NASA Logo, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Sciences and Exploration Directorate, Code 600

WELCOME TO THE SCIENCES & EXPLORATION DIRECTORATE

WELCOME TO THE SCIENCES & EXPLORATION DIRECTORATE
The largest Earth and Space Science research organization in the world.

 Ridges and Fractures on Enceladus

image of the surface of saturn's moon enceladus
An image captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during a recent flyby of Enceladus highlights the ridges and fractures on the surface of the icy saturnian moon.

Solar System Science at Goddard

  • What can we learn about the early solar system from Pluto and other icy dwarf planets?
  • What is the source of methane seeping from the Martian surface?
  • Which planets and moons in the solar system could host life?
  • How do planets form?
These are just some of the important questions about solar systems that scientists are exploring at Goddard Space Flight Center.

Podcasts, Blogs, and Images

thumbnail of today's image
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Each day a different image of our fascinating universe, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Video Collection
Videos about the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter tell about the next mission to the Moon
Interview
Interview on "Left Handed Acid from Space" with Goddard's Dr. Danny Glavin
Podcast
Podcast of Dr. Drake Deming's - "There is No Place Like Home"

Games and Models

thumbnail of LRO satellite
Lunar Reconnaissance for Kids
Games, puzzles, quizzes and "moon cookies" can all be found on this kid's website about the Moon.
thumbnail of Mars Global Surveyor satellite
Mars Maze and More
Twist your brain into knots! This activity and others test your knowledge of Mars and the instruments that study Mars.

Latest Solar System Science News

image of mercury's surface
MESSENGER Reveals More of Hidden Mercury
A NASA spacecraft's third and final flyby of the planet Mercury gives scientists an almost complete view of the planet's surface and new scientific findings.
image of Saturn and its rings illuminated by the sun
A Long Night Falls Over Saturn's Rings
During Saturn's latest equinox August 11, the rings plummeted to 382 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.
a very young lunar crater on the side of the moon that faces away from Earth
NASA Instruments Reveal Water Molecules on Moon
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is hard at work harvesting information about the moon's topography, surface temperature, radiation\ environment, and water.
Topographical map of the lunar surface created with new data from the nasa lunar reconnaissance orbiter
LRO Begins Detailed Mapping of Moon's South Pole
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is hard at work harvesting information about the moon's topography, surface temperature, radiation environment, and water.

New Education Resources

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter education site contains teacher resources, a newsletter, trivia, activites and games and an active newsroom. Find out about the latest lunar mission from Goddard. Grades K-14

Featured Education Resources

The Mars Global Surveyor website is designed to bring Mars and the Mars Global Surveyor down to Earth (no pun intended) for both kids and teachers.
Ask An Astrobiologist is a service to answer astrobiology questions from the public, both about the origin and evolution of life on Earth and looking forward to the search for life on other worlds.
Goddard Signature