8 August 2001 -
Genesis - USA Solar Wind Sample Return
The primary objective of the Genesis mission is to collect samples of solar wind particles and return them to Earth for detailed analysis.
3 July 2002 -
CONTOUR - USA Fly-by of three Comet Nuclei
The Comet Nucleus Tour (
CONTOUR) will fly-by the comets Encke, Schwassmann-Wachmann-3, d'Arrest and possibly a fourth comet. Scientific objectives include imaging the nuclei at resolutions of 4 m, performing spectral mapping of the nuclei at resolutions of 100-200 m, and obtaining detailed compositional data on gas and dust in the near-nucleus environment.
9 May 2003 -
Muses-C - Japan Asteroid Sample Return
The primary scientific objective of the
Muses-C (Hayabusa) mission is to collect a surface sample of material from an asteroid and return the sample to Earth for analysis.
2 June 2003 -
Mars Express - ESA Mars Orbiter and Lander
Mars Express represents ESA's first visit to another planet in the Solar System.
Mars Express will help answer fundamental questions about the geology, atmosphere, surface environment, history of water and potential for life on Mars.The lander (
Beagle 2) was
supposed to search for evidence of present or past life and water. No contact established after its landing.
10 June 2003 (MER-A "Spirit")/7 July 2003 (MER-B "Opportunity") -
Mars Exploration Rovers - USA Two Mars Rovers (
Spirit and
Opportunity)
Mars Exploration Rovers is another milestone in Mars exploration: two identical spacecrafts carrying a rover each to explore the planet like never before.
The Mars Exploration Rovers will act as robot geologists while they are on the surface of Mars.
27 September 2003 -
SMART 1 - ESA Lunar Orbiter
The SMART-1 (Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology 1) is a lunar orbiter designed to test spacecraft technologies for future missions such as a solar-powered ion drive. It is to return data on the geology, morphology, topography, mineralogy, geochemistry, and exospheric environment of the Moon.
26 February 2004 -
Rosetta - ESA Comet Orbiter and Lander
Rosetta will investigate Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The spacecraft will orbit the comet and drop two probes to land on it.
May 2004 -
Messenger - USA Mercury Orbiter
The
Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission is designed to study the characteristics and environment of Mercury from orbit.
December 2004 -
Deep Impact - USA Comet Rendezvous and Impact
Deep Impact will yield a dramatic breakthrough in our understanding of comets with the first experiment to Sample Deeply Below the Surface of a Comet.
2004 -
Lunar-A - Japan Lunar Orbiter and Penetrators
Lunar-A mission aims to study the lunar interior using seismometers and heat-flow probes installed in the
penetrators. Two penetrators will be deployed on the lunar surface; one on the nearside, and another on the
farside.
2004 - NEAP - USA Asteroid Nereus Rendezvous
2004 - Pluto-Kuiper Express - USA Pluto Flyby
Work on this mission has been stopped for budgetary reasons. NASA is now seeking proposals for a new Pluto / Kuiper Belt Mission. It was originally scheduled for launch around 2001 and to arrive at Pluto around 2013. The mission will consist of a pair of small, fast, relatively cheap spacecraft weighing less than 100 kilograms each. The spacecraft will pass within 15,000 kilometers of Pluto and Charon. They might include Russian Zond probes designed to study the Plutonian atmosphere.