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
Watch NASA roll huge Artemis 2 moon rocket out to the launch pad on Jan. 17
NASA will roll its Artemis 2 moon rocket out to the launch pad on Saturday (Jan. 17), and you can watch the slow-moving action live.
Congress passes $24.4 billion NASA budget, rejecting Trump's deep cuts
Congress just approved a $24.4 billion budget for NASA for this year, rejecting the deep cuts that President Trump had proposed last spring.
NASA hopes to launch Artemis 2 astronauts to the moon next month, but it's going to be tight: 'This is not a rush'
NASA hopes to launch its crewed Artemis 2 moon mission in early February, but everything will have to go right to hit that ambitious target.
Watch SpaceX Crew-11 spacecraft blaze a fiery trail through the sky during medical evacuation from ISS (video)
Four ISS crewmembers were brought home a month early due to an undisclosed but non-emergency "medical concern".
Jupiter has more oxygen than the sun, new simulations reveal
Jupiter harbors more oxygen than the sun, a new study finds, giving astronomers a crucial clue about how our solar system's planets formed.
After a month of no answer, NASA will try hailing its silent MAVEN Mars orbiter today
MAVEN was built to last in orbit until 2030 — that's not looking likely anymore.
Cyberthieves hit European Space Agency, stealing hundreds of gigabytes of data
A recent string of cyberattacks against the European Space Agency is just the tip of the iceberg, a researcher said, claiming that email credentials of ESA employees are regularly leaked online.
SpaceX Crew-11 astronauts return to Earth after 1st-ever medical evacuation of ISS
The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-11 mission splashed down safely today (Jan. 15) after the first-ever medical evacuation of the International Space Station.
Crew-11 astronauts undock in 1st-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station (video)
SpaceX's Crew-11 astronauts will leave the International Space Station today (Jan. 14) in the first-ever medical evacuation from the orbiting lab, and you can watch it live.
