Mission directory

Explore space missions

Meet the observatories and spacecraft changing what we know, with live tools, mission context, and image archives in one place.

Profiles: 7
Active now: 4
Archive: Unified

Infrared observatory

JWST

UV · Visible · Near-IR

HST

X-ray observatory

CXO

Crewed orbital laboratory

ISS

4 missions active now

Observing now

Active in space

Working observatories and the continuously crewed orbital laboratory returning science today.

JWST

Active mission Infrared observatory

James Webb Space Telescope

The premier infrared observatory, studying the first galaxies, stellar nurseries, exoplanets, and the evolution of our universe.

Timeline: December 2021
Location: Sun–Earth L2 · 1.5M km

Explore mission 611 images Official source

HST

Active mission UV · Visible · Near-IR

Hubble Space Telescope

More than three decades of observations that transformed how we understand galaxies, nebulae, stars, and the expansion of the universe.

Timeline: April 1990
Location: Low Earth orbit · ~535 km

Explore mission 104 images Official source

CXO

Active mission X-ray observatory

Chandra X-ray Observatory

The world’s most powerful X-ray telescope reveals black holes, exploded stars, and the superheated gas inside galaxy clusters.

Timeline: July 1999
Location: Highly elliptical Earth orbit

Explore mission 55 images Official source

ISS

Crewed in orbit Crewed orbital laboratory

International Space Station

Humanity’s continuously crewed research outpost circles Earth every 90 minutes, supporting science and technology for exploration beyond Earth.

Timeline: Assembly began November 1998
Location: Low Earth orbit · ~420 km

Explore mission 306 images Official source

On the horizon

Next missions

The spacecraft preparing to widen our view of the universe and extend human exploration.

RST

Launch preparation Wide-field infrared

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

NASA’s next flagship survey telescope will map dark energy, find exoplanets, and image a field of view at least 100 times larger than Hubble’s.

Timeline: Target: August 30, 2026
Location: Destination · Sun–Earth L2

Explore mission 135 images Official source

ART-III

Planned mission Crewed systems demonstration

Artemis III

A crewed demonstration mission planned to test rendezvous and docking operations between Orion and commercial human landing systems.

Timeline: Planned for 2027
Location: Low Earth orbit

Explore mission 24 images Official source

Mission milestone

Recently completed

Finished missions whose data, engineering, and stories continue to shape what comes next.

ART-II

Mission completed Crewed lunar flyby

Artemis II

The first crewed Artemis flight carried four astronauts around the Moon, validating Orion and deep-space systems for the missions that follow.

Timeline: April 2026
Location: Earth · Moon · Earth

Explore mission 295 images Official source

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