempel 1 by excavating a crater more than 25 m deep and 100 m in diameter in the comet and collecting data at and after the impact during a flyby on July 4, 2005. Tricky buisness to not damage the spacecraft during the impact on the comet and still be close enough to take pictures and collect data! http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/
Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan Through Cassini we hope to gain a better understanding of the planet Saturn, its famous rings, its magnetosphere, its principal moon Titan and its other moons or "icy satellites." http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
Voyager Missions The twin Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft continue exploring where nothing from Earth has flown before. In the 25th year after their 1977 launches, they each are much farther away from Earth and the Sun than Pluto is and approaching the boundary region -- the heliopause -- where the Sun's dominance of the environment ends and interstellar space begins. http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html
SUN-EARTH CONNECTION MISSIONS LIST All current, past and future sun-earth connection missions with their offical mission pages. http://sec.gsfc.nasa.gov/sec_missions.htm
SOHO Explore Solar and Heloispheric Observatory's (SOHO) page includes sun and heliosphere-related lesson plans, Q&A, and educational materials. http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/explore/
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