top missions of NASA

NASA has been involved in numerous space missions Here are some notable examples of NASA's space missions across different categories

Apollo program

This involved landing on moon and exploration of moon atmosphere.

Space Shuttle

Main purpose was to take astronauts and satellites to space. The shuttle carried large parts into space to build the International Space Station.

Robotic Missions to Other Planets and Celestial Bodies

1. Viking Missions: The Viking 1 and Viking 2 missions were the first to successfully land spacecraft on Mars in the mid-1970s. They conducted experiments to search for signs of life.

2. Voyager Missions: The Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft were launched in 1977. They conducted flybys of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, providing valuable insights into the outer planets and their moons.

3. Mars Rovers (Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, Perseverance): These rovers have explored the Martian surface, studying the geology, climate, and searching for signs of past or present life. As a part of Mars 2020 mission, Perseverance rover was launched on 30 July 2020 and landed on Mars on 18 February 2021.

4. Cassini-Huygens: The Cassini spacecraft studied Saturn and its moons, while the Huygens probe landed on Saturn's moon Titan, providing valuable information about the moon's surface.

5. New Horizons: Launched in 2006, New Horizons conducted a flyby of Pluto in 2015, revealing details about the dwarf planet's surface and atmosphere.

Space Telescopes and Observatories

1. Hubble Space Telescope: Launched in 1990, Hubble has provided breathtaking images and valuable data on distant galaxies, stars, and nebulae.

2. Chandra X-ray Observatory: This space telescope observes X-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, revealing details about black holes, neutron stars, and other celestial phenomena.

3. James Webb Space Telescope (Upcoming): Set to launch in December 2021, the Webb telescope will be focused on infrared observations and is expected to greatly expand our understanding of the early universe, exoplanets, and more.

International Collaborations

1. International Space Station (ISS): A joint effort involving NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CSA, the ISS is a space station that serves as a laboratory for scientific research and technology development in microgravity.

Upcoming Missions

1. Artemis Program: NASA's initiative to return humans to the moon and establish a sustainable presence there. The program aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface, including the first woman and the next man, by the mid-2020s.

2. Europa Clipper (Upcoming): This mission aims to study Jupiter's moon Europa, which is believed to have a subsurface ocean that could potentially harbor life.

3. Dragonfly (Upcoming): A mission to Saturn's moon Titan, Dragonfly will send a rotorcraft to explore the moon's surface and study its organic chemistry.