The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the United States’ civilian space agency, established in 1958 to conduct aeronautics research and space exploration. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NASA leads human and robotic missions, Earth and space science, and advanced aerospace technology programs in partnership with domestic and international collaborators.
Last updated November 17, 2025
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the civil space agency of the United States, created in 1958 to conduct aeronautics research and explore space for the benefit of humankind, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. NASA Organization; 51 U.S.C. §20111; Britannica. (nasa.gov)
Origins and formation
NASA traces its roots to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), whose laboratories and staff were transferred to the new agency after the launch of Sputnik spurred the United States to consolidate its civilian space effort; President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958, and NASA opened on October 1, 1958. NACA Overview; NASA History; Sputnik history; 51 U.S.C. §20111. (nasa.gov)
Organization and centers
NASA is organized around mission directorates that guide aeronautics, space science, space technology, and human exploration, supported by a nationwide network of field centers and an inspector general; the agency employs just under 18,000 civil servants and works with contractors, academia, and international and commercial partners. NASA Organization; NASA Directorates. (nasa.gov)
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center managed by the California Institute of Technology, responsible for designing, building, and operating many of NASA’s robotic spacecraft and the Deep Space Network. JPL “Who We Are”; JPL overview. (jpl.nasa.gov)
Human spaceflight programs
NASA’s Apollo-era efforts culminated in the Apollo program lunar landings, including Apollo 11 in July 1969, which achieved the first crewed Moon landing. NASA Apollo Program. (nasa.gov)
From 1981 to 2011, the Space Shuttle program flew 135 missions that enabled satellite deployment and servicing and assembled the International Space Station, marking the world’s first reusable crewed orbital spacecraft system. NASA Space Shuttle overview; NASA Shuttle reference. (nasa.gov)
The International Space Station (ISS), an international microgravity laboratory continuously inhabited since November 2000 and planned for U.S. support through 2030, serves as a testbed for long-duration human spaceflight and research; NASA has also contracted a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle to safely retire the station at end of life. NASA ISS reference; Reuters (ISS deorbit vehicle award). (nasa.gov)
Since 2012, NASA has relied on public‑private partnerships to deliver cargo and, since 2020, crew transportation to and from the ISS under its Commercial Resupply Services and Commercial Crew programs. Commercial Resupply Services Overview; Commercial Crew Program Overview. (nasa.gov)
Artemis and deep‑space exploration
Under the Artemis program, NASA is returning astronauts to the vicinity of the Moon using the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, advancing a sustained lunar presence with Gateway and commercial human landing systems as stepping stones to Mars. NASA Artemis FAQ (schedule update); SLS reference; Orion overview. (nasa.gov)
NASA’s Artemis II, the first crewed flight around the Moon in the campaign, targets no earlier than April 2026 following hardware integration and testing updates, while subsequent missions will incorporate the lunar Gateway and surface landings near the south pole. NASA Artemis FAQ (schedule update); NASA mission integration updates. (nasa.gov)
Science and robotic missions
NASA conducts astrophysics, planetary, heliophysics, biological and physical sciences, and Earth science through its Science Mission Directorate and partner institutions. NASA Science—Earth Science Division. (science.nasa.gov)
The James Webb Space Telescope (Webb), a partnership of NASA, ESA, and CSA, launched on December 25, 2021 and operates around Sun–Earth L2, enabling transformative infrared observations of the early universe, exoplanets, and star formation. NASA Webb. (science.nasa.gov)
The Hubble Space Telescope, an international collaboration between NASA and ESA in low‑Earth orbit, continues to produce high‑impact science across ultraviolet to near‑infrared wavelengths more than three decades after launch. Hubble overview; Hubble science highlights. (science.nasa.gov)
In planetary science, NASA’s Perseverance rover explores Mars’s Jezero Crater for ancient habitability and caches samples for potential return, building on decades of robotic exploration led by JPL. Perseverance mission overview; JPL “Who We Are”. (science.nasa.gov)
NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey jointly operate the Landsat program—an uninterrupted global record of land‑surface change since 1972—with Landsat 8 and 9 currently in orbit and Landsat Next in development. USGS Landsat overview; USGS Landsat 9 control; USGS Landsat Next. (usgs.gov)
Aeronautics
Reflecting NASA’s origins in NACA, the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate advances sustainable, efficient, and safe aviation—including supersonic “quiet” flight research, advanced air mobility, and ultra‑efficient airliners—through work at Ames, Armstrong, Glenn, and Langley. ARMD overview; About ARMD. (nasa.gov)
International cooperation
NASA’s large missions often rely on international partnerships, exemplified by the 1998 Intergovernmental Agreement governing the ISS and extensive cooperation across Earth and space science. NASA—20 Years Ago: IGA; NASA OIIR Science Division. (nasa.gov)
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the United States’ civilian space agency, established in 1958 to conduct aeronautics research and space exploration. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NASA leads human and robotic missions, Earth and space science, and advanced aerospace technology programs in partnership with domestic and international collaborators.
Last updated November 17, 2025
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the civil space agency of the United States, created in 1958 to conduct aeronautics research and explore space for the benefit of humankind, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. NASA Organization; 51 U.S.C. §20111; Britannica. (nasa.gov)
Origins and formation
NASA traces its roots to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), whose laboratories and staff were transferred to the new agency after the launch of Sputnik spurred the United States to consolidate its civilian space effort; President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958, and NASA opened on October 1, 1958. NACA Overview; NASA History; Sputnik history; 51 U.S.C. §20111. (nasa.gov)
Organization and centers
NASA is organized around mission directorates that guide aeronautics, space science, space technology, and human exploration, supported by a nationwide network of field centers and an inspector general; the agency employs just under 18,000 civil servants and works with contractors, academia, and international and commercial partners. NASA Organization; NASA Directorates. (nasa.gov)
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center managed by the California Institute of Technology, responsible for designing, building, and operating many of NASA’s robotic spacecraft and the Deep Space Network. JPL “Who We Are”; JPL overview. (jpl.nasa.gov)
Human spaceflight programs
NASA’s Apollo-era efforts culminated in the Apollo program lunar landings, including Apollo 11 in July 1969, which achieved the first crewed Moon landing. NASA Apollo Program. (nasa.gov)
From 1981 to 2011, the Space Shuttle program flew 135 missions that enabled satellite deployment and servicing and assembled the International Space Station, marking the world’s first reusable crewed orbital spacecraft system. NASA Space Shuttle overview; NASA Shuttle reference. (nasa.gov)
The International Space Station (ISS), an international microgravity laboratory continuously inhabited since November 2000 and planned for U.S. support through 2030, serves as a testbed for long-duration human spaceflight and research; NASA has also contracted a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle to safely retire the station at end of life. NASA ISS reference; Reuters (ISS deorbit vehicle award). (nasa.gov)
Since 2012, NASA has relied on public‑private partnerships to deliver cargo and, since 2020, crew transportation to and from the ISS under its Commercial Resupply Services and Commercial Crew programs. Commercial Resupply Services Overview; Commercial Crew Program Overview. (nasa.gov)
Artemis and deep‑space exploration
Under the Artemis program, NASA is returning astronauts to the vicinity of the Moon using the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, advancing a sustained lunar presence with Gateway and commercial human landing systems as stepping stones to Mars. NASA Artemis FAQ (schedule update); SLS reference; Orion overview. (nasa.gov)
NASA’s Artemis II, the first crewed flight around the Moon in the campaign, targets no earlier than April 2026 following hardware integration and testing updates, while subsequent missions will incorporate the lunar Gateway and surface landings near the south pole. NASA Artemis FAQ (schedule update); NASA mission integration updates. (nasa.gov)
Science and robotic missions
NASA conducts astrophysics, planetary, heliophysics, biological and physical sciences, and Earth science through its Science Mission Directorate and partner institutions. NASA Science—Earth Science Division. (science.nasa.gov)
The James Webb Space Telescope (Webb), a partnership of NASA, ESA, and CSA, launched on December 25, 2021 and operates around Sun–Earth L2, enabling transformative infrared observations of the early universe, exoplanets, and star formation. NASA Webb. (science.nasa.gov)
The Hubble Space Telescope, an international collaboration between NASA and ESA in low‑Earth orbit, continues to produce high‑impact science across ultraviolet to near‑infrared wavelengths more than three decades after launch. Hubble overview; Hubble science highlights. (science.nasa.gov)
In planetary science, NASA’s Perseverance rover explores Mars’s Jezero Crater for ancient habitability and caches samples for potential return, building on decades of robotic exploration led by JPL. Perseverance mission overview; JPL “Who We Are”. (science.nasa.gov)
NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey jointly operate the Landsat program—an uninterrupted global record of land‑surface change since 1972—with Landsat 8 and 9 currently in orbit and Landsat Next in development. USGS Landsat overview; USGS Landsat 9 control; USGS Landsat Next. (usgs.gov)
Aeronautics
Reflecting NASA’s origins in NACA, the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate advances sustainable, efficient, and safe aviation—including supersonic “quiet” flight research, advanced air mobility, and ultra‑efficient airliners—through work at Ames, Armstrong, Glenn, and Langley. ARMD overview; About ARMD. (nasa.gov)
International cooperation
NASA’s large missions often rely on international partnerships, exemplified by the 1998 Intergovernmental Agreement governing the ISS and extensive cooperation across Earth and space science. NASA—20 Years Ago: IGA; NASA OIIR Science Division. (nasa.gov)
