NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The NASA logo is painted on the outside of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where spacecraft are prepared for launch. Image Credit: NASA

What Is NASA?
NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA is a United States government agency that is responsible for science and technology related to air and space. The Space Age started in 1957 with the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik. NASA was created in 1958. The agency was created to oversee U.S. space exploration and aeronautics research.

NASA
http://www.nasa.gov

About NASA
http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/index.html

What Does NASA Do?
Many Americans may be aware of some of NASA's major responsibilities. Astronauts in orbit conduct scientific research. Satellites help scientists learn more about Earth. Space probes study the solar system, and beyond. New developments improve air travel and other aspects of flight. NASA is also beginning a new program to send humans to the moon, Mars and beyond. In addition to those major missions, NASA does many other things. The agency shares what it learns, so that its information can make life better for people all over the world. For example, companies can use NASA discoveries to create new "spinoff" products.

NASA's Education Office helps teachers to prepare the students who will be the engineers, scientists, astronauts and other NASA workers of the future. They will be the adventurers that will continue the exploration of the solar system and universe in the years to come. NASA has a tradition of investing in programs and activities that inspire and engage students, educators, families and communities in the excitement and discovery of exploration. NASA offers training to help teachers learn new ways to teach science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The agency also involves students in NASA missions to help them get excited about learning.

What Does NASA Do
http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/what_does_nasa_do.html

Missions
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/index.html

NASA Education Office
http://www.nasa.gov/education   →

NASA Programs for Students
http://education.nasa.gov/edprograms/stdprograms/index.html  →

Who Runs NASA?
The administrator of NASA is Mike Griffin. Before becoming the head of NASA, Griffin had worked for many years in the space industry. He has worked for the government, for universities and for private companies. Griffin has a bachelor's degree, five master's degrees and a doctorate. The NASA administrator is nominated by the president and confirmed by a vote in the Senate.

Michael Griffin
http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/griffin_bio.html

NASA has field centers and test and research facilities in several states. Image Credit: NASA

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Who Works for NASA?
NASA's Headquarters is in Washington, D.C. The agency has ten field centers and seven test and research facilities located in several states around the country. More than 18,000 people work for NASA. Many more people work with the agency as government contractors. Those people are hired by companies that NASA pays to do work for it. The combined workforce represents a wide variety of jobs. Astronauts may be the best-known NASA employees, but they only represent a small number of the total workforce. Many NASA workers are scientists and engineers. But people there hold many other jobs, too, from secretaries to writers to lawyers to teachers.

NASA Sites
http://www.nasa.gov/about/sites/index.html

Budget Information
http://www.nasa.gov/about/budget/index.html

NASA Workforce
http://nasapeople.nasa.gov/workforce/   →

Career Resources
http://www.nasa.gov/about/career/index.html

The Apollo 11 mission marked the first time human beings walked on the moon. Image Credit: NASA

What Has NASA Done?
When NASA started, it began a program of human spaceflight. The Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs helped NASA learn about flying in space and resulted in the first human landing on the moon in 1969. Currently, NASA is preparing to complete the International Space Station and to retire the space shuttle fleet by 2010.

NASA's robotic space probes have visited every planet in the solar system and several other celestial bodies. Telescopes have allowed scientists to look at the far reaches of space. Satellites have revealed a wealth of data about Earth, resulting in valuable information such as a better understanding of weather patterns. NASA has helped develop and test a variety of cutting-edge aircraft. These aircraft include planes that have set new records. Among other benefits, these tests have helped engineers improve air transportation. NASA technology has contributed to many items used in everyday life, from smoke detectors to medical tests.

NASA History
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/history/index.html

NASA in Your Life
http://www.nasa.gov/50th/spinoff/index.html

What Are NASA's Future Plans?

NASA is currently working on the spacecraft that will take humans back to the moon. Image Credit: NASA

NASA is beginning a new program of human exploration. Engineers are already designing new rockets and a new spacecraft. The new spacecraft, Orion, will take astronauts to the International Space Station. Later, it will be used to take astronauts back to the moon. By 2020, NASA plans for astronauts to have landed on the moon. And they will establish an outpost. That experience will help NASA learn about living on other worlds. NASA will use that knowledge to send humans to Mars. Further into the future, astronauts will travel even farther into the solar system.

Exploration
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/exploration/main/index.html

Constellation
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/main/index.html