http://solarsystem.nasa.gov The Solar System Exploration Home Page is part of NASA's Office of Space Science and describes NASA's program to explore the solar system. en-us 10 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32175 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32175 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST 26 Jun 2009 - Ulysses Hears the Siren's Song
Ulysses, a joint NASA and European Space Agency mission, will officially cease operations Monday, June 29, when the command to switch off the transmitter is uplinked to the spacecraft.
]]> 0 0 0 Ulysses http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32156 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32156 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST 25 Jun 2009 - Mars Rover Yielding New Clues While Lodged in Martian Soil
NASA's Mars rover Spirit, lodged in Martian soil that is causing traction trouble, is taking advantage of the situation by learning more about the Red Planet's environmental history.
]]> 0 0 0 Spirit http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32135 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32135 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST 24 Jun 2009 - Salt Finding From NASA's Cassini Hints at Ocean Within Saturn Moon
For the first time, scientists working on NASA's Cassini mission have detected sodium salts in ice grains of Saturn's outermost ring.
]]> 0 0 0 Cassini-Huygens http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32115 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32115 Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST 23 Jun 2009 - NASA Lunar Mission Successfully Enters Moon Orbit
After a four and a half day journey from the Earth, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has successfully entered orbit around the moon.
]]> 0 0 0 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32095 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32095 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST 22 Jun 2009 - NASA's Mars Odyssey Alters Orbit to Study Warmer Ground
NASA's long-lived Mars Odyssey spacecraft has completed an eight-month adjustment of its orbit, positioning itself to look down at the day side of the planet in mid-afternoon instead of late afternoon.
]]> 0 0 0 Mars 2001 Odyssey http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32075 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32075 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST 18 Jun 2009 - LRO & LCROSS Race for the Moon
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has separated from the Centaur upper stage and LCROSS spacecraft. LRO is on its way to the Moon. The trip will take about four days.
]]> LCROSS Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32055 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32055 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST 18 Jun 2009 - NASA's Return to the Moon on Track
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite are set to lift off today at 5:12 p.m. EDT.
]]> 0 0 0 LCROSS Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32035 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=32035 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST 17 Jun 2009 - LRO/LCROSS on the pad
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, rolled aboard their Atlas V rocket to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in preparation for launch.
]]> LCROSS Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31995 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31995 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST 11 Jun 2009 - Kaguya Impact
Japan's successful Moon mission ended with a planned impact on the surface of the Moon. The impact was tracked by Earth-based telescopes.
]]> Kaguya http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31976 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31976 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST 9 Jun 2009 - MRO Back in Action
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is examining Mars again with its scientific instruments after successfully transitioning out of a precautionary standby mode triggered by an unexpected June 3 rebooting of its computer.
]]> Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31975 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31975 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST 8 Jun 2009 - Dawn Re-Lights the Ionic Fire
Mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., have received a transmission from the Dawn spacecraft confirming it has re-ignited its ion propulsion system. For those of you scoring at home, Thruster # 1 received the honors.
]]> Dawn http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31955 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31955 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST 3 Jun 2009 - Cassini Finds Titan's Clouds Hang on to Summer
Cloud chasers studying Saturn's moon Titan say its clouds form and move much like those on Earth, but in a much slower, more lingering fashion.
]]> 0 0 0 Cassini-Huygens http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31939 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31939 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST 21 May 2009 - NASA Rover Sees Variable Environmental History at Martian Crater
One of NASA's two Mars rovers has recorded a compelling saga of environmental changes that occurred over billions of years at a Martian crater.
]]> 0 0 0 Opportunity http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31915 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31915 Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 18 May 2009 - Lunar Launch Update
The launch date for LRO and LCROSS Moon missions is now no earlier than June 17.
]]> LCROSS Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31897 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31897 Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 14 May 2009 - Cooking up Comets
A team of astronomers believes they have found a new explanation for both where and how these comet crystals may have been created, by using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope to observe the growing pains of a young, sun-like star.
]]> Spitzer Space Telescope http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31896 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31896 Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 14 May 2009 - Planet Hunt Underway
NASA's Kepler spacecraft has begun its search for other Earth-like worlds. The mission, which launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on March 6, will spend the next three-and-a-half years staring at more than 100,000 stars for telltale signs of planets.
]]> Kepler http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31895 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31895 Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 14 May 2009 - Spirit Battles Soft Ground
The five wheels that still rotate on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit have been slipping severely in soft soil during recent attempts to drive, sinking the wheels about halfway into the ground.
]]> Spirit http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31876 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31876 Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 14 May 2009 - Remebering Venetia
The team guiding the first mission to Pluto is fondly remembering Venetia Burney Phair, the "little girl" who named the ninth planet when it was discovered nearly 80 years ago. Mrs. Phair died April 30 at her home in Epsom, England, at age 90.
]]> New Horizons http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31875 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31875 Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 14 May 2009 - Herschel and Planck in Space and Working
At 15:12:02 CEST, at the beginning of a 55-minute launch window, the Herschel and Planck satellite pair lifted off on board an Ariane 5 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.
]]> Herschel Planck http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31855 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31855 Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 11 May 2009 - Atlantis in Orbit
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is in orbit after an on-time liftoff at 2:01 p.m. EDT. The shuttle's mission is to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
]]> Space Shuttle http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31838 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31838 Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 11 May 2009 - Debris Update
U.S. Strategic Command has tracked 981 pieces of the two satellites that collided in February. On this three-month anniversary of the collision, veteran satellite observer Daniel Deak has prepared a set of 3D orbital debris maps.
]]> http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31836 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31836 Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 11 May 2009 - Parting Shot
The Hubble community bids farewell to the soon-to-be decommissioned Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 onboard NASA's Hubble Space Telescope with a final, beautiful shot.
]]> Hubble Space Telescope http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31815 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31815 Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 7 May 2009 - New Eyes in Space
Two of the most sophisticated astronomical spacecraft ever built - Herschel and Planck - will be launched together by ESA this month.
]]> Herschel Planck http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31835 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31835 Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 6 May 2009 - Mars Rover Updates
Spirt battles tough terrain; Opportunity rests while studying a rock.
]]> Opportunity Spirit http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31796 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31796 Wed, 06 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 6 May 2009 - Spitzer Warms Up for New Job
The primary mission of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is about to end after more than five and a half years of probing the cosmos with its keen infrared eye. The end of the coolant will begin a new era for Spitzer.
]]> Spitzer Space Telescope http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31795 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31795 Wed, 06 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 6 May 2009 - NASA Webby Wins
NASA has received two Webby awards for excellence on the Internet. NASA's main Web site won the People's Voice award for best government Web site. The Cassini mission Web site received a Webby award for best science site.
]]> Cassini-Huygens http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31775 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31775 Wed, 06 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 5 May 2009 - Herschel and Planck Launch
Two missions to study the cosmos, the Herschel and Planck spacecraft, are scheduled to blast into space May 14 aboard the same Ariane 5 rocket from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. The European Space Agency, or ESA, leads both missions.
]]> Herschel Planck http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31755 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31755 Mon, 04 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 4 May 2009 - Cassini Titan Flyby
Cassini focuses on Titan's atmosphere at it flies by at an altitude of 3,244 km (2,016 miles), Tuesday, May 5.
]]> Cassini-Huygens http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31715 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31715 Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 PST 30 Apr 2009 - Go for Hubble
NASA managers completed a review Thursday of space shuttle Atlantis' readiness for flight and selected an official launch date for the STS-125 mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. It is May 11.
]]> Hubble Space Telescope Space Shuttle http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31695 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=31695 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 PST 30 Apr 2009 - Mercury Surprises
A NASA spacecraft gliding over the surface of Mercury has revealed that the planet's atmosphere, the interaction of its surrounding magnetic field with the solar wind, and its geological past display greater levels of activity than suspected.
]]> MESSENGER