Science Mission Directorate

Commercial Space
Benefits to Science
Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)
Goddard Space Flight Center
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)
Lunar Science
Missions
Science Mission Directorate
Using ground-based telescopes and space-based assets, NASA and SpaceX are tracking a used Falcon 9 upper stage from a commercial mission expected to impact the Moon on Wednesday, Aug. 5, near the Einstein and Bell craters. The impact poses no danger to Earth and NASA scientists are planning to collect lunar data from the event […]
Posted August 4, 2026
Eclipses
NASA Headquarters
Science Mission Directorate
Solar Eclipses
The Solar System
On Wednesday, Aug. 12, a total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. NASA will stream the eclipse live with views across the path and interviews with subject matter experts through a variety of platforms. Learn where to watch online: […]
Posted July 29, 2026
Earth
Earth's Moon
EscaPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers)
Goddard Space Flight Center
Heliophysics
Heliophysics Division
Science Mission Directorate
The Sun
On July 3, one of NASA’s two Mars-destined ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) spacecraft captured photos of Earth and the Moon in visible and thermal infrared light.
Posted July 24, 2026
Goddard Space Flight Center
Mars
Mars Exploration Program
MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN)
Missions
NASA Centers & Facilities
NASA Directorates
Planetary Science Division
Planets
Science Mission Directorate
The Solar System
NASA MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission scientists have uncovered a key puzzle piece in understanding certain types of auroras on Mars, finding that they form in a similar way to Earth-based auroras. Results published Thursday in Nature Communications show the same mechanism that circulates and catapults charged particles into E
Posted July 23, 2026
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
Astrophysics Division
Goddard Space Flight Center
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Kennedy Space Center
Science Mission Directorate
Media are invited to join NASA for a virtual news conference at 2 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, July 29, to preview the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope mission, scheduled to launch from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30. NASA will stream this event live through a variety of platforms. Learn where […]
Posted July 21, 2026
Deep Space Network
Dwarf Planets
Missions
NASA Directorates
New Horizons
Planetary Science
Planetary Science Division
Pluto
Science Mission Directorate
The Kuiper Belt
The Solar System
Uncategorized
Following its longest hibernation period ever of nearly a year, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has emerged in good health and is ready to begin transmitting science data gathered in the distant Kuiper Belt far beyond Pluto.
Posted July 7, 2026
Moon Base
Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)
Science Mission Directorate
Editor’s note: This release was updated on June 30, 2026, to clarify the engineering development version for the PROMISE rover. NASA announced Tuesday the selection of three companies to land four new missions on the Moon in late 2028 as part of the agency’s Moon Base Program. Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines will deliver […]
Posted June 30, 2026
Ames Research Center
Ames Research Center's Science Directorate
Astrophysics
Exoplanet Discoveries
Exoplanet Science
Exoplanets
Gas Giant Exoplanets
Planetary Science
Planetary Science Division
Science Mission Directorate
Studying Exoplanets
TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite)
NASA has revealed two new “super-puff” planets, giant worlds so light that their density is comparable to cotton candy. Scientists calculate that these Jupiter-sized planets are the “puffiest” worlds ever found.
Posted June 25, 2026
Earth
Heliophysics
Science Mission Directorate
Space Weather
NASA selected a mission concept to research how space weather and dynamics within Earth’s atmosphere influence the space environment and help improve prediction capabilities for impacts on crucial technology, such as GPS and low Earth orbit satellites, as well as astronauts in space.
Posted June 19, 2026
Science Mission Directorate
Earth Science Division
NASA has selected eight new companies and will acquire new data products from six existing Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition contract holders to expand the range of commercial satellite data available to researchers, civil agencies, and decision-makers.
Posted June 18, 2026
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