WIND RIVER AND NASA JPL: OVERCOMING SEVEN MINUTES OF TERROR. AGAIN.

Mars Pathfinder 1996

The Mars Pathfinder was designed to demonstrate a low-cost method for delivering a lander and a free-ranging robotic rover to the surface of Mars. Pathfinder not only accomplished this goal but also returned an unprecedented amount of data and outlived its primary design life.

SeaWinds 1999

The SeaWinds instrument, which flies on NASA's Quick Scatterometer Earth satellite, is a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind velocity and cloud cover over Earth's oceans.

Deep Space 1 1998

Originally designed to test a dozen new technologies including the use of an ion engine for spacecraft propulsion, Deep Space 1 far outstripped its primary mission goals by also successfully flying by the asteroid 9969 Braille and comet Borelly.

Stardust 1999

Stardust was the first spacecraft to return a cometary sample and extraterrestrial material from outside the orbit of the moon to Earth.

Stardust NExT 1999

Stardust-NExT was a follow-on mission that repurposed the Stardust spacecraft for a close re-encounter with comet Tempel 1.

Mars Odyssey 2001

With more than 11 years in orbit and counting, the Mars Odyssey spacecraft has spent more time in orbit around the Red Planet, collecting data on Mars' climate and geology, than any other spacecraft in history. Mars Odyssey was also crucial to the Curiosity landing, sending back data during the EDL and also the first pictures from the landing.

Mars Exploration Rover Spirit 2003

Spirit was the first rover launched to land on Mars. Designed for a 90-day Mission, Spirit provided scientific data for over 6 years.

Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity 2003

Opportunity was the second of the rovers launched to land on Mars and has been traversing the Red Planet in search of signs of past life.

Spitzer Space Telescope 2003

The Spitzer Space Telescope is designed to study the early universe in infrared light. This is the first telescope to see light from a planet outside our solar system, Spitzer has also made important discoveries about comets, stars, exoplanets and distant galaxies.

Deep Impact 2005

NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft traveled about 268 million miles to the vicinity of comet Tempel 1. This is the first attempt to peer beneath the surface of a comet.

Deep Impact EPOXI 2005

The EPOXI mission recycled the Deep Impact spacecraft, which had formerly visited comet Tempel 1, to visit a second comet, Hartley 2.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter 2006

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, or MRO, has studied the Red Planet's atmosphere and terrain from orbit since 2006 and also serves as a key data relay station for other Mars missions, including the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity.

DAWN 2007

Already exploring the giant asteroid Vesta and soon to depart for the dwarf planet Ceres, the Dawn spacecraft is designed to conduct an in-depth and up-close study of these two celestial bodies believed to have formed early in the history of the solar system.

Phoenix 2007

Phoenix was a lander sent to the surface of Mars to search for evidence of past or present microbial life.

Kepler 2009

Kepler is a space telescope designed to survey a portion of the Milky Way galaxy in search of Earth-size planets, including those where liquid water and possibly life might exist.