National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Explorers

Program Home Page: http://explorers.gsfc.nasa.gov/

The mission of the Explorers Program is to provide frequent flight opportunities for world-class scientific investigations from space utilizing innovative, streamlined and efficient management approaches within the heliophysics and astrophysics science areas. This program is managed by the Heliophysics Division and solicits missions for both Heliophysics and Astrophysics. Explorers are opportunities for innovative science and fill the scientific gaps between the larger missions.

The program seeks to enhance public awareness of, and appreciation for, space science and to incorporate educational and public outreach activities as integral parts of space science investigations.

The Explorer program enables the definition, development and implementation of mission concepts through a variety of modes to meet the need of the scientific community and the NASA space science enterprise.

The Explorer Program Office at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD, provides management of the multiple scientific exploration missions in the Explorer space flight program. The missions are characterized by relatively moderate cost, and by small to medium sized missions that are capable of being built, tested and launched in a short time interval compared to the large observatories.

Missions listed below were competitively selected under the Explorers Program.  A mission is assigned to another SMD once the mission launches and throughout the operating phase of the mission.