The following table content has been drawn from a single source.[1] This is a scaffold onto which can be added additional content from other sources to work toward a comprehensive listing of "American" satellites launched for research purposes. The designation of "American" requires that the satellites by funded, planned and managed in part by organizations based in the Untied States without regard for the type of organization (e.g. government, academic, corporate, etc.). The primary purpose of the satellite must be "research" and not, for example, doing a small amount of research while primarily focused on telecommunications routing.
| Short name | Brief mission | Launch | Planned end of service |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMAP | Earth soil moisture measurements | 2015 | 2018 |
| Landsat 8 | Earth science observations | 2013 | 2018 |
| Hinode | Solar magnetism measurement | 2006 | 2009 |
| GPM Core Observatory | Terrestrial precipitation measurement | 2014 | 2017 |
| Cinema 1 | Space weather satellite | 2012 | 2015 |
| Cinema 2 | Space weather satellite | 2013 | 2014 |
| Cinema 3 | Space weather satellite | 2013 | 2014 |
| Geotail | Terrestrial magnetotail observation | 1992 | 1996 |
| Coriolis | Observation of terrestrial ocean winds and solar mass ejections | 2003 | 2006 |
| EO-1 | Instrument testbed | 2000 | 2001 |
| WIND | Solar wind observation | 1994 | 1999 |
| SAC-O | Measurement of terrestrial ocean salinity | 2011 | 2016 |
| SOO | Examination of impact of solar activity on space weather | 2010 | 2015 |
| GCOM-W1 | Observation of water circulation systems | 2012 | 2017 |
| O/OREOS | Nanosatellite astrobiology testbed | 2010 | 2011 |
| NOAA-18 | human terrestrial search-and-rescue support | 2005 | 2007 |
| NOAA-19 | Weather satellite | 2009 | 2011 |
| GEOS-14 | Weather satellite | 2009 | 2019 |
| GEOS-15 | Weather satellite | 2010 | 2020 |
| OCO-2 | Terrestrial atmospheric carbon dioxide measurement | 2014 | 2016 |
| Van Allen Probe A | Examination of the Sun's impact on earth | 2012 | 2014 |
| Van Allen Probe B | Examination of the Sun's impact on earth | 2012 | 2014 |
| AIM | Polar mesospheric clouds | 2007 | 2009 |
| Themis A | Aurora observation | 2007 | 2009 |
| Themis E | Aurora observation | 2007 | 2009 |
| Themis D | Aurora observation | 2007 | 2009 |
| FGST | Search for dark matter, black holes and gamma-ray bursts | 2008 | 2013 |
| GOES 13 | Observation of Atlantic Ocean weather | 2006 | 2016 |
| CALIPSO | Observation of clouds and atmospheric aerosols | 2006 | 2008 |
| CloudSat | Observation of clouds and atmospheric aerosols | 2006 | 2008 |
| Suzaku | Observation of hot plasmas | 2005 | 2016 |
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