NASA looks at the stars.
They send things into space. They study our world, too. This helps us learn more. We can see far away things.
Do you like space?
NASA is a group that studies space.
They learn how things fly in the air. They also look at the stars and planets.
Long ago, they sent people to the Moon. This was part of the Apollo program. They used big rockets to get there.
Now, they send robots to other worlds. These robots help us see far away. NASA helps us learn about our home, too. They study how the Earth works every day.
NASA is a big part of the U.S. government.
It studies how things fly in the air. It also explores space. NASA began in 1958. It grew from an older group called NACA.
In the past, NASA led many famous missions. The Apollo program sent people to the Moon.
Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk there. NASA also used the Space Shuttle to fly. They even built a space station called Skylab.
Today, NASA does many new things. They use robotic spacecraft to visit other worlds. One robot is named Perseverance. It explores the planet Mars.
They also use the James Webb Space Telescope. This tool helps us see far into space. NASA works with other countries, too. They help run the International Space Station.
They also study our own Earth to keep it safe. This work helps us understand our home better.
NASA is a special part of the United States government.
Its main job is to lead space exploration and study how things fly. This agency is responsible for the nation's civil space program. It also does a lot of research in aeronautics, which is the science of flight. NASA is based in Washington, D.C., but it has ten different field centers across the country. These centers help the agency work on many different goals at once. They organize their work into groups like Science and Space Operations.
NASA works in many different ways to reach its goals. The agency uses robotic spacecraft to visit far-off places in our solar system. For example, the Perseverance rover explores the surface of Mars.
They also use giant telescopes to look at the stars. The James Webb Space Telescope helps scientists study the very beginning of the universe. NASA also helps manage the International Space Station, where people live in space.
To do this, they use large networks of ground stations to talk to spacecraft. These networks keep everything connected from Earth to deep space.
NASA has a very long and interesting history. It began on July 29, 1958, when a new law was signed. Before NASA, there was a group called NACA.
NACA was created in 1915 to help with flying research. After World War II, NACA started looking into rockets and very fast planes. The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, which started the Space Race. This led the United States to create NASA to lead peaceful space science. NASA took over many workers and laboratories from the older groups to get started.
Many famous people and missions belong to NASA's story. In 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space.
Later, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. The most famous missions were the Apollo program. In 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon.
This was part of a huge effort to reach the Moon by the end of the 1960s. NASA also used the Space Shuttle to fly into space many times.
NASA's work connects to many things we see in our daily lives. Their missions are often shown in big movies and on TV.
You can even see beautiful photos through the Astronomy Picture of the Day. NASA works with other countries, like Japan and Europe, to explore space together. They are also working on the Artemis program to go back to the Moon.
By studying Earth and the stars, NASA helps us understand our place in the universe. Their work makes the wonders of space feel much closer to home.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, known as NASA, is an independent agency of the United States government.
Its primary responsibilities include managing the nation's civil space program and conducting research in aeronautics and space exploration. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the agency operates ten different field centers throughout the United States. NASA is organized into several mission directorates to manage its vast tasks. These include Science, Space Operations, Exploration Systems Development, Space Technology, Aeronautics Research, and Mission Support. By dividing work this way, NASA can focus on everything from studying Earth to building new spacecraft.
NASA's scientific work follows many different paths to understand our universe. The Science Mission Directorate uses the Earth Observing System to study our home planet. It also manages the Heliophysics Research Program to advance our knowledge of the sun. To explore the Solar System, NASA sends advanced robotic spacecraft to distant worlds. Examples include the New Horizons mission and planetary rovers like Perseverance.
For studying the deepest parts of space, NASA uses massive telescopes. The James Webb Space Telescope and the four Great Observatories, including the Hubble Space Telescope, allow scientists to research astrophysics. These tools help us investigate massive topics like the Big Bang.
To communicate with these distant machines, NASA maintains a massive infrastructure. This includes the Deep Space Network and the Near Space Network. These systems allow the agency to send commands and receive data from across the solar system. NASA also manages launch operations through its Launch Services Program, which oversees uncrewed launches. For missions involving humans, NASA supports the International Space Station (ISS).
The agency also works through the Commercial Crew Program to facilitate human travel. Currently, NASA is developing the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System for the Artemis program. This program aims to return humans to the lunar surface.
NASA's history began with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA.
NACA was established in 1915 to help the United States catch up to Europe in aviation. For forty years, NACA conducted research for the military and civil aviation sectors. After World War II, NACA began testing supersonic aircraft like the Bell X-1. Following the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik 1, the Space Age began. To ensure a civilian focus on peaceful space science, the U.S. government established NASA on July 29, 1958.
NASA began its operations on October 1, 1958, after absorbing many employees and laboratories from NACA and other agencies.
Human spaceflight became a major priority during the Cold War. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy challenged NASA to land a man on the Moon. This goal led to the intense Apollo program. Before the Moon landings, NASA used Project Mercury to test orbital flights.
Project Gemini followed, teaching astronauts how to perform spacewalks and rendezvous operations. The Apollo program eventually achieved the goal of landing humans on the Moon. In 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the lunar surface.
This era of exploration saw massive scale, with 5% of Americans working on the Apollo program at its peak.
NASA's work extends beyond the Moon into long-term habitation and international cooperation. In 1973, NASA launched Skylab, its first space station, using a repurposed Saturn V rocket.
Later, the Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975 marked the first international spaceflight between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Today, NASA maintains programmatic partnerships with several global agencies. These include the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). These partnerships allow for shared resources and goals in exploring the cosmos.
NASA remains a massive organization with a significant impact on society. For the 2022 fiscal year, Congress authorized a budget of $24.041 billion. The agency's civil-service workforce consists of roughly 18,400 people. Beyond science, NASA has a huge influence on American popular culture. Its missions are frequently the subject of major films. The agency also engages the public through NASA TV and the Astronomy Picture of the Day. Through these efforts, NASA continues to share the wonders of space with people all over the world.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (42)
+ 30 more
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.