When humankind began to explore beyond Earth’s atmosphere, our understanding of life on Earth and the potential for life beyond our planet changed forever. Missions gathered data on locations far and wide – from the planets of our solar system to exoplanets around distant stars.
Data from missions helped shape knowledge of habitability, helping astrobiologists determine and identify the conditions necessary for life as we know it. Other data taught us about how planets form and become habitable for life.
Some missions were even designed with specific astrobiology goals and to directly address NASA’s search for life in the universe.
Observing solar, interplanetary, interstellar, and galactic origins.
NASA’s flagship mission for X-ray astronomy.
Detailed reconnaissance of Jupiter’s moon Europa.
Interactions of the solar wind and Mars.
Changing our fundamental understanding of the universe.
Understanding the boundary of the heliosphere.
Studying every phase in the history of our universe.
Studying Venus from its clouds down to the surface.
Flights of science across Saturn’s moon Titan.
The search for signs of life on exoplanets.
Investigate dark matter, exoplanets, and other mysteries.
Discovering the secrets of a lost habitable world.
Searching Mars’ atmosphere for methane and other trace gases indicative of potential biological or geological activity.
Studying Jupiter and three of the planet’s icy moons: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.
Drilling on Mars to search for signs of past or present life.
Exploring the universe and sharing its wonders.
The national facility for infrared astronomy.
High precision measurements of infrared signals from nearby stars.
Exploring the local and distant Universe.
Sharing the wonders of Saturn and its family of icy moons.
The first mission to safely reach the martian surface and the first to search for evidence of life on Mars.
