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Unlocking the Universe

Expanding The World’s Engineering Boundaries

The ETD provides multidisciplinary engineering expertise for the development of cutting-edge Science and Exploration Systems and technologies. This talented workforce is committed to expanding today’s engineering boundaries through the application of emerging technologies to develop high-performance, cost-effective solutions to the most challenging problems in science and exploration. The ETD achieves this within Goddard’s laboratories and those of their valued present and future partners.

Animation still depicting the PUNCH Narrow Field Imager, or NFI instrument, from low Earth orbit. The NFI is designed to capture high-resolution images of the Sun's corona.Animation depicting the PUNCH Narrow Field Imager, or NFI instrument, from low Earth orbit. The NFI is designed to capture high-resolution images of the Sun's corona. Credit: NASA’s Conceptual Image Lab/Kim Dongjae, Walt Feimer

Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH)

The PUNCH mission will use four suitcase-sized satellites to observe the Sun and its environment. Working together, the four PUNCH satellites will create a combined field of view and map the region where the Sun’s corona (or outer atmosphere) transitions to the solar wind (the constant outflow of…

Read morePolarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH)
This illustration shows the MAVEN spacecraft and the limb of Mars. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN)

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission will determine how much of the Martian atmosphere has been lost over time by measuring the current rate of escape to space and gathering enough information about the relevant processes to allow extrapolation backward in time…

Read moreMars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN)
An artist’s concept of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Europa Clipper

Europa Clipper is a robotic solar-powered spacecraft built to conduct the first detailed investigations of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. The spacecraft will orbit Jupiter and make nearly 50 flybys of Europa to determine whether there are places below Europa’s surface that could support life. With its solar arrays deployed, Europa Clipper spans more than 100 feet (about 30 meters) – about the…

Read moreEuropa Clipper
Side-by-side images from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft of the robotic arm as it descended towards the surface of asteroid Bennu (left) and as it tapped it to stir up dust and rock for sample collection (right). OSIRIS-REx touched down on Bennu at 6:08pm EDT on October 20, 2020. Credit NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

OSIRIS-REx

Launched on Sept. 8, 2016, the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx, spacecraft traveled to a near-Earth asteroid named Bennu (formerly 1999 RQ36). It collected a sample of rocks and dust from Bennu’s surface on October 20, 2020. The spacecraft delivered the…

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LISA will observe a passing gravitational wave directly by measuring the tiny changes in distance between freely falling proof masses inside spacecraft with its high precision measurement system. Credit: AEI/MM/exozet

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)

LISA consists of three spacecraft that are separated by millions of miles and trailing tens of millions of miles, more than one hundred times the distance to the Moon, behind the Earth as we orbit the Sun. These three spacecraft relay laser beams back and forth between the different spacecraft and the…

Read moreLaser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)
Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE)

Hazard Detection Lidar

Hazard Detection Lidar (HDL) is one of a complement of sensors under development as part of the Safe & Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) Program managed out of Johnson Space Center (JSC). HDL is a hybrid scanning-imaging lidar that performs rapid 3-D landing site imaging with real-time Digital Elevation…

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Davinci Probe Illustration. After exploring the top of Venus’s atmosphere and the composition of a mountainous region known as Alpha Regio, DAVINCI will drop its probe to the surface in 2031.

The DAVINCI Mission

The DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) mission will explore whether the inhospitable surface of Venus could once have been a twin of Earth – a habitable world with liquid water oceans. Due to launch in the early 2030s, NASA’s DAVINCI mission will investigate whether Venus — a sweltering…

Read moreThe DAVINCI Mission
Three-unit (3U) CubeSats orbit above the Earth.

BurstCube

BurstCube is a 6U CubeSat project that is designed to automatically detect gamma-ray transients onboard (astrophysical, solar, and terrestrial) while sending rapid alerts to the ground to enable follow-up observations. BurstCube also increases the sky coverage for short, less than 2 second gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) which in recent years have been…

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Artist’s concept of an Artemis astronaut deploying an instrument on the lunar surface. Credits: NASA

Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS)

The Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) is one of the first three payloads to be a part of Artemis III, NASA’s mission that will send astronauts to explore the region near the lunar South Pole. Artemis III, currently planned to launch in 2026, will be the first time humans will return to the Moon’s surface since the historic Apollo program in…

Read moreLunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS)
A spectacular head-on collision between two galaxies, known as Arp 143, has fueled the unusual triangular-shaped star-formation frenzy as captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The interacting galaxy duo Arp 143 contains the distorted, star-forming spiral galaxy NGC 2445, at right, along with its less flashy companion, NGC 2444, at left. Their frenzied collision takes place against the tapestry of distant galaxies, of which some can be seen through the interacting pair.

Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)

NASA is further prioritizing its long-running search for life in the universe and laying the groundwork for its next flagship astrophysics mission after the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (slated to launch by May 2027). This observatory would simultaneously provide powerful capabilities for transformational astrophysics discoveries…

Read moreHabitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)
Two robotic arms wrapped in gold material sitting on top of a black and silver box.

Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS)

NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have signed an interagency agreement to collaborate on a satellite servicing demonstration in geosynchronous Earth orbit, where hundreds of satellites provide communications, meteorological, national security…

Read moreRobotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS)
Lunar relay supporting Artemis Moon missions. Credit: NASA/David Ryan

Lunar Communications Relay and Navigation Systems (LCRNS)

NASA’s Lunar Communications Relay and Navigation Systems (LCRNS) project is an initiative aimed at enabling a robust communication and navigation infrastructure around the Moon. LCRNS is verifying and validating commercial lunar relay services…

Read moreLunar Communications Relay and Navigation Systems (LCRNS)
NASA's four Magnetospheric Multiscale, or MMS, satellites in a clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, Florida, where they are being processed for launch.

Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS)

Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) is a NASA mission aimed at understanding how the Sun’s and Earth’s magnetic fields connect and disconnect. These processes known as magnetic reconnection facilitate energy transfers that effect the Earth, Sun and universe. MMS sensors measure charged…

Read moreMagnetospheric Multiscale (MMS)
Lucy Spacecraft Telescope in the Lockheed Martin clean room.

Lucy

NASA’s Lucy mission will study the Trojan asteroids for the purpose of helping humanity understand the formation of planets and the solar system. Lucy is the first space mission to study the Trojans and was launched on Oct. 16, 2021. Overall, the mission is a 12-year endeavor with the spacecraft using gravity assistance form Earth. With the help of…

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Delta IV Heavy Propellant Loading Underway for Parker Solar Probe.

Parker Solar Probe

The NASA Parker Solar Probe mission is a mission designed to help humanity better understand the Sun, where changing conditions can propagate out into the solar system, affecting Earth and other worlds. As such, the primary goals are to examine the acceleration of solar wind through the movement of heat and energy in the Sun’s…

Read moreParker Solar Probe
A cumulonimbus cloud over Africa seen from the International Space Station in 2008.

Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer (PolSIR)

The Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer (PolSIR) is an instrument that will be used to help understand Earth’s dynamic atmosphere as well as its impact on climate. The PolSIR instrument will study high altitude ice clouds in tropical and sub-tropical regions using identical pairs of radiometers that will…

Read morePolarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer (PolSIR)
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U) lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.

GOES-U Satellite

The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) team received telemetry from GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U), indicating the spacecraft is functioning nominally and is power positive. The NOAA GOES-U satellite has now safely deployed, and NOAA has acquired a signal. GOES-U will…

Read moreGOES-U Satellite
In this photo of Hubble, taken after its release at the end of Servicing Mission 3B, the spacecraft’s two high-gain antenna dishes are extended above and below the telescope. The high-gain antennas are used to transmit large amounts of data, including the telescope’s images. Credit NASA

Hubble Space Telescope

Throughout the history of science, revolutionary instruments propel our understanding with their landmark discoveries. The Hubble Space Telescope is a testament to that concept. Its design, technology and serviceability have made it one of NASA’s most transformative observatories. From determining the…

Read moreHubble Space Telescope
PACE's primary sensor, Ocean Color Instrument (OCI), Engineering Test Unit (ETU) rolls into the TVAC chamber.

The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud Ocean Ecosystem (PACE)

The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission is a NASA mission that will collect information on the processes behind carbon dioxide exchange in the ocean. By monitoring aerosols in the atmosphere along with plankton on the surface of the ocean, scientists can collect information…

Read moreThe Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud Ocean Ecosystem (PACE)

Nancy Grace Roman Telescope (Roman)

Roman is an infrared telescope named after Nancy Grace Roman (1925-2018) who was NASA’s first chief astronomer and is known as the ‘Mother of Hubble.’ Roman has two main objectives: discovering the cause of the expansion of the universe and searching for exoplanets. Roman and the James Webb…

Read moreNancy Grace Roman Telescope (Roman)
Engineer conducts an inspection on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is an observatory that uses infrared light to capture images of the way the universe looked approximately 200 million years after the big bang. Currently, the James Webb Space Telescope is the largest telescope orbiting in space with 18 mirror segments and…

Read moreJames Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
The MOMA mass spectrometer subsystem and main electronics, inside the Mars thermal vacuum chamber at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA)

An international team of scientists has created a tiny chemistry lab for a rover that will drill beneath the Martian surface looking for signs of past or present life. The toaster oven-sized lab, called the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer or MOMA, is a key instrument on the ExoMars Rover, a joint mission between…

Read moreMars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA)
In this photo the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System instrument, which flies on the ICESat-2 satellite, sits in a clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Credits: NASA/Jeffrey Twum

Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2)

The Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2, or ICESat-2, measures the height of a changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses a second. Launched September 15, 2018, ICESat-2 carries a photon-counting laser altimeter that allows scientists to measure the elevation of ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice…

Read moreIce, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2)
Illustration of the Sun and Earth, with multiple spacecrafts in space.

Near Earth Orbit Network (NEON)

NOAA’s Near Earth Orbit Network (NEON) Program will develop future low-Earth orbit (LEO) environmental satellites. Low and medium Earth observations are critical for weather forecasting, environmental observation, and public safety. NEON sets the stage for NOAA to manage future polar and other low Earth and medium Earth orbit…

Read moreNear Earth Orbit Network (NEON)
Conceptual drawing of QuickSounder, the first in a new generation of low-Earth orbit environmental satellites in NOAA’s Near Earth Orbit Network (NEON).

QuickSounder

The QuickSounder mission will support NOAA’s next generation satellite architecture for its future low Earth orbit program, which will provide mission-critical data for the agency’s National Weather Service, the nation’s weather industry, and other users worldwide. QuickSounder is the first small satellite in NOAA’s Near Earth Orbit)…

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Beauty shot showing the Compact Coronagraph (CCOR) looking towards the sun. Credit NASA Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio

Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1)

The  Space Weather Follow-On (SWFO) program sustains NOAA’s foundational set of space-based, space weather observations and measurements collected by legacy missions (DSCOVR and SOHO) to ensure continuity of critical space weather data. To achieve these objectives, the SWFO program is developing…

Read moreSpace Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1)
The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) configuration is as March 2019 with 10 in-orbit TDRS in space.

Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS)

NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) provide communications services to NASA’s most storied missions. Since 1983, NASA has launched a constellation of TDRS that reside in geosynchronous orbit, which is a high-altitude orbit of about 22,000 miles. With this orbit, TDRS remains…

Read moreTracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS)
A 3D simulation showing the evolution of turbulent flows in the upper layers of the Sun. The more saturated and bright reds represent the most vigorous upward or downward twisting motions. Clear areas represent areas where there are only relatively slow up-flows, with very little twisting. NASA/Irina Kitiashvili and Timothy A. Sandstrom

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

NASA supercomputers are shedding light on what causes some of the Sun’s most complex behaviors. Using data from the suite of active Sun-watching spacecraft currently observing the star at the heart of our solar system, researchers can explore solar dynamics like never before. The animation shows the strength of the turbulent motions of the…

Read moreSolar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)
The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration payload is attached to the LCRD Support Assembly Flight (LSAF), which can be seen in this image. The LSAF serves as the backbone for the LCRD components. Attached to the LSAF are the two optical modules, which generate the infrared lasers that transmit data to and from Earth. A star tracker is also attached here. These components are visible on the left side of this image. Other LCRD components, such as the modems that encode data into laser signals, are attached to the back of the LSAF. Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD)

The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) aims to showcase the unique capabilities of optical communications. Currently, most NASA missions use radio frequency communications to send data to and from spacecraft. Radio waves have been used in space communications since…

Read moreLaser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD)
The ILLUMA-T payload in the Goddard cleanroom.

Integrated Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T)

NASA is demonstrating laser communications on multiple missions – showcasing the benefits infrared light can have for science and exploration missions…

Read moreIntegrated Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T)
Artistic rendering of LuGRE and the GNSS constellations. In reality, the Earth-based GNSS constellations take up less than 10 degrees in the sky, as seen from the Moon.

Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE)

As the Artemis campaign leads humanity to the Moon and eventually Mars, NASA is refining its state-of-the-art navigation and positioning technologies to guide a new era of lunar exploration. A technology demonstration helping pave the way for these developments is the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE) payload, a joint effort…

Read moreLunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE)
EXCITE (EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope) hangs from a ceiling at the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility

EXCITE (EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope)

EXCITE plans to study hot Jupiters, gas giant exoplanets that complete an orbit once every one to two days and have temperatures in the thousands of degrees. The worlds are tidally locked, which means the same side always faces the star. The telescope can determine how molecules in a world’s atmosphere absorb and emit light over the entire orbit…

Read moreEXCITE (EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope)

ABOUT ETD

The Engineering & Technology Directorate at Goddard designs missions, builds satellites and instruments, operates and controls spacecrafts, and acquires/distributes data to the world-wide science community. ETD data products are used to conduct research in Earth and Space Sciences that benefit both the nation and the world.

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Page Last Updated: Apr 29, 2025

Page Editor: ETD Web Team

Responsible NASA Official: Hector Dietsch

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