Thomas Zurbuchen said other top goals for science and the agency include understanding and protecting life on Earth and probing fundamental aspects of the universe like dark matter and dark energy.
NASA
To Bennu and Back
Justin Filiberto shares his experience as a guest at the OSIRIS-REx launch; a mission to obtain samples from the asteroid Bennu in hopes of learning more about the origin of water on Earth.
Delayed Launch Approved for Next Mars Mission
NASA has set a new 2018 launch date for a spacecraft to probe the Red Planet's interior, after instrument failure hobbled preparations for the mission.
New Findings Suggest Dwarf Planet Ceres Is Geologically Active
Cryovolcanoes, landslides, and water ice all point to current activity, researchers found.
Juno Makes Closest Ever Orbit of Jupiter
NASA plans to release more pictures soon, including views of the planet's atmosphere and its north and south poles, all in unprecedented detail.
NASA's New Asteroid Sampler Will Illuminate Solar System's History
In 7 years, scientists hope to directly analyze materials from the asteroid Bennu, an object that may reveal what conditions were like in the solar system 4.5 billion years ago.
Precision Landing Will Be Key to NASA's Mars 2020 Rover
Landing robotics distinguish the craft from past models, allowing researchers to target smaller flat areas that are surrounded by rock.
NASA’s Juno Spacecraft Set to Orbit Jupiter Starting 4 July
The spacecraft's titanium vault and a polar orbiting flight plan that avoids intense radiation regions around Jupiter's equator will help reduce damage to Juno's instruments.
As Mars Gets Close, So Does a Blitz of Red Planet Dramas
NASA's first Mars program director advised the creators of the new film The Space Between Us, which opens this summer, on the science related to Mars colonization.
How on Earth to Decide Where on Mars to Land?
The Public Lecture at AGU's 2016 Fall Meeting will feature three experts—including one still in high school—to discuss landing site selection for the Mars 2020 rover.