Discovery

Committee praises NASA’s planetary science program but raises some concerns

by Jeff Foust — August 14, 2018

NASA has done a good job implementing the recommendations of its latest planetary science decadal survey despite past budget problems, but needs to improve some programs, a recent report concluded.

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NASA selects two asteroid missions for Discovery program

by Jeff Foust — January 4, 2017

NASA has selected two missions to asteroids in the latest round of its Discovery planetary science program, a move that NASA says puts the program back on track after a recent drought of missions.

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NASA's Jim Green, director of planetary science. Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

Two Discovery Missions Now Means Fewer Later, NASA Official Says

by Dan Leone — October 5, 2015

The agency has said it could select two of the five finalists for the latest of its Discovery-class planetary missions — including two Venus concepts and three asteroid concepts — next year for full-scale development.

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NASA Weighing Double-Barrel Discovery Award

by Dan Leone — October 2, 2015

NASA might end up funding two of the five mission concepts just selected for further study in the latest Discovery-class planetary science mission competition, a senior agency official said.

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Venus, Asteroid Proposals Advance in NASA Discovery Competition

by Dan Leone — September 30, 2015

Five robotic mission concepts — two for Venus, three for asteroids — will duke it out to become NASA's next Discovery-class small planetary science mission. The winner would launch in 2021.

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By sheer numbers, small bodies dominate our solar system — and NASA's latest Discovery competition. Credit: NASA artist's concept

Small Bodies Dominate NASA’s Latest Discovery Competition

by Dan Leone — July 7, 2015

Over half of the 28 proposals NASA received for a $450 million robotic solar-system mission launching around 2021 seek to explore small bodies such as comets, asteroids or tiny moons.

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