NASA
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For other uses, see NASA (disambiguation).
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA seal
NASA "meatball" insignia
NASA "worm" logotype
NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Agency overview
Abbreviation NASA
Formed July 29, 1958; 62 years ago
National Advisory Committee for
Preceding agency
Aeronautics (1915–1958)[1]
Type Space agency
Jurisdiction United States Federal Government
Headquarters Washington, D.C.
38°52′59″N 77°0′59″WCoordinates: 38°52′
59″N 77°0′59″W
Motto For the Benefit of All[2]
Administrator of Bill Nelson
NASA
Primary John F. Kennedy Space Center
spaceports Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Owner United States
Employees 17,373 (2020)[3]
Annual budget US$22.629 billion (2020)[4]
Website NASA.gov
Part of a series on the
United States Space Program
NASA
U.S. Space Force
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Human spaceflight programs
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Robotic spaceflight programs
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NASA Astronaut Corps
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Spaceports
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Space launch vehicles
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National security space
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Civil space
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Commercial space industry
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA /ˈnæsə/) is
an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the
civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.[note 1]
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding the National Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics (NACA). The new agency was to have a distinctly civilian orientation,
encouraging peaceful applications in space science.[7][8][9] Since its establishment,
most US space exploration efforts have been led by NASA, including
the Apollo Moon landing missions, the Skylab space station, and later the Space
Shuttle. NASA is supporting the International Space Station and is overseeing the
development of the Orion spacecraft, the Space Launch System, and Commercial
Crew vehicles. The agency is also responsible for the Launch Services Program,
which provides oversight of launch operations and countdown management for
uncrewed NASA launches.
NASA's science is focused on better understanding Earth through the Earth
Observing System;[10] advancing heliophysics through the efforts of the Science
Mission Directorate's Heliophysics Research Program;[11] exploring bodies throughout
the Solar System with advanced robotic spacecraft such as New Horizons;[12] and
researching astrophysics topics, such as the Big Bang, through the Great
Observatories and associated programs.[13]
Contents
1History
o 1.1Creation
1.1.1Insignia
o 1.2Foundational human spaceflight
1.2.1X-15 program (1954–1968)
1.2.2Project Mercury (1958–1963)
1.2.3Project Gemini (1961–1966)
1.2.4Project Apollo (1960–1972)
1.2.5Skylab (1965–1979)
1.2.6Apollo-Soyuz (1972–1975)
2Leadership
3Facilities
o 3.1Inherited from NACA
o 3.2Transferred from the Army
o 3.3Built by NASA
4Modern human spaceflight programs
o 4.1Space Shuttle program (1972–2011)
o 4.2International Space Station (1993–present)
o 4.3Constellation program (2005–2010)
o 4.4Commercial Crew Program (2011–present)
o 4.5Journey to Mars (2010–2017)
o 4.6Artemis program (2017–present)
5Satellites, probes, rovers, launch vehicles
o 5.1Earth, Moon, and L2 point
o 5.2Inner solar system (including Mars)
o 5.3Outer solar system
6Near-Earth object detection
7Research
8Environmental impact
9Goals and directives
o 9.1NASA Authorization Act of 2017
o 9.2Space Policy Directive 1
o 9.3Goals
10Budget
11Miscellaneous
o 11.1NASA Advisory Council
o 11.2Use of the metric system
o 11.3Partnership with the United States Space Force
o 11.4Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
12Gallery
o 12.1Observations
o 12.2Past and current spacecraft
o 12.3Planned spacecraft
o 12.4Concepts
13See also
o 13.1Articles about NASA
o 13.2Related agencies
14Explanatory notes
15References
16Further reading
17External links
History
Creation
Main article: Creation of NASA
Short documentary about NASA
Beginning in 1946, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) began
experimenting with rocket planes such as the supersonic Bell X-1.[14] In the early
1950s, there was challenge to launch an artificial satellite for the International
Geophysical Year (1957–1958). An effort for this was the American Project
Vanguard. After the Soviet space program's launch of the world's first
artificial satellite (Sputnik 1) on October 4, 1957, the attention of the United States
turned toward its own fledgling space efforts. The U.S. Congress, alarmed by the
perceived threat to national security and technological leadership (known as the
"Sputnik crisis"), urged immediate and swift action; President Dwight D.
Eisenhower counseled more deliberate measures. The result was a consensus that
the White House forged among key interest groups, including scientists committed to
basic research; the Pentagon which had to match the Soviet military achievement;
corporate America looking for new business; and a strong new trend in public
opinion looking up to space exploration.[15]
On January 12, 1958, NACA organized a "Special Committee on Space
Technology," headed by Guyford Stever.[9] On January 14, 1958, NACA
Director Hugh Dryden published "A National Research Program for Space
Technology," stating,[16]
It is of great urgency and importance to our country both from consideration of our
prestige as a nation as well as military necessity that this challenge [Sputnik] be met
by an energetic program of research and development for the conquest of space ... It
is accordingly proposed that the scientific research be the responsibility of a national
civilian agency ... NACA is capable, by rapid extension and expansion of its effort, of
providing leadership in space technology.[16]
While this new federal agency would conduct all non-military space activity,
the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) was created in February 1958 to
develop space technology for military application.[17]
