The Planets -- Investigating Our Planetary Family Tree: A Family Affair Featured Missions

Jump to Another Topic A Family Affair Ancient Astronomers / Modern Tools Asteroids Birth of Worlds Discovering New Worlds Evolving Worlds Far-Ranging Robots Got Life? Hot Stuff! Ice! Impacts! It's What Keeps Us Together Magnetospheres New Data, New Ideas Our Favorite Things Shadows of the Sun Small Bodies / Big Impacts The Journey Begins Water, Water, Everywhere! Windy Worlds

---

Stardust-NExT

Stardust-NExT is en route to study its second comet -- Tempel 1.

On January 15, 2006, the Stardust spacecraft made a rendezvous with Comet Wild 2, then approached Earth and jettisoned the capsule containing comet particles, which landed safely in Utah and are being studied. On its extended mission, this spacecraft visited to Comet Tempel 1 on February 14, 2011.

More mission resources:

• Stardust-NExT Homepage
• Stardust-NExT Education Page

---

MESSENGER

MESSENGER will be the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury.

To become the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury, MESSENGER followed a path through the inner solar system, including one flyby of Earth, two flybys of Venus, and three flybys of Mercury. MESSENGER went into orbit around Mercury on March 18, 2011. This impressive journey is returning the first new spacecraft data from Mercury since the Mariner 10 mission over 30 years ago.

More mission resources:

• MESSENGER Homepage
• MESSENGER Education Page

---

Cassini

Cassini has been orbiting Saturn since 2004.

Cassini launched to Saturn in October 1997, and has been in orbit around the ringed planet since 2004. On its way, it flew past Venus, Earth and Jupiter. Its mission to study Saturn, its moons and rings has been extended to 2017.

More mission resources:

• Cassini Homepage
• Cassini Education Page
• Cassini Imaging (CICLOPS)