Explorers Program

NASA's Explorers Program provides recurring flight opportunities for focused heliophysics and astrophysics investigations. Managed through Goddard Space Flight Center, it develops relatively small and medium-sized missions using streamlined approaches to cost, schedule, and scientific delivery. The program's heritage begins with Explorer 1 in 1958 and includes U.S. and international missions studying Earth's space environment, the Sun, and the wider universe. Modern selections continue that role through dedicated observatories and cooperative investigations, with education and public outreach included in the scientific mission.