Earth’s Space Scientists discover new things about our planet, solar system and entire galaxy every day!  There are hundreds of spacecraft circling the universe, completing their different assignments.

Just check out this small list of some ongoing missions:

The European Space Agency (ESA) sent XMM Newton into space 10 years ago.  Celestial objects generate X-rays, but earth’s atmosphere blocks them out, so this satellite contains three powerful X-ray telescopes to detect the sources and learn more about black holes and how galaxies form.

NASA’s Messenger spacecraft is studying Mercury right NOW, and sending back photographs that show an amazing amount of detail.  We know now that both sides of Mercury have the same features, including many craters that resemble the ones on Earth’s moon. 

The Voyager 1 & 2 spacecraft have been in space for 30 years!  They are working their way through a real final frontier; where the solar wind meets the edge of known space, surrounding our solar system like a bubble.

What about Mars?  Earthlings have been fascinated with Mars for a long time.  There have been so many missions to study this planet, it is hard to keep track.  Odyssey, Reconnaissance and Express are all in Mars orbit, and the Phoenix lander’s mission to explore the Mars arctic just ended when the Martian winter closed in.

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency designed to monitor and study tropical rainfall.  It tracks storms from space every day.

Stardust did an earth fly-by in January 2009! It’s studying comets.

What causes the shimmering, Northern Lights to suddenly brighten and dance in a spectacular burst of colourful light and rapid movement? NASA’s fleet of five satellites called THEMIS, (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) discovered that an explosion of magnetic energy a third of the way to the moon creates the rapid movements of the Northern Lights.

Canada, the United States and Japan teamed up to collect data about Earth's changing climate with Terra, a satellite carrying five sensors. These sensors study interactions among the Earth's atmosphere, lands, oceans, and radiant energy. They are called: ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS, and MOPITT!

Satellites and probes are spinning through space, exploring everything from individual planets to space weather patterns, our moon and even cosmic radiation.  What an amazing time to be a space scientist