Mission Archive

NASA · 2024

Europa

A NASA mission on its way to Jupiter, where it will make dozens of close flybys of the moon Europa to judge whether its buried ocean could support life.

NASA · 2020

Mars

A NASA mission exploring Jezero crater for signs of ancient microbial life and collecting rock samples for possible return to Earth.

NASA · 2011

Mars

A NASA mission that landed the Curiosity rover in Gale crater in 2012, where it found that Mars once had lakes and streams able to support microbial life.

NASA · 2003

Mars

One of NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers, built to last 90 days. It drove more than 45 km across Meridiani Planum over 14 years and found minerals that form in water.

NASA · 2003

Mars

One of NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers, which explored Gusev crater for more than six years and found evidence that hot water once flowed there.

NASA/ESA/ASI · 1997

Jupiter, Saturn, Titan

A joint NASA, ESA and Italian Space Agency mission that orbited Saturn for 13 years and landed the Huygens probe on Titan. It ended with a planned dive into Saturn's atmosphere.

NASA · 1996

Mars

A NASA technology demonstration that landed on Mars cushioned by airbags and delivered Sojourner, the first rover to operate on another planet.

NASA · 1989

Jupiter, Gaspra, Ida

The first spacecraft to orbit Jupiter, studying the planet and its moons for eight years and finding evidence of an ocean beneath Europa's ice. On the way it made the first flyby of an asteroid.

NASA · 1977

Jupiter, Saturn, Interstellar space

A spacecraft that performed flybys of Jupiter, Saturn, and Saturn's moon Titan. Currently exploring interstellar space.

NASA · 1977

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Interstellar space

A spacecraft that performed flybys of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Currently exploring interstellar space.

NASA · 1975

Mars

The first American mission to land on Mars and the first to operate there for years. Its orbiter mapped the planet while the lander searched the soil for signs of life.

NASA · 1971

Mars

The first spacecraft to orbit another planet. It waited out a global dust storm and then mapped the whole of Mars, revealing its volcanoes, canyons and dry riverbeds.

NASA · 1964

Mars

The first spacecraft to return close-up pictures of another planet, sending back 21 images of a cratered Mars from its flyby in July 1965.

NASA · 1962

Venus

The first spacecraft to fly past another planet and return data. Its measurements showed that Venus has a very hot surface beneath its clouds.