Missions
The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (Space Act) established NASA as an aerospace research and development agency that sponsors and conducts flight missions to obtain data in furtherance of its objectives. In NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD), flight missions range from suborbital projects—including balloons, sounding rockets, and airplanes—to interplanetary probes and flagship observatories. All investigations and missions selected and flown must respond to Agency goals and strategic objectives.
Mission opportunities are open to all proposers, within fixed rules, via public announcement, and selections are based primarily on scientific and technical merit as evaluated by independent peer review. Foreign partners are frequent and valued participants in joint missions. The partnerships are generally conducted on a cooperative, no-exchange-of-funds basis. NASA also works closely with a number of other Federal agencies to implement and support our flight missions. To learn more about mission planning and development, see section 3.3 of the Science Plan for NASA's Science Mission Directorate 2007 - 2016 (PDF 5.1 MB).
This page provides access to all SMD missions, with several options for viewing. Click on the column headers below to change your view. The "All" tab will provide you with a complete listing that can be sorted to suit your interests.
*Sort missions by clicking Launch Date, A-Z, or PHASE column headers.
Launch Date | A-Z | Phase |
---|---|---|
August 25, 1997 | Operating | |
December 20, 1999 | Operating | |
August 17, 1996 | Past | |
April 25, 2007 | Operating | |
May 04, 2002 | Operating | |
May 22, 2010 | Development | |
February 20, 1993 | Past | |
December 02, 1990 | Past | |
March 24, 1992 | Past | |
December 07, 1966 | Past | |
July 15, 2004 | Operating | |
2012 | Development | |
December 02, 1990 | Past | |
April 28, 2006 | Operating | |
October 15, 1997 | Operating | |
April 05, 1991 | Past | |
July 15, 2000 | Past | |
July 23, 1999 | Operating | |
October 22, 2008 | Operating | |
January 12, 2003 | Past | |
April 16, 2008 | Operating | |
TBD | Under Study | |
January 25, 1994 | Past | |
April 28, 2006 | Operating | |
July 16, 2000 | Operating | |
November 18, 1989 | Past | |
Under Study | ||
July 03, 2002 | Past | |
July 25, 1990 | Past | |
September 27, 2007 | Operating | |
January 12, 2005 | Operating | |
January 12, 2005 | Operating | |
October 24, 1998 | Past | |
TBD | Under Study | |
January 13, 1993 | Past | |
August 03, 1981 | Past | |
November 21, 2000 | Operating | |
December 02, 1997 | Past | |
October 05, 1984 | Past | |
July 17, 1991 | Past | |
February 03, 1966 | Past | |
June 07, 1992 | Past | |
2013 | Under Study | |
August 21, 1996 | Operating | |
June 11, 2008 | Operating | |
June 24, 1999 | Past | |
April 28, 2003 | Operating | |
October 18, 1989 | Past | |
August 08, 2001 | Past | |
March 12, 1985 | Past | |
July 24, 1992 | Operating | |
June 16, 2009 | Development | |
October 16, 1975 | Past | |
September 09, 1980 | Past | |
April 13, 1994 | Operating | |
May 04, 2006 | Operating | |
June 01, 2013 | Under Study | |
March 17, 2002 | Operating | |
September 01, 2011 | Under Study | |
April 20, 2004 | Past | |
February 12, 1997 | Past | |
May 09, 2003 | Operating | |
October 31, 2008 | Development | |
October 09, 2000 | Past | |
September 23, 2006 | Operating | |
August 08, 1989 | Past | |
April 24, 1990 | Operating | |
October 19, 2008 | Operating | |
January 12, 2003 | Operating | |
2015 | Under Study | |
October 29, 1998 | Past | |
2013 | Under Study | |
March 25, 2000 | Past | |
October 26, 1973 | Past | |
October 17, 2002 | Operating | |
October 22, 1997 | Past | |
November 17, 1995 | Past | |
January 26, 1978 | Past | |
December 07, 2001 | Operating | |
Under Study | ||
August 11, 2011 | Development | |
June 30, 2013 | Development | |
May 21, 1975 | Past | |
2001 | Operating | |
February 16, 2009 | Development | |
2011 | Under Study | |
May 04, 1976 | Operating | |
April 15, 1999 | Operating | |
October 12, 2005 | Development | |
July 11, 2011 | Under Study | |
November 17, 1998 | Past | |
Under Study | ||
January 07, 1998 | Past | |
April 24, 2009 | Development | |
May 04, 1989 | Past | |
July 21, 1962 | Past | |
2016 | Under Study | |
December 11, 1998 | Past | |
July 08, 2003 | Operating | |
June 10, 2003 | Operating | |
June 02, 2003 | Operating | |
November 07, 1996 | Past | |
January 01, 2011 | Under Study | |
September 25, 1992 | Past | |
April 07, 2001 | Operating | |
December 04, 1996 | Past | |
January 03, 1999 | Past | |
August 12, 2005 | Operating | |
October 01, 2011 | Development | |
Under Study | ||
2013 | Under Study | |
August 03, 2004 | Operating | |
2014 | Development | |
June 18, 1983 | Past | |
February 19, 1987 | Past | |
February 17, 1996 | Past | |
January 19, 2006 | Operating | |
August 27, 1964 | Past | |
May 20, 2005 | Operating | |
March 28, 1993 | Past | |
December 31, 2012 | Development | |
June 02, 2010 | Development | |
2011 | Under Study | |
Past | ||
December 15, 2008 | Development | |
November 20, 1996 | Past | |
June 20, 2008 | Operating | |
August 04, 2007 | Operating | |
March 03, 1972 | Past | |
May 20, 1978 | Past | |
April 01, 2009 | Development | |
February 24, 1996 | Past | |
June 19, 1999 | Operating | |
November 04, 1995 | Past | |
August 22, 1961 | Past | |
2012 | Development | |
February 02, 2002 | Operating | |
June 01, 1990 | Past | |
March 02, 2004 | Operating | |
December 30, 1995 | Operating | |
November 04, 1996 | Past | |
December 10, 2001 | Past | |
July 03, 1992 | Past | |
2009 | Development | |
June 27, 1978 | Past | |
August 01, 1997 | Operating | |
December 14, 2002 | Operating | |
TBD | Under Study | |
Under Study | ||
April 19, 1994 | Past | |
2012 | Under Study | |
May 17, 1974 | Past | |
February 26, 1998 | Past | |
June 01, 2009 | Development | |
December 02, 1995 | Operating | |
TBD | Under Study | |
TBD | Under Study | |
January 25, 2003 | Operating | |
January 01, 2010 | Development | |
September 13, 1994 | Past | |
August 25, 2003 | Operating | |
February 11, 2000 | Past | |
March 22, 2006 | Past | |
December 16, 2006 | Past | |
December 01, 2009 | Development | |
February 07, 1999 | Past | |
Operating | ||
June 05, 1999 | Past | |
October 25, 2006 | Operating | |
May 29, 1966 | Past | |
July 10, 2005 | Operating | |
December 06, 1998 | Past | |
November 20, 2004 | Operating | |
December 18, 1999 | Operating | |
May 18, 1999 | Past | |
February 17, 2007 | Operating | |
December 07, 2001 | Operating | |
April 01, 1960 | Past | |
July 02, 1996 | Past | |
August 10, 1992 | Past | |
Under Study | ||
April 01, 1998 | Operating | |
November 27, 1997 | Operating | |
June 26, 1992 | Past | |
February 26, 2008 | Operating | |
September 12, 1991 | Past | |
October 06, 1990 | Operating | |
August 20, 1975 | Past | |
September 05, 1977 | Operating | |
November 01, 1994 | Operating | |
March 04, 1999 | Past | |
November 02, 2009 | Development | |
June 30, 2001 | Operating | |
December 10, 1999 | Operating |