On July 20, 1969, two Americans did something extraordinary: They climbed out of a precarious spacecraft and onto the surface of the moon.
We hairless apes, gifted with powerful brains and wanderlust through chance (or fate, depending on who you ask), had figured out how to safely launch three humans into the heavens atop a shining tower of explosives.
The first two planted a flag, gathered some samples, gazed at the view, took a phone call with Richard Nixon, met up with the third guy, and then headed back home. In the next three years, 10 more set foot on the moon and since then, humans haven't gone past low-Earth orbit.
But that's not where humanity's romance with space ended. We've been shooting things up to the stars ever since — and it hasn't just been global positioning satellites and space shuttles.
Here are the coolest missions NASA has going on right now, including a few exciting spacecraft to come.
Juno
Wife and mistress jokes aside, the Juno mission is going to provide us with some incredible data on Jupiter.
The probe will orbit the planet 37 times, and it's highly elliptical path will plunge it deep beneath the cloud cover. The daring maneuver will provide valuable information on Jupiter's atmosphere and what it's made out of, as well as how the oldest and biggest planet in our solar system originally formed.
Unfortunately for Juno, it won't survive the mission; after it's done it will burn up in the planet's atmosphere.
Curiosity
NASA's Curiosity rover has allowed Earthlings to visualize our planet's nearest neighbor — and prime human colonization target — like never before.
After launching in 2011, the rolling Mars Science Laboratory touched down on the planet in 2012. Using a giant parachute and retrorockets to slow its fall to a controlled hover above the surface, the descent stage lowered a MINI Cooper-sized vehicle to the surface with gentle precision.
Since then, that Curiosity rover has used nuclear energy to motor around Mars' Gale Crater, study the climate and geology of the Red Planet, look for signs of life, and shoot amazing photos of the desolate world with its 17 cameras.
It even vibrated its soil sampling unit to play itself "Happy Birthday" a year after its landing date. And it's mission is not over yet — the rover will continue looking for signs of past or present microbial life for hopefully many more lonely birthdays.
Cassini-Huygens
Launched in 1997, the Cassini probe reached the Saturn system in 2004 and has been the studying the planet, its rings, and its moons ever since.
It has dutifully investigated the ringed planet's moons, some of which could support life, with the best photos ever taken of the system. It even dropped a lander, called Huygens, down onto the moon Titan in 2005 to search for signs of life.
Cassini's mission has been renewed twice, and its currently getting in formation for its "Grand Finale" — where it will complete daring, diving orbits between Saturn and its inner rings.
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