'The Year Of The Icy World’

Guy Norris March 11, 2015

Dawn

Mysterious bright spots, captured in this Feb. 19 main image and early March inset image of the cratered surface of Ceres, have sparked wider interest in Dawn’s science mission, which begins in April. Credit: NASA JPL

New Horizons

New Horizons is scheduled to make its closest approach to Pluto and its moons on July 14. Credit: NASA JPL

Cassini

Cassini’s close flyby of Enceladus later this year could verify whether theories for the generation of unusual icy plumes on the moon are correct. Credit: NASA JPL

Europa

Europa’s icy shell is believed to enclose a habitable oceanic environment. Credit: NASA JPL

Europa Clipper

NASA’s proposed Europa Clipper, pictured here in model form, includes a radiation-hardened instrument “vault” and 29-ft. solar panels on either side. Credit: Guy Norris/AW&ST

In what NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has dubbed “the year of the icy world,” the agency will see three separate spacecraft begin the unprecedented exploration of dwarf planets and a moon over a period of just eight months. While these missions are underway, NASA is also ramping up planning for Europa Clipper, a planned robotic exploration of the Jovian moon Europa, which early in February effectively moved from concept to mission status under the agency’s latest budget announcement.

This gallery was first published March 4.

Guy Norris

Guy is a Senior Editor for Aviation Week, covering technology and propulsion. He is based in Colorado Springs.