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NASA large strategic science missions

Series of NASA missions to explore the Solar System

Series of NASA missions to explore the Solar System

NASA's large strategic science missions or large strategic missions, formerly known as Flagship missions or Flagship-class missions, are the costliest and most capable NASA science spacecraft. Flagship missions exist within all four divisions of NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD): the astrophysics, Earth science, heliophysics and planetary science divisions.

"Large" refers to the budget of each mission, typically the most expensive mission in the scientific discipline. Within the Astrophysics Division and the Planetary Science Division, the large strategic missions are usually in excess of US$1 billion. Within Earth Science Division and Heliophysics Division, the large strategic missions are usually in excess of US$500 million. "Strategic" refers to their role advancing multiple strategic priorities set forth in plans such as the Decadal Surveys. "Science" marks these missions as primarily scientific in nature, under the Science Mission Directorate (SMD), as opposed to, e.g., human exploration missions under the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD). The lines can be blurred, as when the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter began as a directed mission from the HEOMD, and was later transferred to the SMD.

Flagship missions are not under the purview of any larger "Flagship Program", unlike, e.g., Discovery-class missions that are under the purview of the Discovery Program. Unlike these competed classes that tender proposals through a competitive selection process, the development of Flagship missions is directed to a specific institution — usually a NASA center or the Jet Propulsion Laboratory — by the Science Mission Directorate. Flagship missions are developed ad-hoc, with no predetermined launch cadence or uniform budget size. Flagship missions are always Class A missions: high priority, very low risk.

Missions

Mission nameMission startMission endPlanetary Science DivisionAstrophysics DivisionHeliophysics DivisionEarth Science Division
Viking 1, 21975
Voyager 1, 21977
Galileo1989
Cassini1997
Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity rover2011
Mars 2020/Perseverance rover + Ingenuity helicopter2020
Europa Clipper2024
NASA–ESA Mars Sample Return Mission2028–30
Uranus Orbiter and Probe2032
Enceladus Orbilander2038
Hubble Space Telescope1990
Compton Gamma Ray Observatory1991
Chandra X-ray Observatory1999
James Webb Space Telescope2021
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope2027
Habitable Worlds Observatory2040
Solar Dynamics Observatory2010
Van Allen Probes2012
Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS)2015
Parker Solar Probe2018
Terra1999
Aqua2002
url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817062958/http://www.astro.umd.edu/~peel/CPSP119D_101/content/NASA_Mission_Planning.pdfdate=17 August 2021 }} (PDF) Michael Amato, NASA March 20132003
Aura2004
Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) ─ a constellation2011
Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)2024

Of the four Great Observatories, only the Spitzer Space Telescope is not a Flagship mission. Initially budgeted at US$2 billion, Spitzer was downscoped to a medium-size mission of US$720 million.

References

References

  1. (2016-10-13). "NASA's 'Large Strategic' Science Missions Under the Microscope".
  2. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2017-08-24). "Powering Science: NASA's Large Strategic Science Missions". The National Academies Press.
  3. [https://www.nap.edu/read/24857/chapter/3#10 Powering Science: NASA's Large Strategic Science Missions (2017)]. ''The National Academies Press''. page 10
  4. "NASA Procedural Requirements: Risk Classification for NASA Payloads: Appendix B – Classification Considerations for NASA Class A–D Payloads".
  5. [https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/programs/outer-planets-flagship Solar System Programs: Outer Planets Flagship]. NASA {{PD-notice
  6. [https://www.nap.edu/read/24857/chapter/4#37 Powering Science: NASA's Large Strategic Science Missions (2017)]. ''The National Academies Press''. page 37
  7. Berger, Eric. (2023-09-21). "Independent reviewers find NASA Mars Sample Return plans are seriously flawed".
  8. [https://www.nap.edu/read/24857/chapter/4?term=compton#25 Powering Science: NASA's Large Strategic Science Missions (2017)]. ''The National Academies Press''. page 25
  9. [https://www.nap.edu/read/24857/chapter/2 Powering Science: NASA's Large Strategic Science Missions (2017)]. ''The National Academies Press''. page 1
  10. [https://www.nap.edu/read/24857/chapter/4#27 Powering Science: NASA's Large Strategic Science Missions (2017)]. ''The National Academies Press''. page 27
  11. Clery, Daniel. (1 March 2018). "Flagship U.S. space telescope facing further delays". Science Magazine.
  12. Foust, Jeff. (30 September 2021). "Pandemic causes delay and cost increase for NASA's Roman Space Telescope". [[SpaceNews]].
  13. Balzer, Ashley. (9 November 2021). "NASA's Roman Mission Will Help Empower a New Era of Cosmological Discovery". [[NASA]].
  14. Foust, Jeff. (2021-11-04). "Astrophysics decadal survey recommends a program of flagship space telescopes".
  15. "NASA Awards Advance Technologies for Future Habitable Worlds Mission - NASA".
  16. [https://www.nap.edu/read/24857/chapter/3?term=sdo#17 Powering Science: NASA's Large Strategic Science Missions (2017)]. ''The National Academies Press''. Page 17.
  17. [https://www.nap.edu/read/24857/chapter/2?term=mms#2 Powering Science: NASA's Large Strategic Science Missions (2017)]. ''The National Academies Press''. Page 2.
  18. [https://www.nap.edu/read/24857/chapter/3?term=parker#16 Powering Science: NASA's Large Strategic Science Missions (2017)]. ''The National Academies Press''. page 16
  19. [http://www.spacetoday.org/Satellites/TerraAqua/TerraStory.html Terra: Earth Observing System Flagship]. ''Space Today''
  20. [https://www.nasa.gov/50th/50th_magazine/earthSciences.html Earth Science: NASA's Mission to Our Home Planet] {{Webarchive. link. (13 August 2022 . Edward S. Goldstein and Tabatha Thompson, NASA {{PD-notice)
  21. [http://www.astro.umd.edu/~peel/CPSP119D_101/content/NASA_Mission_Planning.pdf NASA Missions: From Concept to Launch] {{Webarchive. link. (17 August 2021 (PDF) Michael Amato, NASA March 2013)
  22. (May 2021). "Timeline". NASA.
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