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
The astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-13 mission reached the International Space Station today (Oct. 1) less than eight hours after launch, setting a new speed record for a U.S. spacecraft.
On Oct. 1, 1958, NASA was born! The space agency officially opened for business on this day. Here's why it mattered.
As SpaceX's Crew-13 mission heads for the International Space Station, it restores a numbered designation not seen in U.S. crewed spaceflight in more than 50 years.
SpaceX launched NASA's Crew-13 mission this morning (Oct. 1), sending four astronauts to the International Space Station for a six-month stay.
SpaceX will launch three missions to orbit in a 13-hour span today (Oct. 1), if all goes according to plan. And you can watch all the action live.
NASA is sticking with Boeing's beleaguered Starliner astronaut taxi but says the vehicle won't be ready to fly crewed missions to the International Space Station until 2028.
SpaceX's Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station is now scheduled to launch on Oct. 1, nearly three weeks after the original target date of Sept. 12.
Windows are key to astronauts' comfort and mental health, but they pose risks to a spacecraft's structural integrity. Here's a look at how engineers make them work.
