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 Curiosity rover captures 360-degree view of Mars — and finds strange sulfur stones
The Curiosity shows sulfur stones, with no explanation of how they occurred on the Martian surface.
Watch Russian Progress cargo spacecraft launch to the ISS on Nov. 21
Liftoff is scheduled for 7:22 a.m. EST. (1222 GMT).
Space pictures! See our space image of the day
Space.com's image of the day rounds up the most awe-inspiring space photos right here, with a new image everyday.
'There are lots of mysteries in our backyard': Revised solar system chemistry explains long-standing puzzles
"We have been calling Uranus an ice giant, but we don't really know its nature."
Scientists find extremely young exoplanet orbiting star with a wonky disk
NASA's TESS exoplanet-hunting spacecraft found the youngest transiting world yet, and the exoplanet's star has a wonky planetary disk.
Solar Orbiter spacecraft captures sharpest views yet of sun's surface (images)
The Solar Orbiter spacecraft has sent home the highest resolution views of the sun's surface to date, providing fresh views of our well-studied star.
India's Chandrayaan-2 moon orbiter avoids collision with South Korea's Danuri spacecraft
India's Chandrayaan 2 moon orbiter maneuvered in September to avoid a close approach with Korea's Danuri spacecraft, ISRO said.
SpaceX Starlink satellites seen as ‘wonky streaks’ by ISS astronaut (photos)
"Starlink satellites look like a miniature version of the monolith from '2001: A Space Odyssey.' "
