Exploration Road Map
Exploration test bed, resources, solar system history.
>Orbiting probe
>Robotic landing
> Up to one robotic test bed a year
> Humans land or later
> Up to four more human landings
Extended robotic and human operations
Past and present water and life; exploration test bed and resources
> Two rovers arrived
> Orbiting probe
> Robotic lander
> Mobile scientific lab
>Test bed and scout ,
>Test bed and sample return
>Test bed and field lab
>Scout
>Humans land after
>Robotic missions , ,
Underground oceans, biological chemistry, life
>Cassini orbiter arrives at Saturn July 2004, releases probe to land on moon Titan December
> Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (Project Prometheus nuclear power/propulsion demo)
> Extended operations with Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter to
Earth-like planets, life
> Spitzer Space Telescope (launched )
> Kepler Mission
> Space Interferometry Mission
> Webb Telescope
> Terrestrial Planet Finder
> Operations with Space Interferometry Mission through
> Life Finder probe
> Planet Imager probe
> Telescope deployment, upgrades by humans in deep space , ,
2008
2009
H ×1
H*×4
2015
H*
2004
2005
2007
2009
R*×6
20112016
2014
2018
H*
2020
2022
202320252027
2004
2015
2025
R ×3
2003
2007
2009
2011
2015
2014
H*×3
2023
2025
202320252027
Milestones or speed bumps? NASA's route through the solar system starts with the space station and space shuttle. After the space agency finishes using the shuttle to build the station, it will stop shuttle flights and free up exploration funding. That will clear the way for the first piloted flight of a versatile new crew vehicle in 2014.
LEGEND
R Planned robotic mission
H Planned human mission
R* Potential robotic mission
H* Potential human mission
Moon
Targets:2000
R ×22008
2009
2010
R*×10H ×1
H*×4
2015
2020
R*H*
Mars
Targets:2000
R ×52004
2005
2007
2009
2010
R ×2R*×6
20112016
2014
2018
2020
R*×4H*
2020
2022
202320252027
OUTER MOONS
Targets:2000
R ×22004
2010
R ×12015
2020
R ×12025
EXTRASOLAR PLANETS
2000
Targets:R ×3
2003
2007
2009
2010
R ×32011
2015
2014
2020
R*×2H*×3
2023
2025
202320252027
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