Mission Research

LPL scientists have played important roles on spacecraft instrument and mission teams since our founding in 1960.

The 2018 NSF Higher Education Research and Development survey ranks the UA, led by LPL, #1 among all universities in space science research and development.

Missions

Apollo

Apollo Missions

Beagle 2

With this view, Cassini captured one of its last looks at Saturn and its main rings from a distance.

Cassini VIMS

Cassini VIMS Science Investigations

Clementine

Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment CUTE

CUTE

Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment

Dawn is a Discovery class mission that will improve our understanding of our asteroid belt by mapping the two largest residents, Vesta and Ceres.

Dawn

Deep Space 1

Europa Clipper

ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter

Galileo

The Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) will unlock the mysteries of the Moon. By mapping the lunar gravitational field globally —not just on the nearside —to unprecedented accuracy and resolution, GRAIL will, in essence, peer deep inside the Moon to reveal its internal structure and thermal history.

GRAIL

Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory

Hayabusa

Hera is a small spacecraft for deep space possessing comparable autonomy to a self-driving car.

Hera

HiRISE (MRO)

HiRISE, High Resolution Science Experiment (MRO)

Hubble

Hubble Space Telescope

IMAGE

Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration

IBEX

Interstellar Boundary Explorer

IMAP

Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe

Jupiter's moon, IO

IVO

Io Volcano Observer

Juno

Juno: Unlocking Jupiter's Mysteries

KPLO

Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter

LCROSS

Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite

Lunar Prospector

LRO

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Magellan

Mariner 10

Mariner

Mars 2020

MAVEN

Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution

MER

Mars Exploration Rover

Mars Express

Mars Global Surveyor

Mars Observer

Mars Odyssey

Mars Pathfinder

Mars Polar Lander

MRO

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

MSL

Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity)

MMX

Martian Moons eXploration

MESSENGER

NEO Surveyor

NEOSM

Near-Earth Object Surveillance Mission

NEOWISE

Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer

OSIRIS-REx

Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer

Parker Solar Probe

Parker Solar Probe: A NASA Mission to Touch the Sun

Phoenix

Phoenix Mars Lander

Pioneer

Psyche mission spacecraft and solar panels

Psyche

Rosetta's VIRTIS

Rosetta's VIRTIS

Skylab

Solar Orbiter’s first close approach to the Sun

Solar Orbiter

Spitzer

Spitzer Space Telescope

SPARCS: Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat

SPARCS

Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat

Stardust

Ulysses

VEX

Viking

Voyager

WISE

Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer

Wind