National Aeronautics and Space Administration

As large as a tennis court and sitting 1.5 million Km from earth, JWST will study every phase in the history of our Universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang, to the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth, to the evolution of our own Solar System. Several innovative technologies have been developed for Webb. These include a folding, segmented primary mirror, adjusted to shape after launch; ultra-lightweight beryllium optics; detectors able to record extremely weak signals, microshutters that enable programmable object selection for the spectrograph; and a cryocooler for cooling the mid-IR detectors to 7K.

The primary goals of the ICESat-2 mission is to deploy a spaceborne sensor to collect altimetry data of the Earth's surface optimized to measure ice sheet elevation change and sea ice thickness, while also generating an estimate of global vegetation biomass. ICESat-2 will continue the important observations of ice-sheet elevation change, sea-ice freeboard, and vegetation canopy height begun by ICESat in 2003. The Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) instrument will use a micro-pulse, multi-beam approach that provides dense cross-track sampling to help scientists determine a surface's slope with each pass of the satellite.  

The GPM Core Observatory launched on February 27th, 2014 at 1:37pm EST from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan is providing comprehensive measurement of precipitation around the globe improving scientific understanding of the earth system and its response to natural and human-induced changes. GPM enables improved prediction of climate, weather, and natural hazards for present and future generations.

 A formation of 4 spacecraft that will precisely measure the magnetic environment around the earth to help our understanding of how those fields interact and effect “space weather.”  MMS is scheduled to launch in March, 2015.

Visit: http://stp.gsfc.nasa.gov/missions/mms/mms.htm

WFIRST Astrophysics Focused Telescope Assets (AFTA) design of the mission makes use of an existing 2.4m telescope to enhance sensitivity and imaging performance. WFIRST-AFTA will settle essential questions in both exoplanet and dark energy research and will advance topics ranging from galaxy evolution to the study of objects within the Galaxy and within the Solar System.

Visit: http://wfirst.gsfc.nasa.gov/

The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission will deliver the most comprehensive look at global ocean color measurements in NASA's history. Not only will PACE monitor the health of our ocean, its science data will expand atmospheric studies by sensing our skies over an exceptionally broad spectrum of wavelengths.

Being built and tested at the Goddard Space Flight Center, PACE will expand our knowledge of key climate variables such as aerosol particles and clouds. It will extend NASA's long-term record of the phytoplankton pigment, chlorophyll, while providing new insights on ocean biodiversity.

Visit: https://pace.gsfc.nasa.gov

The Satellite Servicing Projects Division (SSPD) continues the legacy of the five successful Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission (1990-2009) and the Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office (2009-2016).

SSPD is advancing the state of the art in robotic and human servicing through the management of servicing missions, the execution of targeted technology development campaigns, and the infusion and transfer of servicing capabilities to government and industry stakeholders.

1. Advance the state of robotic servicing technology to enable the routine servicing of satellites that were not designed with servicing in mind.
2. Position the U.S. to be the global leader in in-space repair, maintenance and satellite disposal.
3. Help to enable a future U.S. industry for the servicing of satellites.

Visit: https://sspd.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html