List of NASA missions

Last updated

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}

Comparison of NASA Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle spacecraft with their launch vehicles NASA spacecraft comparison2.png
Comparison of NASA Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle spacecraft with their launch vehicles

This is a list of NASA missions, both crewed and robotic, since the establishment of NASA in 1957. There are over 80 currently active science missions. [1]

Contents

X-Plane program

Since 1945, NACA (NASA's predecessor) and, since January 26, 1958, NASA has conducted the X-Plane Program. The program was originally intended to create a family of experimental aircraft not intended for production beyond the limited number of each design built solely for flight research. [2] The first X-Plane, the Bell X-1, was the first rocket-powered airplane to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947. [3] X-Planes have set numerous milestones since then, both crewed and unpiloted. [4]

Human spaceflight

Discovery STS-120 launch, October 23, 2007 STS120LaunchHiRes-edit1.jpg
Discovery STS-120 launch, October 23, 2007
Astronauts Andrew Feustel (right) and Michael Fincke, outside the ISS during the STS-134 mission's third spacewalk. STS-134 EVA3 Andrew Feustel and Michael Fincke 3.jpg
Astronauts Andrew Feustel (right) and Michael Fincke, outside the ISS during the STS-134 mission's third spacewalk.
Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt standing next to a boulder at Taurus-Littrow. Moon-apollo17-schmitt boulder.jpg
Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt standing next to a boulder at Taurus-Littrow.
Astronaut Peter Wisoff on a robotic arm, 1993 STS057-89-067 - Wisoff on the Arm (Retouched).jpg
Astronaut Peter Wisoff on a robotic arm, 1993

NASA has successfully launched over 200 crewed flights. Three have ended in failure, causing the death of the entire crew: Apollo 1 (which never launched) in 1967 lost three crew members, STS-51-L (the Challenger disaster) in 1986, and STS-107 (the Columbia disaster) in 2003.

ProgramStart dateFirst crewed flightEnd dateNo. of crewed
missions launched		Notes
Mercury program 1958 1961 1963 6 First U.S. crewed program
Gemini program 1961 1965 1966 10 Program used to practice space rendezvous and EVAs
Apollo program 1960 1968 1972 11 [a] Landed first humans on the Moon
Skylab 1964 1973 1974 3 First American space station
Apollo–Soyuz Test Project 1971197519751Joint with Soviet Union
Space Shuttle program 1972 1981 2011 135 [b] First missions in which a spacecraft was reused
Shuttle-Mir program 1993 1995 1998 11 [c] Russian partnership
International Space Station 1993 1998 Ongoing 65 Joint with Roscosmos, CSA, ESA, and JAXA; Americans flew on Russian Soyuz after 2011 retirement of Space Shuttle
Commercial Crew Program 2011 2020 Ongoing8Current program to shuttle Americans to the ISS
Artemis program 2017 2025 (planned)Ongoing0Current program to bring humans to the Moon again

Notes:

  1. Apollo 1 was unlaunched due to a fire during testing that killed the astronauts, and is not counted here.
  2. One Space Shuttle mission ended with the destruction of the vehicle and death of the entire crew before reaching orbit.
  3. The Shuttle-Mir missions were all Space Shuttle missions, and are also counted under the Space Shuttle program missions in the table.

Early Obama administration review

In May 2009, the Obama administration announced the launch of an independent review of planned U.S. human space flight activities with the goal of ensuring that the nation is on a vigorous and sustainable path to achieving its boldest aspirations in space. The review was conducted by a panel of experts led by Norman Augustine, the former CEO of Lockheed Martin, who served on the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology under both Democrat and Republican presidents. [5]

The "Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans" was to examine ongoing and planned National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) development activities, as well as potential alternatives and present options for advancing a safe, innovative, affordable, and sustainable human space flight program in the years following Space Shuttle retirement. The panel worked closely with NASA and sought input from the United States Congress, the White House, the public, industry, and international partners as it developed its options. It presented its results on October 22, 2009. [6] [7] [8]

In February 2010, Obama announced his proposal to cancel the Constellation program as part of his reform program. Constellation was officially canceled by the NASA Budget Authorization Act on October 11, 2010.

Future

NASA brought the Orion spacecraft back to life from the defunct Constellation program and successfully test-launched the first capsule on December 5, 2014, aboard EFT-1. After a near-perfect flight traveling 3,600 miles (5,800 km) above Earth, the spacecraft was recovered for study. NASA plans to use the Orion crew vehicle to send humans to deep space locations such as the Moon and Mars starting in the 2020s. Orion will be powered by NASA's new heavy-lift vehicle, the Space Launch System (SLS), which is currently under development.

Artemis I was the first flight of the SLS and was launched as a test of the completed Orion and SLS system. [9] During the mission, an uncrewed Orion capsule spent 10 days in a distant retrograde 60,000 kilometers (37,000 mi) orbit around the Moon before returning to Earth. [10] Artemis II, the first crewed mission of the program, will launch four astronauts in 2025 [11] on a free-return flyby of the Moon at a distance of 8,900 kilometers (5,500 mi). [12] [13] [14]

After Artemis II, the Power and Propulsion Element of the Lunar Gateway and three components of an expendable lunar lander are planned to be delivered on multiple launches from commercial launch service providers. [15]

Artemis III is planned to launch in 2026 [16] aboard an SLS Block 1 rocket and will use the minimalist Gateway and expendable lander to achieve the first crewed lunar landing of the program. The flight is planned to touch down on the lunar south pole region, with two astronauts staying there for about one week. [15] [17] [18] [19] [20]

Robotic missions

Suborbital

Earth and Heliocentric satellites

  • Terra, launched December 1999, operational
  • Aqua, launched May 2002, operational
  • Aura, launched July 2004, operational

Sun

  • TIMED, launched December 2001, operational
  • Hinode, launched September 2006, operational
  • STEREO, launched October 2006, operational
  • MMS, launched March 2015, [38] operational
  • IMAP, launching 2025, future

Moon

  • Ranger 1 , launched August 1961, failed
  • Ranger 2 , launched November 1961, failed
  • Ranger 3 , launched January 1962, failed
  • Ranger 4 , launched April 1962, failed
  • Ranger 5 , launched October 1962, failed
  • Ranger 6 , launched January 1964, failed
  • Ranger 7 , launched July 1964, completed
  • Ranger 8 , launched February 1965, completed
  • Ranger 9 , launched March 1965, completed
  • Discovery 3– Lunar Prospector , launched January 1998, completed
  • Discovery 11– GRAIL, launched September 2011, completed [43]
  • Peregrine Mission One , launched January 2024, failed
  • IM-1 , launched February 2024, completed– first commercial lunar landing. First American moon landing since Apollo 17 in December 1972.

Mercury

  • Discovery 7– MESSENGER , launched August 2004, completed– first to orbit Mercury

Venus

  • Mariner 1 , launched July 1962, failed– intended to be first American flyby of Venus
  • Mariner 2 , launched August 1962, completed– first flyby of Venus by an operational spacecraft
  • Mariner 5 , launched June 1967, completed– flyby of Venus
  • Mariner 10 , launched November 1973, completed– flyby of Venus; multiple flybys of Mercury; first spacecraft to Mercury
  • Discovery 15– VERITAS , launching 2028, future
  • Discovery 16– DAVINCI , launching 2029, future

Mars

  • Viking 1 , launched August 1975, completed
  • Viking 2 , launched September 1975, completed
  • Deep Space 2 , launched January 1999, failed– (sub-surface probes)

Jupiter

  • New Frontiers 2– Juno, launched August 2011, operational– Jupiter orbiter mission [44]

Saturn

  • New Frontiers 4– Dragonfly , launching 2028, future

Uranus

Neptune

Asteroids/comets

  • Discovery 4– Stardust , launched February 1999, completed– follow-up for Deep Impact's primary mission to 9P/Tempel
  • Discovery 6– CONTOUR, launched July 2002, failed
  • Discovery 8– Deep Impact (primary); EPOXI (extended), launched January 2005, completed
  • Discovery 9– Dawn , launched September 2007, completed– Vesta in 2011-2012, and Ceres in 2015-2018
  • Discovery 13– Lucy , launched October 2021, operational– Will fly by one main-belt asteroid and seven Jupiter Trojan asteroids. [45]
  • Discovery 14– Psyche , launched October 2023, enroute

Dwarf planets

  • Discovery 9– Dawn , launched September 2007, completed– Vesta in 2011-2012, and Ceres in 2015-2018

Canceled or undeveloped missions

Old proposals

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariner program</span> NASA space program from 1962 to 1973

The Mariner program was conducted by the American space agency NASA to explore other planets. Between 1962 and late 1973, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) designed and built 10 robotic interplanetary probes named Mariner to explore the inner Solar System – visiting the planets Venus, Mars and Mercury for the first time, and returning to Venus and Mars for additional close observations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pioneer program</span> Series of United States uncrewed lunar and planetary space probes (1958-60; 1965-92)

The Pioneer programs were two series of United States lunar and planetary space probes exploration. The first program, which ran from 1958 to 1960, unsuccessfully attempted to send spacecraft to orbit the Moon, successfully sent one spacecraft to fly by the Moon, and successfully sent one spacecraft to investigate interplanetary space between the orbits of Earth and Venus. The second program, which ran from 1965 to 1992, sent four spacecraft to measure interplanetary space weather, two to explore Jupiter and Saturn, and two to explore Venus. The two outer planet probes, Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11, became the first two of five artificial objects to achieve the escape velocity that will allow them to leave the Solar System, and carried a golden plaque each depicting a man and a woman and information about the origin and the creators of the probes, in case any extraterrestrials find them someday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space exploration</span> Exploration of space, planets, and moons

Space exploration is the use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space. While the exploration of space is currently carried out mainly by astronomers with telescopes, its physical exploration is conducted both by uncrewed robotic space probes and human spaceflight. Space exploration, like its classical form astronomy, is one of the main sources for space science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariner 1</span> Failed NASA mission to Venus (1962)

Mariner 1, built to conduct the first American planetary flyby of Venus, was the first spacecraft of NASA's interplanetary Mariner program. Developed by Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and originally planned to be a purpose-built probe launched summer 1962, Mariner 1's design was changed when the Centaur proved unavailable at that early date. Mariner 1, were then adapted from the lighter Ranger lunar spacecraft. Mariner 1 carried a suite of experiments to determine the temperature of Venus as well to measure magnetic fields and charged particles near the planet and in interplanetary space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gravity assist</span> Space navigation technique

A gravity assist, gravity assist maneuver, swing-by, or generally a gravitational slingshot in orbital mechanics, is a type of spaceflight flyby which makes use of the relative movement and gravity of a planet or other astronomical object to alter the path and speed of a spacecraft, typically to save propellant and reduce expense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lander (spacecraft)</span> Type of spacecraft

A lander is a spacecraft that descends towards, then comes to rest on the surface of an astronomical body other than Earth. In contrast to an impact probe, which makes a hard landing that damages or destroys the probe upon reaching the surface, a lander makes a soft landing after which the probe remains functional.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discovery Program</span> Solar system exploration program by NASA

The Discovery Program is a series of Solar System exploration missions funded by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through its Planetary Missions Program Office. The cost of each mission is capped at a lower level than missions from NASA's New Frontiers or Flagship Programs. As a result, Discovery missions tend to be more focused on a specific scientific goal rather than serving a general purpose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Tour program</span> NASAs space program intended to explore the outer solar system

The Grand Tour is a NASA program that would have sent two groups of robotic probes to all the planets of the outer Solar System. It called for four spacecraft, two of which would visit Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto, while the other two would visit Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. The enormous cost of the project, around $1 billion, led to its cancellation and replacement with Mariner Jupiter-Saturn, which became the Voyager program.

The New Frontiers program is a series of space exploration missions being conducted by NASA with the purpose of furthering the understanding of the Solar System. The program selects medium-class missions which can provide high science returns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of space exploration</span> Overview of and topical guide to space exploration

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to space exploration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exploration of Saturn</span> Overview of the exploration of Saturn

The exploration of Saturn has been solely performed by crewless probes. Three missions were flybys, which formed an extended foundation of knowledge about the system. The Cassini–Huygens spacecraft, launched in 1997, was in orbit from 2004 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Planetary flyby</span> Sending a space probe past a planet or dwarf planet

A planetary flyby is the act of sending a space probe past a planet or a dwarf planet close enough to record scientific data. This is a subset of the overall concept of a flyby in spaceflight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASA</span> American space and aeronautics agency

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the United States' civil space program, aeronautics research and space research. Established in 1958, it succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) to give the US space development effort a distinct civilian orientation, emphasizing peaceful applications in space science. It has since led most of America's space exploration programs, including Project Mercury, Project Gemini, the 1968–1972 Apollo Moon landing missions, the Skylab space station, and the Space Shuttle. Currently, NASA supports the International Space Station (ISS) along with the Commercial Crew Program, and oversees the development of the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System for the lunar Artemis program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discovery and exploration of the Solar System</span>

Discovery and exploration of the Solar System is observation, visitation, and increase in knowledge and understanding of Earth's "cosmic neighborhood". This includes the Sun, Earth and the Moon, the major planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, their satellites, as well as smaller bodies including comets, asteroids, and dust.

Robert Samuel Kraemer was an American aerospace engineer who served as Director of Planetary Programs at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration from 1971 to 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Planetary Missions Program Office</span> Division of NASA

The Planetary Missions Program Office is a division of NASA headquartered at the Marshall Space Flight Center, formed by the agency's Science Mission Directorate (SMD). Succeeding the Discovery and New Frontiers Program Office, it was established in 2014 to manage the Discovery and New Frontiers programs of low and medium-cost missions by third-party institutions, and the Solar System Exploration program of NASA-led missions that focus on prioritized planetary science objectives. The Discovery and New Frontiers programs were established in 1992 and 2001 respectively, and have launched fourteen primary missions together, along with two missions launched under the administration of the Planetary Missions Program Office. The Solar System Exploration Program was established alongside the office, with three missions planned for launch under the new program.

References

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  4. ↑ "APPENDIX A; HISTORY OF THE X-PLANE PROGRAM". Draft X-33 Environmental Impact Statement. NASA. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
  5. ↑ Wall, Mike (January 20, 2017). "President Obama's Space Legacy: Mars, Private Spaceflight and More". Space.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
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  9. ↑ Foust 2019 , "Artemis 1, or EM-1, will be an uncrewed test flight of Orion and SLS and is scheduled to launch in June of 2020."
  10. ↑ Heaton & Sood 2020, p. 3.
  11. ↑ "Artemis II - NASA" . Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  12. ↑ Hambleton, Kathryn (August 27, 2018). "First Flight With Crew Important Step on Long-Term Return to Moon". NASA. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  13. ↑ Hambleton, Kathryn (May 23, 2019). "NASA's First Flight With Crew Important Step on Long-term Return to the Moon, Missions to Mars". NASA. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  14. ↑ Heaton & Sood 2020, p. 7.
  15. 1 2 Weitering, Hanneke (May 23, 2019). "NASA Has a Full Plate of Lunar Missions Before Astronauts Can Return to Moon". Space.com . Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2019. And before NASA sends astronauts to the moon in 2024, the agency will first have to launch five aspects of the lunar Gateway, all of which will be commercial vehicles that launch separately and join each other in lunar orbit. First, a power and propulsion element will launch in 2022. Then, the crew module will launch (without a crew) in 2023. In 2024, during the months leading up to the crewed landing, NASA will launch the last critical components: a transfer vehicle that will ferry landers from the Gateway to a lower lunar orbit, a descent module that will bring the astronauts to the lunar surface, and an ascent module that will bring them back up to the transfer vehicle, which will then return them to the Gateway.
  16. ↑ "Artemis III: NASA's First Human Mission to the Lunar South Pole - NASA". January 13, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  17. ↑ Grush 2019, "Now, for Artemis 3 that carries our crew to the Gateway, we need to have the crew have access to a lander. So, that means that at Gateway we're going to have the Power and Propulsion Element, which will be launched commercially, the Utilization Module, which will be launched commercially, and then we'll have a lander there..
  18. ↑ Grush 2019, "The direction that we have right now is that the next man and the first woman will be Americans and that we will land on the south pole of the Moon in 2024.".
  19. ↑ Chang, Kenneth (May 25, 2019). "For Artemis Mission to Moon, NASA Seeks to Add Billions to Budget" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2019. Under the NASA plan, a mission to land on the moon would take place during the third launch of the Space Launch System. Astronauts, including the first woman to walk on the moon, Mr. Bridenstine said, would first stop at the orbiting lunar outpost. They would then take a lander to the surface near its south pole, where frozen water exists within the craters.
  20. ↑ Foust, Jeff (July 21, 2019). "NASA outlines plans for lunar lander development through commercial partnerships". SpaceNews . Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
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  23. ↑ "SHIELDS Up! NASA Rocket to Survey Our Solar System's Windshield". April 15, 2021. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
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  45. ↑ "NASA, ULA Launch Lucy Mission to 'Fossils' of Planet Formation" (Press release). NASA. October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
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