National Aeronautics and space administration (NASA) was established on 1 October 1958. It was the direct descendant of the “space race” period of the 20th century, when the United States and the Soviet Union essentially were competing with each other for the most advanced technology and efficient space exploration. USA “won” the mission “Apollo” NASA successfully landed a man on the moon in 1969.
Since then, NASA spent a little less than 200 missions, both manned and unmanned. However, in 2010, the administration suffered a serious blow when the Shuttle program was shut down and the Constellation program, which was to send astronauts back to the moon, was abolished by the Obama administration.
Despite all this, NASA has not stayed in the study Universe, as shown by the mission on the International space station and the magnificent Hubble telescope. But it is difficult to limit the ambitions of the space Agency. Here is a list of ten wonderful missions that we’re very excited.
Solar probe Parker
In may 2017, it became known about the latest missions of NASA (and the last of the presents). And it will be absolutely incredible: fly to the Sun.
The probe will be launched in 2018 and will approach to a distance of 6.4 million kilometers to the Sun, which is quite close in astronomical terms. The purpose of the mission is to collect important data about the structure of the Sun and engine heat, which for decades has puzzled scientists.
One of the paradoxical features of the Sun is that the surface temperature is 5500 degrees Celsius, and the crown, which is above the surface heated up to 1.9 million degrees.
Take, for example, Land. The higher the atmosphere rises, the lower the temperature drops. The fact that the Sun is completely the opposite, puzzling scientists, and they want answers. The answers should provide sun probe “Parker”.
This mission is exciting for several reasons. First, it will give scientists the answers they want. Second, the probe will approach the unimaginable close to the Sun and can withstand thousands of degrees of heat. Thirdly, it will be the fastest man-made object, flying at a speed of 692 000 kilometers per hour.
The landing probe will take place in 2025.
Europa Clipper
The purpose of the mission Europa Clipper — to answer one of the most exciting questions of all time: is there anywhere else in the Universe life? In 2020-ies the spacecraft will go in search of extraterrestrial life in Europe, one of Jupiter’s moons.
It was recently discovered that beneath the surface of Europe is the ocean, and scientists want to know whether this ocean to keep life. They will look for key ingredients: liquid water, necessary chemical composition and sources of energy. To gather all the necessary information, Clipper will fly to Europe and collect the required data. This process will be repeated 40-45 times, after which the probe will go on a long journey to the Ground.
JUICE
JUpiter ICy Moons Explorer (known as JUICE) is a mission led by the European space Agency. ESA works in partnership with NASA, which will provide the tools and other details.
The beginning of the mission scheduled for 2022. Will be explored Europa, Callisto and Ganymede, three of Jupiter’s moon. Task JUICE to provide us with a better understanding of the structure, environment and evolution of satellites, including the possible presence of life. In some ways the mission is similar to the Europa Clipper, but it had collected data will be much wider.
Like Clipper, the mission promises to be long. JUICE will not start before 2022, and the probe will take 7.5 years to get to Jupiter. It will then pass the mission itself, and another eight years it will take to return to Earth. Of course, for astronomers, who are accustomed to dealing with large distances, this stuff.
Mission redirect asteroid
As the name implies, the mission of ARM is to find out how to protect the Earth from the effects of the fall of the asteroid, which, for example, killed the dinosaurs.
In 2020-ies the mission send in the direction of the large asteroid nearby. Upon arrival, a large robotic arm will take the earth stone. From there, the spacecraft will tow the rock into orbit around the moon so astronauts on the spacecraft “Orion” to explore it entirely. The mission needs to provide critical data about the asteroid, which astronomers put to learn how to better identify and fight any threat of asteroids coming to us from space.
More importantly, the ARM will play an important role in sending people to Mars by 2030. Technology used in this mission, it is useful for long journeys. So while the astronauts and scientists will study the asteroid, will be checked in parallel tools and equipment to aid in the exploration of the red planet.
However, recently the project have stopped.
The spacecraft “Orion”
The spacecraft “Orion” is the next large NASA mission in the withdrawal of people into space. It will take us further than ever possible on Mars. Orion engineered to resist greater temperature, velocity, radiation and other extreme conditions. Regular Shuttle would not be able to cope with what you can handle “Orion”, and this is a big feat for Aeronautics.
Orion will be launched on a large rocket SLS (Space Launch System). This rocket can take Orion beyond the moon. And although the media is still building, “Orion” already preparing for the tests. The first was held in 2014. The next step will be the launch of Orion to the asteroid nearby. The ultimate goal is, of course, Mars.
Mars Rover 2020
Speaking on the topic of Mars, Mars Rover — Mars Rover, designed for launch in 2020, will be an important step in the exploration of Mars. This unit is the size of a car will crawl along the surface of Mars and collect data.
NASA likes to compare this robot with a living creature: he has the body, the brain, arms, legs, eyes and ears. In other words, the Rover is capable of much. It is equipped with batteries and isolated, and internal heating to combat the Martian temperatures. These details should ensure the reliability.
The “brain” will be the computer system processing of the collected data coming from different channels. The Rover is equipped with an arm to fumble along the ground, collecting samples like the stones to return them to Earth for further study.
And he has “feelings”. Cameras, antennas and other fixtures of the Rover will allow him to navigate on the site, so that he could properly maneuver and document what is happening. With the Land he will be contacted remotely via antenna.
“Euclid”
“Euclid” is another joint mission of ESA and NASA. The mission should gather information about dark matter and dark energy. Dark energy is an unknown force, denying gravity and the accelerating expansion of the Universe. Her accounts for about 68% of the Universe, but scientists still know nothing about her. Because dark.
Dark matter is absolutely not tied to dark energy, despite the similar names. Dark matter is 27% of the Universe. But this is no ordinary matter, to which we are accustomed. We are composed of ordinary matter: protons, neutrons, electrons. Dark matter is not. And that’s what it is — this is to be seen to scientists.
Telescope Euclid will be launched into space in 2020 and will collect the cosmological information from the two billion galaxies to gain a better understanding of the evolution of the Universe.
WFIRST
Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) will kill two birds with one stone. The task of this telescope is to collect a maximum of data about exoplanets and dark energy.
Speaking about exoplanets (planets outside our Solar system), should take WFIRST several tasks. First, he will have to count them. The beginning of the counting exoplanets was initiated by the mission Kepler and WFIRST will continue its work.
The next task WFIRST will be to work on new technology features and the detection of exoplanets through direct imaging. Usually this means to find them quite difficult — you need to make the direct image of the planet. Sounds simple, but often the parent star of exoplanet eclipses and hides it from our sight. WFIRST will try to change that.
As for dark energy, WFIRST will just try to figure out what it is. The telescope will study the accelerated expansion of the Universe associated with dark energy. Armed with WFIRST and “Euclid”, the scientists can get at least some answers. NASA plans to launch the telescope in early 2020-ies, and it will fly for six years.
MAIA
The mission of the NASA Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols directly affects our house. One of the goals of the mission is the tracking of cyclones on the Earth. But more important, its objective is the study of air pollution.
As you rotate around the Earth, the mission will observe “particles” of polluted air in different locations and measure properties of matter in these places. Scientists will analyze this information and use for the benefit of people.
“Psyche”
In 2022, the spacecraft “Psyche” will go in the direction of the asteroid (called Psyche, obviously), which orbits between Mars and Jupiter. This asteroid is unusual because it consists of Nickel and iron. Scientists believe that it is the remainder of the metallic core of the planet from the early history of the Solar system.
The information that will be collected on the basis of this asteroid could provide us understanding of the structure of nuclei earth-type planets like our Earth. It also could shed light on the processes of formation of the Solar system, for example, collisions and chaos that took place.
10 important NASA missions that we are looking forward to
Ilya Hel