The first manmade object to visit the planet Saturn was on a trajectory to leave our solar system. In 4 million years, it will reach stars from the Aquila constellation.

This probe mission was the first to explore Mercury. Using many instruments, it revealed the planet's thin atmosphere. magnetic field, ond iron core.

Since 1977, this probe has been sending data back to Earth. It has now entered the farthest corners of our solar system, reaching Uranus and Neptune.

Galileo Galilei first observed Jupiter and its moons with his telescope in 1610. He could not have imagined that several centuries later a probe mission would visit them.

Overcoming a legacy of fire, this Soviet program became the first to land a probe on Venus and the first to send images of another planet's surface to Earth.

To learn more about the composition of Jupiter's atmosphere, this 2011 NASA probe observed every longitude of the planet from its polar orbit.

The MESSENGER probe orbited Mercury for 4 years. In that time, it completed 4000 orbits and sent hundreds of photographs of the planet's surface back to Earth.

The Cassini probe spent 7 years traveling to Saturn and its moons. Its discoveries significantly changed our knowledge of Saturn and its atmosphere.

One of the most powerful rockets in existence, this partially reusable spacecraft from SpaceX is capable of carrying 63 tons of cargo into low orbit.

This Norse-inspired ESA mission would send two probes, Freyr and Freyja, to study Uranus and Neptune, the least explored planets in our solar system.

Many projects end before they even start. Without financial support from governments or private organizations, many successful projects would not exist.

Arthur C. Clarke believed that Europa had the potential to sustain human life. The Europa Clipper probe honors Clarke's ambition by studying the moon's surface.

Since 2021, this car-sized rover has been traveling the surface of Mars. Time will tell whether the rock and soil samples it collects will reveal signs of life.

Could life survive in the inhospitable atmosphere on Mars? By recreating the environment of Mars in a lab on Earth, scientists hope to find an answer.

Despite returning valuable data, the Galileo mission's atmospheric probe only lasted 58 minutes against the 28,000-degree heat it reached in Jupiter's atmosphere.

Taking advantage of Titan's low gravity, the planned Dragonfly rotorcraft will look for any signs of life hidden under the moon's thick atmosphere.

By collecting samples from the ancient Bennu asteroid, the OSIRIS-REx probe may help us understand more about the origins of life in our solar system.

Using a mini-lander, this probe collected 1500 dust grains from the asteroid Itokawa. That's a pretty impressive interstellar vacuum cleaner.

A maneuver made famous by its appearance in the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, the gravity slingshot is utilized to save fuel across space missions.

Thanks to the power of the Sun's gravitational pull accelerating the probe, the Mariner 10 was able to complete three deceleration flybys past Mercury in a single voyage.

The first successful mission to another planet in history was the Mariner 2's Venus flyby in 1962. It took the probe 110 days to reach Venus after its launch.

The exploration of Mars's surface was preceded by several flyby missions. The first was the Mariner 4, which flew by the planet in 1965.

The gravitational slingshot is used by many probes that conduct Jupiter flybys. Pioneer 10 was the first mission to send photos of the planet to Earth.

Humanity first visited Saturn during the Pioneer 11 flyby mission, which flew through the rings of Saturn in 1979.

The slow but steady pressure of sunlight on these enormous solar sails will allow probes equipped with them to travel great distances without any fuel involved.

The stones in the asteroid belt range from a few millimeters to thousands of kilometers in size. Probes require precise navigation in order to safely pass through.

Seeing beyond the smog and light pollution of Earth's atmosphere, the striking images that Hubble transmits have challenged the limits of our scientific knowledge.

The Kepler telescope discovered thousands of exoplanets orbiting distant stars in our galaxy, including planets where life could exist.

The largest and most powerful telescope ever created, this complex instrument has allowed us to peer into the deepest corners of the universe.

Using a combination of four telescopes, the entire electromagnetic spectrum over the world studies what this project reveals.

NASA's Space Launch System is capable of getting humanity back to the Moon and beyond. This modular system can carry a range of equipment in a single rocket.

Extreme heat and radiation make Mercury difficult to explore. Progress was made in 2008 when the MESSENGER probe mapped the planet's surface.

Venus's acidic atmosphere and extreme pressure make surface exploration very difficult. The probes that have landed on the planet survived for only a few minutes.

The relative proximity and thin atmosphere of Mars make it an ideal candidate for exploration by ground probes. Several of them roam its surface today.

Jupiter's enormous size has allowed humans to explore the planet remotely since the Middle Ages. In present times, the Juno probe orbits the planet and its moons.

Over 95% of Saturn's volume is hydrogen. This makes its average density less than that of water. Despite this, 145 moons have been confirmed to orbit the planet.

This red dwarf is the closest star to our Sun, only 4 light years away. It's possible that one of the planets orbiting this star may contain liquid water.

A planet slightly larger than Earth apparently orbits this famous red dwarf. The star is located in the Ophiuchus Constellation, 6 light years from Earth.

Located in the constellation Virgo, 61 Virginis shares several properties with our own Sun. The star is orbited by two planets, one of which may support life.

587 light years away from Earth, Kepler 22 is orbited by the first discovered exoplanet to exist in a habitable zone. This means that it may contain life.

This binary star is the brightest in our night sky. Its luminosity makes the star ideal for observing any exoplanets that orbit it.

Located in the constellation Canis Minor, this star is 12 light years away from Earth. Although no exoplanets have been confirmed in Procyon's orbit, research continues.

This star, located in the Pictor constellation, is orbited by a very dense cloud of dust. It is possible that new planets could form within this cloud.

Vega is a young, rapidly rotating star that fluctuates in brightness. If there is a planet orbiting it, any life on it would exist in a completely different form from life on Earth.

Historically, SETI relied on the intermittent use of existing equipment. Private funding allowed the institute to construct this dedicated array for 24/7 observation.

By watching the coldest parts of the universe, this telescope array is designed to observe the birth of new stars. Its findings could be the key to discovering life.

If a single antenna were to match the power of this 27-telescope array in New Mexico, it would have to be 36 kilometers in diameter.

The Breakthrough Starshot project may allow us to finally reach Alpha Centauri. Doing so would take a fleet of light-equipped probes 20-30 years.

Using the NEAR coronagraph, this Breakthrough initiative hopes to find rocky planets around stars up to 20 light years away from Earth.

From a central hub, this array will extend out to a distance of 2,300 kilometers. Its physical expanse is matched by the planned scope of its observations.

Even after decades of operation, this radio telescope is not ready to retire. Astronomers still use the Lovell to track the movements of interstellar objects.

Shielded from electromagnetic waves by the Australian hills, the Parkes Observatory has received radio signals from distant stars and from NASA missions.

Short but powerful radio signals coming from space are very difficult to detect. Their exact origin remains unknown.

These four telescopes are used to capture exotic bursts of gamma rays, which traveled billions of light years before reaching this Arizona-based observatory.

For 5 years, this radio telescope searched for pulsars, enemy missiles, and alien signals. It also served as an iconic shooting location for many Hollywood movies.

Based at the SETI research center, Breakthrough Listen represents a comprehensive search for signs of life. Data from signals will be processed over 10 years.

As a result of its precise and ambitious construction, this telescope and its 100-meter antenna is one of the most advanced telescopes in operation today.

The extreme distance between Earth and Uranus has made exploration difficult. Newly developed rockets should make future missions to the planet more possible.

In a vacuum, even a short thrust can provide acceleration to a small spacecraft. Ion propulsion systems offer incredible fuel efficiency for probes on long journeys.

Triton, Neptune's largest moon, has begun to attract attention due to its unusual retrograde orbit. The Trident probe mission is designed to solve Triton's mysteries.

A quantum computer only takes minutes to handle calculations that would take your computer years. And no, you can't play games on one.

This pair of Swedish telescopes has been studying the sky since 1949 with a particular focus on observing the birth and death of stars.

Located at the end of the Perseverance rover's robotic arm, SHERLOC is the rover's onboard detective. It analyzes clues left in rock and soil samples, searching for life.

One of the detectors housed inside the Large Hadron Collider, ALICE studies quark-gluon plasma, the matter that was created just a few minutes after the Big Bang.

With a diameter of half a kilometer, the antenna of the Chinese FAST radio telescope is the largest in the world. Capturing distant signals is one of its primary goals.

This telescope is designed to capture radio waves which are formed by stars, quasars, and exoplanets. It has received from up to 12 billion light years away.

Located in Crimea, this Ukrainian telescope provided significant contributions to Soviet space missions. It was designed for interstellar radio communication.

Neutrinos are the most common particles in the universe but are among the most difficult to detect. Deep underground, DUNE seeks to study these elusive particles.

27 kilometers in circumference, this complex collides particles at the speed of light. To reveal the secrets of the universe, 30 million collisions are attempted per second.

The Higgs boson helped scientists theoretically explain mass. The existence of this particle was confirmed by the Large Hadron Collider's ATLAS detector.

Eureka moments are very rare in research. Scientific discoveries are typically found through rigorous experimentation, repetition, and evaluation.

The creation of the ISS, the particle physics research done at CERN, and the photographing of a black hole have only been possible through cooperation.

Debris left in Earth's orbit from past launches can cause considerable problems for future space exploration. ESA initiative seeks to keep Earth's orbit clean.

While the launch of a rocket only takes a few minutes, it is made possible by months of preparation. Ultimately, you only have one attempt to get it right.

Studying survival in extreme conditions on Earth could provide clues to finding life in other places in the universe.

NASA's Kennedy Research Center at Cape Canaveral took mankind to the Moon. Someday a NASA research center may take us to Mars.

If there are life forms in space, they may not be anything like those on Earth. Astrobiologists create models that imagine life's most bizarre forms and possibilities.

Humanity's belief in the existence of extraterrestrial life has given rise to SETI. The institute deciphers signals from the depths of space, searching for signs of life.

We don't have to look very far beyond Earth to find life. The first and only permanent human settlement in space orbits only 400 kilometers above.

In the distant future, when children on other worlds learn about humanity's journey to the stars, the story will begin at Cape Canaveral.

Few things can bring different cultures together like science. If humanity wants to pursue visionary ideas, rivalries must give way to a common goal.

"Ah, Houston, we've had a problem" - Jim Lovell, on board Apollo 13

On August 15, 1977, Ohio State's Big Ear telescope captured a mysterious signal from Sagittarius. Astronomer Jerry Ehman marked it with 'Wow!

The Perseverance rover will leave the samples it collects in pods on the surface of Mars. The ESA will have to transport these back to Earth for study.

This ambitious and reusable rocket is designed to enable space tourism, the human settlement of Mars, and 20-minute travel to any place on Earth.

With a minor diameter of 24.5 meters, this telescope at Chile's Los Campanas Observatory will be 200 times more powerful than any other.

Using current technology, a flight from Earth to the nearest star would take thousands of years. Project Longshot's ambition was to shorten the travel time to 100 years.

X-rays could be a method through which unknown civilizations communicate. The Chandra observatory captures and studies incoming rays from Earth's orbit.

Projects that sound like science fiction are given life by NASA's NIAC program, which seeks to make genius ideas a reality.

Before his Apollo flight, a reporter asked Neil Armstrong what personal item he would like to take to the Moon. He answered if he had a choice, he'd take more fuel.

If we are to explore the stars, we must preserve the future of Earth. Fusion represents an unlimited source of renewable energy, ending our dependence on fossil fuels.

Each day NASA publishes one image that they believe advances scientific knowledge. Images created by both professionals and amateurs have been featured.

Space research is an expensive enterprise, the results of which are inherently uncertain. Only forward-looking governments are willing to undertake such risk.

We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology. - Carl Sagan

Many scientists believe that the molecules that began life on Earth were brought to the planet by asteroids. The truth can only be found through studying them.

They survive almost anything: radiation, vacuum, and years without nutrient intake. Humanity can learn a lot about the conditions of life from this microscopic animal.

One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Neil Armstrong after setting foot on the Moon.

Eruptions from the solar corona have affected life on Earth. Through spectrography, we can learn more about phenomena that are impossible to observe otherwise.

When using a microscope, our perception is limited by the wavelengths of visible light. We can use a beam of electrons to observe wavelengths that light cannot see.

As computing technology continues expanding, it has become likely that a computer will observe and identify signs of extraterrestrial life before a human does.

A photo taken by your phone is created in a millisecond. A photo of distant galaxies takes several days. This makes time a precious resource when using telescopes.

If intelligent life uses a system of language, that system must have rules and patterns that can be deciphered. Astronomers turn to linguistics to find answers.

Built on the site of a former Nazi detention camp, this radio telescope receives signals from nearby galaxies.

Jules Verne imagined landing on a comet in 1877. The Rosetta mission made the dream a reality in 2014.

Imagine the energy released by a grain of rice when it hits the ground. This amount of energy can be captured by the Green Bank radio telescope in West Virginia.

Space missions cost billions of dollars to prepare and take years or even decades to complete. With stakes this high, strategic planning is the key to success.

Black holes had long been imagined before they were observed. When a black hole was photographed, the biggest surprise was that it turned out exactly as expected.

In the distant cosmos, energy is scarce. Low-energy microprocessors ensure the operation of probe devices on long journeys where solar energy is in short supply.

A complex scientific breakthrough may be important to a research team, but a press statement can make these breakthroughs important to the entire world.

Using its unparalleled ability to observe the curvature of spacetime, this telescope should be able to detect exoplanets in our galaxy when it launches in 2026.

The history of a planet is best learned by studying its geological composition. If life has existed on other planets, its imprints will be found in planetary sediment.

Attendees of the Solvay Conference have included 17 Nobel Prize winners. Ideas put forward at this conference have influenced the scientific community for decades.

Thanks to the open data provided by NASA, anyone can participate in the search for new planets. All you need is a computer and a little luck.

Since 2017, this radio telescope has been mapping the magnetic field of the Milky Way galaxy. It also captures radio waves that come from neutron stars.

A space mission consists of countless systems, operations, and processes. Without control centers, it would be impossible to coordinate successful missions.

"From now on we live in a world where man has walked on the Moon. Its not a miracle; we just decided to go." - Jim Lovell

This ESA space telescope is designed to observe stars similar to our Sun. In doing so, it may be able to find the other Earths that orbit them.

If there was ever life on Mars, the PIXL spectrometer on the Perseverance rover could discover it. It will study the chemical composition of samples that the rover collects.

Lagrange points are positions where the gravity of two bodies creates an equilibrium. A probe can use these points to maintain its place without burning fuel.

This 100-kilometer-long collider could be operational by 2040. It will be 3 times the length of the Large Hadron Collider and will unite experts from 150 universities.

Many comets, asteroids, and other celestial phenomena are only known today because of the contributions made by amateur astronomers.

Taking advantage of simple flight profiles, missions can study several cosmic bodies in a single flight, but only for a limited window while the probe passes by.