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What We Do

The Space Science and Astrobiology Division at NASA Ames Research Center provides unique interdisciplinary scientific expertise and capabilities that advance human understanding of the Molecular Evolution in the Galaxy, the Evolution and Formation of Planetary Systems, and our Understanding of the Origin and Evolution of Life in the Universe. Our core science capabilities in theoretical, observational, experimental, and instrument development work are focused to enhance and enable the science and exploration goals of NASA and the scientific community.

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The Division’s scientific breadth and depth provide the Agency with a unique interdisciplinary workforce utilizing multidisciplinary teams of astronomers, astrophysicists, chemists, microbiologists, physicists, and planetary scientists and organized into different research teams:

Mission Participation

Lunar Missions

Members of our Division are co-investigators on a number of missions such as the following:

Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS)

We are very proud of Tony Colaprete who is the principal investigator on the LCROSS M(Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) that was selected as the Secondary Payload for the LRO mission. LCROSS delivered a 2000 kg impactor that created a plume of lunar ejecta which was observed by multiple Earth and space-based assets. From this mission, we have learned that the Cabeus Crater near the south pole of the Moon contains ice and other volatiles within the permanently shadowed region, and we are learning about the nature of the lunar regolith at this location as well. You can read more about the LCROSS mission at ABC NewsPopular MechanicsSpace.com, and Astrobiology at NASA just to name a few.

Learn More About LCROSS about Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS)
Illustration of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite’s Shepherding Satellite at left and Centaur upper stage at right prior to lunar impact
Illustration of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite’s Shepherding Satellite at left and Centaur upper stage at right prior to lunar impact

Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE)

NASA Ames developed the mission sent to the Moon called LADEE (Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer). LADEE gathered detailed information about conditions near the surface and environmental influences on lunar dust.  A thorough understanding of these influences is helping researchers predict how future lunar exploration may shape the moon’s environment and how the environment may affect future explorers. NASA Ames scientist Rick Elphic is the LADEE Project Scientist while Tony Colaprete is the PI for the ultraviolet-visible spectrometer instrument.

Learn More About LADEE about Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE)
LADEE(Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer) launch
LADEE(Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer) launch

Mars Missions

Members of our Division are co-investigators on a number of missions such as the following:

The Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

Team members : David Des Marais, Nathalie Cabrol, Jeff Morre

Spirit and Opportunity rovers were identical twin robots that helped rewrite our understanding of the early history of Mars. They landed on Mars on Jan. 3 and Jan. 24, 2004 PST. The rovers were planned as 90-day missions to search for geological clues regarding environmental conditions on early Mars, and assess whether those environments were conducive to life.

Learn More About MER about The Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)
An artist’s concept portrays a NASA Mars Exploration Rover on the surface of Mars. Two rovers were launched in 2003 and arrived at sites on Mars in January 2004.

Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM)

Team Members:  Robert Haberle, Virginia Gulick, Janice L Bishop

CRISM was 1 of 6 science experiments on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which takes measurements of both the surface and the atmosphere of Mars.

Learn More About CRISM about Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM)
Seen are six views of the Nili Fossae region of Mars captured by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, or CRISM, one of the instruments aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Seen are six views of the Nili Fossae region of Mars captured by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, or CRISM, one of the instruments aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

HiRISE

Team Members: Robert Haberle, Virginia Gulick, Janice L Bishop

Launched in August of 2005, the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) is flying onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) mission. HiRISE will investigate deposits and landforms resulting from geologic and climatic processes and assist in the evaluation of candidate landing sites

Learn More About HiRISE about HiRISE
This image of the northern plains of Arabia Terra shows craters that contain curious deposits with mysterious shapes and distribution.
This image taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft’s HIRISE instrument on Oct. 23, 2022, of the northern plains of Arabia Terra shows craters that contain curious deposits with mysterious shapes and distribution.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)

Team Members: Robert Haberle, Virginia Gulick, Janice L Bishop

MRO blasted off from Cape Canaveral in 2005, on a search for evidence that water persisted on the surface of Mars for long periods of time. While other Mars missions have shown that water flowed across the surface in Mars’ history, it remains a mystery whether water was ever around long enough to provide a habitat for life.

Learn More About MRO about Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)
Sand Dunes on Mars
Sand dunes often accumulate in the floors of craters. In this region of Lyot Crater, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) shows a field of classic barchan dunes on Jan. 24, 2018.

Mars Phoenix Lander

Team Members: Chris McKay, Carol Stoker, Aaron Zent

The Phoenix mission was the first chosen in NASA’s Scout program, an initiative for smaller, lower-cost, completed spacecraft. Named for the resilient mythological bird, Phoenix used a lander that was intended for use by 2001’s Mars Surveyor lander prior to its cancellation. It carried a complex suite of instruments that were improved variations of those that flew on the lost Mars Polar Lander. The Phoenix lander ended communications in November 2008.

Learn More About Mars Phoenix Lander about Mars Phoenix Lander
NASA Phoenix Mars Lander will enter the Martian atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.
NASA Phoenix Mars Lander will enter the Martian atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.

Mars Express

Team Member:  Aaron Zent

NASA is participating in a mission of ESA (European Space Agency) and the Italian Space Agency called Mars Express, which has been exploring the atmosphere and surface of Mars from polar orbit since arriving at the Red Planet in 2003. Initially, Mars Express also carried a small lander called Beagle 2, named for the ship in which Charles Darwin set sail to explore uncharted areas of Earth in 1831. The lander was lost on arrival in December 2003.

Learn More About the Mars Express about Mars Express
An artist's conception of Mars Express radar pulses showing a spacecraft having Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) radar pulses
An artist’s conception of Mars Express and the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) radar pulses

Outer Solar Systems Missions

Jeff Moore was appointed the Imaging Node Leader for NASA’s New Horizons Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission. We have other outer Solar System scientists who are participating in that mission, including Dale Cruikshank who is also a participating scientist on the Cassini Mission (VIMS team), and he was also part of the Galileo Mission as well. Dale is also a Co-Investigator on a selected Mars Scout Mission.
Dr. Sandford was a Co-Investigator on the Stardust Mission which brought back dust from Comet Wild2. See the photos that Dr. Sandford took while they were finding the sample return capsule from the Stardust Mission, transporting it back to JSC, and opening it up in the cleanroom.

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Artist impression of a sun glowing orange with some flares coming off it rising over exoplanet CoRoT-7b, which is almost black with dark red swirls on it.
This artist’s impression shows sunrise over CoRoT-7b, the smallest-known exoplanet. The world is about 70 percent larger than Earth. Now, a team led by Brian Jackson at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center finds that the planet may be the rocky remains of a gas giant planet whose atmosphere was evaporated by close proximity to the star.
ESO/L. Calçada