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
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Latest about NASA
NASA's Artemis 2 moon rocket gets 2nd stage even as Trump tries to scrap Space Launch System (photos)
NASA's next moon rocket is stacking higher at the Kennedy Space Center, as the interim cryogenic propulsion stage is added to the launch vehicle.
What time is it on the moon? US House space committee wants a standard lunar clock
Time moves faster on the moon, and now we're one step closer to getting a lunar time zone to keep track of it.
Reshaping our return to the moon: Trump's 2026 budget gives Artemis a major facelift
The White House's proposed 2026 budget would reshape NASA's Artemis moon program, canceling the Gateway space station and retiring the SLS rocket and Orion capsule after two more flights.
Trump administration proposes slashing NASA budget by 24%
The White House's proposed 2026 budget cuts $6 billion in NASA funding and cancels Mars sample return and the Gateway moon-orbiting space station, among other projects.
NASA just got the Orion spacecraft that will fly astronauts around the moon on Artemis 2 in 2026
Orion, the next spacecraft to fly humans around the moon, has been delivered to NASA for prelaunch preparations ahead of Artemis 2's planned 2026 liftoff.
Watch 2 NASA astronauts perform the 5th-ever all-female spacewalk today
NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain will head outside the ISS at around 8 a.m. ET today (May 1) on history's fifth all-female spacewalk, and you can watch it live.
NASA has used the US military for astronaut rescue for decades. So why ask private companies for help now?
NASA is asking private industry and academia for ideas for new rescue services for its astronauts on Earth in the event of emergencies.
Senate committee advances Trump's nomination of Jared Isaacman for NASA Chief forward
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation voted to forward Jared Isaacman's confirmation as the new NASA administrator.
