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
On this day! Oct. 7, 2002: STS-112 Launches to the International Space Station
On Oct. 7, 2002, the space shuttle Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-112.
Bill Nye and the Planetary Society hold 'Save NASA Science' day of action on Capitol Hill
"When it comes to exploration, there is no private option."
Trivia in orbit: How well do you know the ISS?
This quiz will test your grasp of everything from orbital mechanics and international partnerships to basic facts about the International Space Station
NASA pilot suits up to scan the Earth | Space photo of the day for Oct 3. 2025
As NASA's ER-2 aircraft takes flight over the American Southwest, the GEMx mission is using high-altitude hyperspectral imaging to uncover Earth's hidden mineral resources
NASA's Artemis Program: Live updates
NASA's Artemis 2 mission is returning astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972. See live mission updates here.
Erie Canal seen from space, is now 200 years old | Space photo of the day for Oct 1. 2025
Two centuries after its completion, the Erie canal is celebrated from space, with NASA satellite imagery showing the engineering feat of this structure.
NASA closes doors to 15,000 employees as US government shutdown begins
Over 80% of NASA's workforce is being told to stay home during the government shutdown.
Astronauts on the moon and Mars? World space leaders lay out visions for an ambitious future
At a major space congress in Sydney, leaders from NASA, ESA, ISRO, CNSA, and more shared visions for humanity's return to the moon, journeys to Mars and the tech shaping the future of space.
