SpaceRef - Exploration and Missions - Robotic Missions

ABRIXAS - ABRIXAS was a small satellite mission which was planned to observe the X-ray sky in the energy band 0.5-10 keV and scan the sky for three years with an imaging telescope, resulting in an all-sky survey. This satellite failed after launch. [Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam]

Advanced Cosmic-ray Composition Experiment for the Space Station (ACCESS) - ACCESS is a proposed study of the elemental composition of cosmic rays over the entire range of the periodic table and at high energies, and of their acceleration mechanism and origin. ACCESS will be an attached payload on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2005 and will contain three instruments: Hadron Calorimeter, Transition Radiation Detector (TRD), and the Ultra Heavy/Charge (UHC) Module. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]

Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA) - ASCA (previously known as Astro-D) is Japan's fourth cosmic X-ray astronomy mission and was launched on 20 February 1993.

All-sky Low Energy Gamma Ray Observatory (ALEGRO) - ALLEGRO A proposed MidEx satellite for sensitive all-sky detection of gamma-ray bursts (3,000 expected over a 3 year mission).

ARISE: Advanced Radio Interferometry between Space and Earth - ARISE will be a mission consisting of one (or possibly two) 25-meter radio telescopes in highly elliptical Earth orbit. The telescope(s) would observe in conjunction with a large number of radio telescopes on the ground, using the technique of space Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), in order to obtain the highest resolution (10-microarcsecond) images of the most energetic astronomical phenomena in the universe. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory]

Array of Low Energy X-ray Imaging Sensors (ALEXIS) - ALEXIS is a mini-satellite containing six wide angle EUV/ultrasoft X-ray telescopes and a broad-band VHF receiver and digitizer, "Blackbeard". ALEXIS was funded by the Department of Energy's Office of Intelligence and National Security. Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Astro-1 - Astro-1 was a Spacelab mission that consisted of three ultraviolet telescopes and an X-ray telescope flown in a Space Shuttle Cargo bay in December 1990. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]

Astro-2 - Astro-2 was a Spacelab mission that consisted of three ultraviolet telescopes flown in a Space Shuttle Cargo bay in March 1995. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]

Astro-E - ASTRO-E is a ISAS/NASA satellite scheduled to be launched in early 2000. ASTRO-E will cover the energy range 0.4 - 700 keV with the three instruments, X-ray micro-calorimeter (X-ray Spectrometer, XRS), X-ray CCDs (X-ray Imaging Spectrometer, XIS), and the hard X-ray detector (HXD). [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]

BeppoSAX - BeppoSAX (Satellite per Astronomia X "Beppo" ) is an X-ray astronomy satellite named in honor of Giuseppe Occhialini. BeppoSAX is a project of ASI, the Italian Space Agency, and the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programs (NIVR). BeppoSAX will observe a wide range from 0.1 to 200 keV.

Bispectral Infra-Red Detector (BIRD) - The BIRD small satellite mission shall demonstrate the scientific and technological value and the technical and programmatic feasibility of the combination of ambitious science and new, not yet space-proofed advanced technologies with a small satellite mission conception under low-budget constraints. [DLR]

Broad Band X-ray Telescope (BBXRT) - "BBXRT was flown on the space shuttle Columbia (STS-35) on 1990 December 2-December 11, as part of the ASTRO-1 payload. The flight of BBXRT marked the first opportunity for performing X-ray observations over a broad energy range (0.3-12 keV) with a moderate energy resolution (typically 90 eV and 150 eV at 1 and 6 keV, respectively)."

CATSAT - CATSAT is a small scientific satellite mission whose scientific mission will be to study the origin and nature Gamma Ray Bursters. CATSAT being developed jointly by the University of New Hampshire and the University of Leicester through the Universities Space Research Association (USRA)/NASA Student Explorer Demonstration Initiative (STEDI) program.

Chandra X-ray Observatory - Chandra (formerly named AXAF - the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility) is designed to observe X-rays from high energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics]

Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) - CGRO's mission includes studies of very energetic celestial phenomena: solar flares, cosmic gamma-ray bursts, pulsars, nova and supernova explosions, accreting black holes of stellar mass, quasar emission, and interactions of cosmic rays with the interstellar medium.

Constellation-X: the Constellation X-ray Mission - Constellation-X is a Next Generation X-ray Observatory dedicated to observations at high spectral resolution, providing as much as a factor of 100 increase in sensitivity over currently planned high resolution X-ray spectroscopy missions. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]

COROT A space mission dedicated to the seismology of celestial bodies and to the study of extrasolar planets - COROT is a space mission approved by the French Space Agency CNES, with a participation of the ESA Solar System Department at ESTEC and the University of Vienna.

Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) - COBE was developed to measure the diffuse infrared and microwave radiation from the early universe. COBE carried three instruments, a Far Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer (FIRAS) to compare the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background radiation with a precise blackbody, a Differential Microwave Radiometer (DMR) to map the cosmic radiation sensitively, and a Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) to search for the cosmic infrared background radiation. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]

Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS) - CHIPS is a University-Class Explorer (UNEX) mission that will carry out all-sky spectroscopy of the diffuse background at wavelengths from 90 to 260 Angstroms. CHIPS data will help scientists determine the electron temperature, ionization conditions, and cooling mechanisms of the million-degree plasma believed to fill the local interstellar bubble. CHIPS instrument will be accommodated aboard a commercial communications spacecraft scheduled for launch in mid to late 2001. [University of California Berkeley]

Einstein Observatory - High Energy Astrophysics Observatory-2 (HEAO-2) - HEAO-2 was NASA's second High Energy Astronomy Observatory and operated between 13 November 1978 and April 1981. HEAO-2 made over 5,000 targeted observations of the X-ray sky.

Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) - EUVE was designed to carry out an all-sky, all-band survey in the extreme ultraviolet (70 -760 Angstroms) [Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley]

Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) - FUSE looks at light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (approximately 90 to 120 nanometers), which is unobservable with other telescopes. FUSE observes these wavelengths with much greater sensitivity and resolving power than previous instruments used to study light in this wavelength range. [Johns Hopkins University].

Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) - GALEX is a Space Ultraviolet Small Explorer mission that will map the global history and probe the causes of star formation over the redshift range, 80% of the life of the Universe, the period over which galaxies have evolved dramatically, and the time that most stars, elements, and galaxy disks had their origins. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]

Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) - GLAST is a proposed new high-energy gamma-ray mission to identify and study Nature's highest energy particle accelerators. GLAST will have a factor of more than 30 improvement in sensitivity over the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope ( EGRET) onboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO). [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]

Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics (GAIA) - GAIA is an advanced astrometric mission proposed as a Cornerstone Mission within the ESA Horizon 2000+ science plan, that aims to measure distances and velocities of more than a billion stars in our Galaxy and to provide highly accurate astrometric data. European Space Agency.

Gravity Probe-B - Gravity Probe B is the relativity gyroscope experiment being developed by NASA and Stanford University to test two extraordinary, unverified predictions of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity. The experiment will check, very precisely, tiny changes in the direction of spin of four gyroscopes contained in an Earth satellite orbiting at 400-mile altitude directly over the poles. They will measure how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth, and, more profoundly, how the Earth's rotation drags space-time around with it. [Stanford University]

Halca (MUSES-B) - HALCA is now in an elliptical orbit that will allow imaging of celestial radio sources by the satellite and ground based telescopes, with good plane coverage and high resolution. The lifetime of the MUSES-B mission is nominally three years. [ISAS]

High Energy Astronomy Observatory-1 (HEAO 1) - HEO-1 was the first of NASA's 3 High Energy Astronomy Observatories. It operated between 12 August 1977 and 9 January 1979. HEAO-1 scanned the X-ray sky and observed X-ray sources near the ecliptic poles.

High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (HESSI) - Primary mission objective is to explore the basic physics of particle acceleration and energy release in solar flares using simultaneous, high resolution imaging and spectroscopy of solar flares from 3 keV X-rays to 20 MeV gamma rays with high time resolution. This will be a Small Explorer (SMEX) class mission launched aboard a Pegasus booster on July 4, 2000. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]

High Energy Transient Explorer (HETE II) - HETE's prime objective is to carry out a multiwavelength study of gamma ray bursts with UV, X-ray, and gamma ray instruments. This mission will be able to localize bursts with several arcsecond accuracy, in near real-time aboard the spacecraft. These positions are transmitted to the ground, and picked up by a global network of primary and secondary ground stations (SGS), enabling sensitive follow-up studies. [MIT]

International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) - INTEGRAL is a European Space Agency Gamma-ray astronomy mission, to be launched in 2001. It is dedicated to fine spectroscopy and imaging of hard X-ray and Gamma-ray sources in the energy range 15 keV 10 MeV. [ESA]

Interstellar Probe - This proposed mission would send a spacecraft to 200 AU in 20 years, or less with a mission to determine the nature of the interstellar medium and its implications for the origin and evolution of matter in the galaxy, explore the structure of the heliosphere and its interaction with the interstellar medium, and study fundamental physical processes occurring in the heliosphere and interstellar medium.

Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) - MAP's primary mission is to probe conditions in the early universe by measuring the properties of the cosmic microwave background radiation over the full sky. MAP will be launched in Fall 2000 into a halo orbit about L2 Sun-Earth LaGrange point. Its payload is a passively cooled differential microwave radiometers with dual Gregorian 1.4 x 1.6 meter primary reflectors. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]

Next Generation Sky Survey (NGSS) - NGSS will provide an all-sky survey from 3.5 to 25 microns up to 1000 times more sensitive than the IRAS survey. NGSS will find the most luminous galaxy in the Universe, find the closest star to the Sun, detect all main belt asteroids larger than 3 km, enable a wide variety of studies ranging from the evolution of protoplanetary debris disks to the history of star formation in normal galaxies, and provide the essential catalog for the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST). [UCLA]

Orbiting Medium Explorer for Gravitational Astrophysics (OMEGA) - The OMEGA Mission's goal is the detection of low frequency gravitational waves. OMEGA consists of four miniprobes in high Earth orbit that track each other with lasers. The passage of a gravitational wave past the Earth produces a tiny change in the relative distances between miniprobes that is detected by the laser tracking. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]

Orbiting Wide-angle Light-collectors (OWL) - OWL's objective is to determine origin and characteristics of the highest energy cosmic rays. OWL will be an Earth orbiting system to study air showers initiated by high energy particles and will use the Earth's atmosphere as a vast calorimeter and observe nitrogen fluorescence light of giant air showers from above. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]

Planck - Planck is designed to image the anisotropies of the cosmic background radiation field over the whole sky, with unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution. Planck will provide a major source of information relevant to several cosmological and astrophysical issues, such as testing theories of the early universe and the origin of cosmic structure. [European Space Agency]

PLANET - Probing Lensing Anomalies NETwork - This website described a proposed method of extrasolar planetary detection that uses gravitational microlensing caused by large distant objects as an optical telescope of sorts that could allow planets down to the size of Earth to be detected at great distances. Kapteyn Institute Department of Astronomy.

ROSAT - ROSAT is a German-British-US X-ray astronomy project with the goal to perform the first complete all-sky survey of celestial X-ray sources. The satellite and its instruments provide the capability of detailed pointed observations of selected sources with respect to spatial structure, spectrum and time variability. [DLR]

Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer Mission (RXTE) - RXTE is designed to look at cosmic X-ray sources at short timescales over a broad energy range. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]

Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) - Main website for SIRTF, a 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically-cooled science instruments capable of performing imaging and spectroscopy in the 3 - 180 micron wavelength range. A fast-track development schedule will lead to a launch in December 2001. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]

Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) - The SIM is scheduled for launch in 2005 and will determine the positions and distances of stars several hundred times more accurately than any previous program and will allow SIM to determine the distances to stars throughout the Galaxy and to probe nearby stars for Earth-sized planets. SIM will be the first space mission to use optical interferometry. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]

Space Tech 3 - Space Technology 3, scheduled to launch in 2003, will test technologies and flying concepts that will benefit NASA's Origins Program. This mission will consist of two separate spacecraft that will be used to test the techniques of interferometry and formation flying in space. ST3 will be the first spaceborne stellar interferometer. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]

Space Very Long Baseline Interferometry Project - This is a new type of astronomy mission that uses a combination of satellite-and Earth-based radio antennas to create a telescope larger than Earth. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) - SOFIA is a Boeing 747-SP aircraft modified to accommodate a 2.5 meter reflecting telescope - the largest airborne telescope in the world. This is a joint NASA-DLR project. [NASA Ames Research Center]

Swift - This proposed mission is a multiwavelength observatory for gamma-ray burst astronomy. The main instrument on-board Swift is the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) which will detect and locate about one gamma ray burst per day, relaying a 1-4 arc minute position to the ground within 15 seconds. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]

Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) - TPF is a proposed mission that will study all aspects of planets: from their formation and development in disks of dust and gas around newly forming stars to the presence and features of those planets orbiting the nearest stars. TPF will be able to reduce the glare of parent stars by a factor of more than one hundred-thousand to see planetary systems as far away as 50 light years. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]

The Kepler Mission - Kepler is a proposed extrasolar planet detection mission that would measure the transit of extrasolar planets in front of their parent star. From the brightness change the planet size can be calculated. From the period the orbital size can be calculated and the planet's temperature estimated. NASA Ames Research Center.

VLBI Space Observatory Programme (VSOP) - VSOP is designed to image astronomical radio sources. Specific science goals of the mission include: high-resolution imaging of active galactic nuclei, monitoring of structural changes in superluminal sources, measurement of proper motion as a function of redshift in active galactic nuclei, distribution of spot sizes in OH maser sources , and high-resolution imaging of radio stars. [ISAS]

Wide-Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) - WIRE is a Small Explorer Mission designed to study the evolution of starburst galaxies and search for distant ultra-luminous galaxies. The instrument consists of a cryogenically-cooled, 30 cm imaging telescope which will detect faint astronomical sources in two infrared wavelength bands. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]