Space Missions, Explained

Artemis

NASA's program to return astronauts to the Moon and build toward the first crewed missions to Mars.

James Webb Space Telescope

The most powerful space telescope ever built, seeing the universe in infrared from a million miles away.

Perseverance

NASA's newest Mars rover, hunting for signs of ancient life and caching samples for return to Earth.

International Space Station

Humanity's laboratory in orbit, continuously crewed since November 2000.

Orion and SLS

The crew capsule and heavy-lift rocket that carry Artemis astronauts to the Moon.

Hubble Space Telescope

The telescope that changed astronomy, still doing frontier science after three decades in orbit.

Curiosity

The rover that proved ancient Mars could have supported life, still climbing a Martian mountain.

Europa Clipper

NASA's largest planetary spacecraft, headed to Jupiter's ocean moon to ask if it could host life.

Psyche

A journey to a metal asteroid that may be the exposed core of a dead planet.

Parker Solar Probe

The fastest spacecraft ever built, flying through the Sun's atmosphere again and again.

Voyager 1 and 2

Twin probes launched in 1977, now the only spacecraft reporting from interstellar space.

IXPE

A small telescope measuring the polarization of X-rays from black holes, pulsars, and exploded stars.

Commercial Crew

NASA buys rides: private spacecraft carrying astronauts to the space station.

Falcon 9

SpaceX's partially reusable workhorse, the most-flown orbital rocket in the world.

Starship

SpaceX's fully reusable super-heavy launch system, built to carry people and cargo to the Moon and Mars.

Electron

Rocket Lab's small-satellite launcher, the most-flown rocket in its class.

New Glenn

Blue Origin's heavy-lift, partially reusable orbital rocket.

In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)

Mission Overview

Parabolic Flight

Location: Varies, according to the commercial flight provider’s airport access. Purpose: Parabolic flight research allows scientists to conduct Earth-based studies that could lead to enhanced astron

Quesst

Quesst is NASA’s mission to demonstrate how the X-59 can fly supersonic without generating loud sonic booms and then survey what people hear when it flies overhead. Reaction to the quieter sonic “thum

Haughton Mars Project (HMP), Canadian Arctic

Posted on: April 30, 2012 Branch / Organization: Space Science & Astrobiology Division Research at HMP has focused on astrobiology and geology research, human and robotic exploration technology develo

Chandra X-ray Observatory

Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE)

The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is a space observatory built to discover the secrets of some of the most extreme cosmic objects – the remnants of supernova explosions, neutron stars, pow

On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1)

Announcement from NASA Headquarters: Pursuant to appropriations law, NASA notified Congress on Sep. 4, of the intent to cancel OSAM-1. The agency confirmed with the Committees on Appropriations that t

Gateway

International teams of astronauts will explore the scientific mysteries of deep space with Gateway, humanity’s first space station around the Moon.

Tracking and Data Relay Satellites

Starling

CubeSat Laser Infrared CrosslinK (CLICK)

Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3)

Setting Sail to Travel Through Space: 5 Things to Know about our New Mission

Voyager 1 and 2

NEK and SIRIUS

Antarctic Stations

:envihab

Location: Cologne, Germany Purpose: Operated by the German Space Agency (DLR) Institute of Aerospace Medicine, :envihab (a combination of the words ‘environment’ and ‘habitat’) is a medical research f

NASA Space Radiation Lab

Mission Overview Location: Upton, New York Environment: Laboratory Hazards Tested: Space radiation Description: The NSRL helps to assess many of the health risks associated with cosmic radiation. Befo

Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

Orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 200 nautical miles, the AMS is pioneering a new frontier in particle physics research for the 21st century. Although the AMS is specifically looking for antimatter

Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator (PTD)

DiskSat

Advanced Air Mobility

NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) research will transform our communities by bringing the movement of people and goods off the ground, on demand, and into the sky.

Artemis III

NASA’s Northrop Grumman CRS-21

NASA’s SpaceX CRS-31

Electrified Aircraft Propulsion

NASA innovates new aviation technologies to enable the next generation of more efficient commercial air transportation.

NASA’s SpaceX CRS-32

SpaceX’s 32nd commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station will deliver science, supplies, and hardware to the orbiting laboratory for NASA.

PExT

First-of-its-Kind Demonstration NASA missions rely on critical data exchanges to navigate, monitor spacecraft health, and transmit scientific information back to Earth. For almost 40 years, NASA has r

NASA’s Northrop Grumman CRS-23

Altitude Chambers

Location: NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston is the major site for this work. Purpose: Altitude chambers (more technically known as hypobaric chambers) allow scientists to test different protocols

Expedition 74

Expedition 74 began on Dec. 8, 2025, and will end in Summer 2026. The crew will welcome the SpaceX Crew-12 mission in the Spring while continuing to conduct advanced space research benefitting humans

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12

The 13th flight of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with people as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Artemis IV

NASA’s Northrop Grumman CRS-24

Northrop Grumman’s commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station will deliver scientific research, crew supplies, and hardware to the orbiting laboratory for NASA. The missio

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 featuring NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.

NASA’s SpaceX CRS-34

Space Reactor-1 Freedom

SR-1 Freedom Flight Path This mission is the first step in a deliberate sequence. It will inform and enable Lunar Reactor-1 (LR-1), a fission surface power system designed to keep NASA’s Moon Base ope

CAPSTONE 02