NASA is the space agency run by the United States to oversee American space exploration, research and technology. NASA, or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, was founded in 1958 as a civilian agency for U.S. space exploration. Prior to 1958, the agency's progenitor was known as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. NASA develops, builds and launches missions to study the Earth, moon and sun, as well as the entire solar system and beyond. The agency has its headquarters in Washington D.C., with major centers in Florida (the Kennedy Space Center for launches) and Houston (the Johnson Space Center, home of the astronaut corps). Other centers are spread across the country for scientific research, test flights and spacecraft manufacturing. NASA's current chief is Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who is leading the agency's mission of returning astronauts to the moon and sending them on to Mars. See the latest NASA news.
Related Topics: Apollo Program, China Space Program, Incredible Space Tech, International Space Station, Interstellar Travel
Latest about NASA
Scientists spot 4 superdense stellar corpses hiding behind their red dwarf companions
"Nearby isolated white dwarfs are usually easy to find, but we couldn't see these four stars directly."
Russia launches NASA astronaut Anil Menon and 2 cosmonauts to the International Space Station (video)
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and two cosmonauts launched toward the International Space Station atop a Russian rocket at 10:47 a.m. EDT on Tuesday (July 14), and docked just three hours later.
This cosmic 'lighthouse' is blazing a magnetic trail through the Milky Way
Scientists have directly measured the magnetic field surrounding the speedy neutron star for the first time.
149 million views! Artemis II moon mission breaks NASA's streaming record
The Artemis II astronauts made an impact on potentially hundreds of millions of people during their mission, according to NASA figures.
Staffing the moon base: How many astronauts should live in NASA's lunar outpost?
A simulation of future astronaut moon bases suggests that mission design, and not just psychology, needs to be considered for success.
NASA's New Horizons probe just woke up from hibernation 6 billion miles away beyond Pluto. What's it doing out there?
NASA's New Horizons probe has woken up in good health nearly 6 billion miles away beyond Pluto after spending nearly a year in hibernation.
James Webb Space Telescope celebrates its 4th birthday with stunning image of a galaxy crash site
To celebrate the fourth birthday of the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA has released a stunning image of the strangely shaped galaxy Centaurus A, the site of a cosmic collision 2 billion years ago.
Even astronauts in space saw America 250 fireworks on the Fourth of July. See their ISS view of Los Angeles (video)
The U.S. just celebrated its 250th birthday, and the Americans living off the planet had a great view of some of the parties down below.
