Why We Explore

why do we explore?
Why Do We Explore?

From the time of our birth, humans have felt a primordial urge to explore -- to blaze new trails, map new lands, and answer profound questions about ourselves and our universe.

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Exploration History

Apollo 8 spacecraft
This Month in Exploration

Visit every month to find out how aviation and space exploration have improved life for humans on Earth and in space.

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Conferences and Speeches

ESMD speeches
Find past speeches and conference materials here!

Find past speeches and conference materials here!

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Overview

    To fulfill the requirements of the United States Space Exploration Policy, NASA is obligated to gain a deeper understanding of numerous system-wide and operational challenges that must be addressed to enable the joint human-robotic exploration of planetary surfaces.

    Exploration Analog Mission in Antarctica

    Analog Mission Field Test in Antarctica, January 2008

     One method often employed in the development of hardware and operational scenarios involves testing concepts through field experimentation and demonstrations via analog missions and engineering evaluation and field tests. NASA has a history of analog missions and field tests, dating back to the Apollo era, that has advanced the development of mission hardware and operations.

    As it moves forward in the development of systems and operational concepts to accomplish the United States Space Exploration objectives, NASA will use a lunar analog strategy coordinated across the Agency to ensure the largest return on investment as possible.

Exploration Analog Field Tests

  • Desert RATS test

    Three Days in the Desert Tests Lunar "RV"

    Two people, three days, 10 cubic meters. That sums up one of the main tests for this year's Desert RATS tests at Black Point Lava Flow in Arizona.

  • The PILOT system

    Rover Testing and Oxygen Production Technology in Hawaii

    NASA is testing rovers and oxygen production technology in Hawaii

  • Moses Lake Analog Field Mission Testing

    Moses Lake

    The Moses Lake analog test site provided the opportunity for 1-2 km range traverses that are not available at the NASA field centers. The varied slopes and soil types provided environmental realism for the testing of robotic rovers and EVA suits.

  • Inflatable Habitat Blog

    Inflatable Habitat B-B-B-Blog

    Get the cold, hard facts about setting up an inflatable lunar habitat in Antarctica straight from Larry Toup's frigid fingers.

  • astronaut shovelling

    NASA RATS Bring the Moon to Earth

    Once a year, the Agency's RATS (Research and Technology Studies) team makes its way to remote a location in the Arizona or California desert to bring the moon right down to Earth -- Figuratively speaking that is.

  • Desert Rats 2007

    Desert RATS 2007

    In early September scientists will descend on a remote part of Arizona, Cinder Lake to test in an environment similar to that of the Moon and Mars.

  • NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations

    NEEMO

    Three astronauts and a Constellation Program aerospace engineer began a 10-day NASA mission in the ocean depths off the Florida coast Aug. 6, 2007. They tested lunar exploration concepts and a suite of long-duration spaceflight medical objectives.

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