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 HomePlanetary ScienceOverviewScience QuestionsFocus AreasWhat We StudyInner Solar SystemOuter Solar SystemSmall Bodies of the Solar SystemDataData OverviewPDE ElementsPDE IRBStatus UpdatesArchives/RepositoriesOpportunitiesTraining ToolkitProgramsPrograms OverviewDiscoveryHere to Observe (H2O)Lunar Discovery & ExplorationMars ExplorationMars Sample ReturnNew FrontiersOuter Planets & Ocean WorldsPlanetary Defense Coordination OfficeRadioisotope Power Systems (RPS)Solar System Office Exploration Virtual InstituteCitizen ScienceResourcesResources OverviewPSD Strategic GuidanceExplore This SectionOverviewFocus AreasDataProgramsResourcesNASA Planetary ScienceNASA’s planetary science program explores the objects in our solar system to better understand its history and the distribution of life within.An artist’s concept – composed of rusty browns, reds, and dusky purples – depicting two Artemis astronauts collecting rock samples on Mars. The scene is surrounded by a spherical frame, which resembles the planet Mars on the outside, and forms the rocky cliffs of the Jezero Delta formation on the inside. The landscape is composited with real images captured by NASA’s Perseverance Rover in June of 2022. In the right foreground an astronaut kneels, using a shovel to dig up soil samples. On left, the other astronaut stands, holding a rock sample in their left hand. The Artemis 1 launch can be seen reflected in the helmets visor. Behind them at left, a rover explores the surrounding area, leaving tracks in the sand. In the sky, a trajectory leads upward, curving around from right to left, then dividing into various paths at top. These paths represent the many past and future missions to visit the red planet. A futuristic Mars helicopter drone hovers in the sky on the left, and a satellite passes over in the upper right. The spherical scene is surrounded by space and stars.Advancing Knowledge of Other WorldsFor decades, NASA’s planetary science program has advanced scientific understanding of our solar system in extraordinary ways, pushing the limits of spacecraft and robotic engineering design and operation.NASA spacecraft have visited every planet and a variety of small bodies, and current and upcoming missions will bring back samples from exciting destinations, allowing detailed study and analysis back on Earth.Using recommendations from the National Academies' *Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032* as our guide, NASA planetary science missions and research inform us about our solar system's origin and evolution, which will enable the expansion of humanity beyond Earth.Jupiter is in the upper right corner with moon Io to the bottom left.Just hours before NASA's Juno mission completed its 53rd close flyby of Jupiter on July 31, 2023, the spacecraft sped past the planet's volcanic moon Io and captured this dramatic view of both bodies in the same frame.NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSSPlanetary Science HappeningsPeople gathered in control room with "Congrats Ingenuity" banner on back wallNASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Team Says Goodbye ... for NowThe final downlink shift by the Ingenuity team was a time to reflect on a highly successful mission — and to prepare the first aircraft on another world for its new role as a stationary testbed collecting data for future missions.Read MoreArtist’s concept of Dragonfly soaring over the dunes of Saturn’s moon Titan.NASA’s Dragonfly Rotorcraft Mission to Saturn’s Moon Titan ConfirmedNASA has confirmed its Dragonfly rotorcraft mission to Saturn’s organic-rich moon Titan. The decision allows the mission to progress to completion of final design, followed by the construction and testing of the entire spacecraft and science instruments.Read MoreOn the left of the image a Sample Transfer Arm is loading white and gold sealed sample tubes into the Orbiting Sample container on the Mars Ascent Vehicle.NASA Sets Path to Return Mars Samples, Seeks Innovative DesignsNASA Administrator Bill Nelson shared the agency’s path forward on the Mars Sample Return program, including seeking innovative designs to return valuable samples from Mars to Earth.Read MoreBlack and white image of Earth with swirling white clouds and a dark shadow over North America from the Moon eclipsing the Sun.NASA’s LRO Observes 2024 Solar Eclipse ShadowAs the Moon blotted out the Sun to viewers across the United States during the April 8 solar eclipse, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured an image from some 223,000 miles away of the highly anticipated celestial event.Read Moresolar system explorationOur Solar SystemJoin NASA's planetary science team as we explore our planetary neighborhood: The Sun, planets, moons, and millions of asteroids, and comets.Learn MoreIllustration of the Solar System.Illustration of the Solar System.NASADiscover moreInner Solar SystemExploring our solar system's inner, rocky worlds as NASA develops new missions to extend human presence beyond Earth.Outer Solar SystemUnlocking the secrets of distant worlds to understand more about the formation of our solar system.Small BodiesRevealing the foundational materials of our solar system with asteroids, comets, meteors, and objects in the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud.AstrobiologyLooking for the origins of life on this planet and signs that it may exist elsewhere in the universe.Planetary Science MissionsNASA’s robotic explorers gather data to help scientists understand how the planets formed, what triggered different evolutionary paths among planets, what processes have occurred and are active, and how Earth among the planets became habitable.In searching for evidence of life beyond Earth, scientists use these data to map zones of habitability, studying the chemistry of unfamiliar worlds, and unveiling the processes that lead to conditions necessary for life. With this knowledge, NASA is enabling safe and effective human missions to destinations beyond low Earth orbit.Blue spiral graphic against space background showing planetary science mission iconsNASA Planetary Science Division missions. (January 2024)NASANASA missions continue to explore from the innermost planet, Mercury, to the outer reaches of the solar system, where Pluto orbits among many Kuiper Belt Objects. We have orbited and traversed the surface of Mars, finding evidence of liquid water and ancient habitable environments.Closer to home, the Planetary Science Division uses Earth-orbiting telescopes and ground-based sensors in coordination with other organizations, including the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Air Force. These telescopes and sensors are used to survey space to detect, track, catalog, and characterize near-Earth objects (NEOs), which may pose hazards to Earth or provide destinations and resources for future exploration.Read More About NASA's Science MissionsA robotic arm laden with science instruments extends toward a rocky outcrop on Mars.NASA’s Perseverance rover puts its robotic arm to work around a rocky outcrop called “Skinner Ridge” in Mars’ Jezero Crater.NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSSAn illustration shows a spacecraft in silhouette above an icy moon's surface with reddish fractures. Beyond the moon's horizon, the planet Jupiter sits in the distance.Illustration of NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft above Jupiter's ocean moon Europa. The spacecraft will use its powerful suite of science instruments to determine if the moon has the ingredients to support life as we know it – that is, "Is Europa habitable?"NASA/JPL-CaltechFalcon heavy rocket carrying Psyche spacecraft emits fire and smoke as it lifts offA SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft onboard is launched from Launch Complex 39A, Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will travel to a metal-rich asteroid by the same name orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter to study it’s composition. The spacecraft also carries the agency’s Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration, which will test laser communications beyond the Moon.NASA/Aubrey GemignaniMore Planetary Science News from NASARead MoreArticle2 min readNASA Partner Zooniverse Receives White House Open Science AwardA tiled collection of logos for Zooniverse projects. Each logo consists of a square containing two concentric circles formed of thick lines plus a diagonal slash. The colors, textures, backgrounds (and sometimes foregrounds) of each logo are customized for each project. For example, a project about penguins features photographs of penguins in its logo.News Release3 min readNASA Selects BAE Systems to Develop Air Quality Instrument for NOAAArticle1 min readMajor Martian MilestonesWater-ice (blue) and dust (red) in the atmosphere of Mars above the cratered Martian surface as viewed from orbit by the THEMIS camera (false-color composite image).Article5 min readNASA Grant Brings Students at Underserved Institutions to the StarsA cylindrical metal device with an azimuthal white channel mounted to a metal support structure inside a much larger metal chamber. A blue glow lights up the azimuthal chamber and a blue plume radiates light to the right of the thruster.6 min readPushing the Limits of Sub-Kilowatt Electric Propulsion Technology to Enable Planetary Exploration and Commercial Mission ConceptsArticle1 week agoArtist’s concept of Dragonfly soaring over the dunes of Saturn’s moon Titan.3 min readNASA’s Dragonfly Rotorcraft Mission to Saturn’s Moon Titan ConfirmedArticle2 weeks agoCollage showing 14 of the 19 educators selected and one tortoise observer with eclipse glasses.3 min readInfiniscope and Eclipse Soundscapes Collaboration Reaches 1,766 Middle School StudentsArticle2 weeks ago2 min readNASA’s LRO Finds Photo Op as It Zips Past SKorea’s Danuri Moon OrbiterArticle4 weeks agoKeep ExploringDiscover More Topics From NASASolar System ExplorationOrange sun with colorful planets trailing out to one side.Asteroids, Comets & MeteorsTwo Very Different AsteroidsMoonMoon superimposed on the earthKids
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