HD - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

On March 6, the Dawn spacecraft will slip into orbit around Ceres, a dwarf planet located in the main asteroid belt. This mission marks the first time a dwarf planet has been visited by a spacecraft and scientists are eager to see its surface in detail. Ceres gets its name from the ancient Roman goddess of agriculture and grain crops.

NASA's Dawn mission will be the first to explore a dwarf planet on March 6, 2015. This video details the spacecraft's approach and orbit insertion.

The Soil Moisture Active Passive mission will track soil moisture and the freeze-thaw state of the ground worldwide. The mission will help improve climate and weather forecasts and allow scientists to monitor droughts and better predict flooding caused by severe rainfall or snowmelt -- information that can save lives and property. In addition, since plant growth depends on the amount of water in the soil, SMAP data will allow nations to better forecast crop yields and assist in global famine early-warning systems.

Ann Druyan, Carl Sagan's co-author and widow, reflects on the meaning of Voyager's "pale blue dot" image of Earth.

Curiosity wraps up an investigation at Pink Cliffs while trying out a style of exploration used by geologists on Earth called "the walkabout."

See planetary pairs grace the sky in time for Valentine's Day and Jupiter's moons perform a celestial ballet.

Highlights from launch, separation and solar array deployment of the SMAP spacecraft. SMAP launched on a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Ca., on January 31, 2015.

How do you develop the largest spinning antenna ever used on a NASA satellite? Testing, testing. . . .

This movie of asteroid 2004 BL86 was generated from data collected by NASA's Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California, on Jan. 26, 2015. Twenty individual images were used.

View the many unique areas that the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity traveled during its 11 year historic journey.