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
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Teeny tardigrades can survive space and lethal radiation. Scientists may finally know how
A new species of tardigrades with thousands of genes that become more active when exposed to radiation could help in devising better protection for astronauts on long missions.
SpaceX's Dragon is about to do something to the ISS it's never done before
The data from the reboost, scheduled for Nov. 8, will help inform design for a larger Dragon to deorbit the ISS.
Hera asteroid probe 'waves goodbye' at Earth and moon from 2.3 million miles away (image)
The moon is getting smaller in the window.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe flies by Venus before historic sun encounter
NASA's Parker Solar Probe swoops in for its seventh and final swing past Venus ahead of its history-making encounter with the sun on Christmas Eve.
NASA's Chandra X-ray spacecraft finds 'danger zones' around stars
Using NASA's Chandra spacecraft, astronomers have found "danger zones" for worlds where planet-birthing disks are blasted with high-energy radiation from massive young stars and rapidly disintegrate.
NASA's Chandra X-ray telescope sees 'knots' blasting from nearby black hole jets
A fresh analysis of decades-old X-ray black hole jet data has revealed bright, lumpy features with mysterious speed changes.
World's 1st wooden satellite arrives at ISS for key orbital test
LignoSat could help change the way we build satellites.
