NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Agency overview
AbbreviationNASA
FormedJuly 29, 1958 (1958-07-29)
Preceding agency
TypeSpace agency
Aeronautics research agency
JurisdictionUnited States Federal Government
HeadquartersWashington, D.C.
38°52′59″N 77°0′59″W / 38.88306°N 77.01639°W / 38.88306; -77.01639
Bill Nelson
Deputy AdministratorPamela Melroy
Primary spaceports
Employees17,960 (2022)[2]
Annual budgetIncrease US$25.384 billion (2023)[3]
Websitenasa.gov

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA /ˈnæsə/) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. Established in 1958, it succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) to give the U.S. space development effort a distinctly civilian orientation, emphasizing peaceful applications in space science.[4][5][6] It has since led most American space exploration, including Project Mercury, Project Gemini, the 1968–1972 Apollo Moon landing missions, the Skylab space station, and the Space Shuttle. It currently supports the International Space Station and oversees the development of the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System for the crewed lunar Artemis program, the Commercial Crew spacecraft, and the planned Lunar Gateway space station.

NASA's science is focused on better understanding Earth through the Earth Observing System;[7] advancing heliophysics through the efforts of the Science Mission Directorate's Heliophysics Research Program;[8] exploring bodies throughout the Solar System with advanced robotic spacecraft such as New Horizons and planetary rovers such as Perseverance;[9] and researching astrophysics topics, such as the Big Bang, through the James Webb Space Telescope, the Great Observatories and associated programs.[10] The Launch Services Program oversees launch operations and countdown management for its uncrewed launches.

  1. ^ US Centennial of Flight Commission, NACA. Archived February 20, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. centennialofflight.net. Retrieved on November 3, 2011.
  2. ^ "Workforce Profile". NASA. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  3. ^ "NASA's FY 2023 Budget". The Planetary Society. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  4. ^ "Ike in History: Eisenhower Creates NASA". Eisenhower Memorial. 2013. Archived from the original on November 19, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  5. ^ "The National Aeronautics and Space Act". NASA. 2005. Archived from the original on August 16, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
  6. ^ Bilstein, Roger E. (1996). "From NACA to NASA". NASA SP-4206, Stages to Saturn: A Technological History of the Apollo/Saturn Launch Vehicles. NASA. pp. 32–33. ISBN 978-0-16-004259-1. Archived from the original on July 14, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  7. ^ Netting, Ruth (June 30, 2009). "Earth—NASA Science". Archived from the original on July 16, 2009. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  8. ^ Netting, Ruth (January 8, 2009). "Heliophysics—NASA Science". Archived from the original on July 16, 2009. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  9. ^ Roston, Michael (August 28, 2015). "NASA's Next Horizon in Space". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 29, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  10. ^ Netting, Ruth (July 13, 2009). "Astrophysics—NASA Science". Archived from the original on July 16, 2009. Retrieved July 15, 2009.

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