NASA

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA, pronounced /ˈnæsə/) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program. NASA was established by the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958 from its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). NASA has led U.S. efforts for space exploration ever since, resulting in the Apollo missions to the Moon, the Skylab space station, and later the Space Shuttle. Currently NASA is supporting the International Space Station and developing new Ares I and IV launch vehicles.

In addition to the space program, it is also responsible for long-term civilian and military aerospace research. NASA Science is focused on better understanding Earth itself through the Earth Observing System, advancing heliophysics through the efforts of the Science Mission Directorate's Heliophysics Research Program, exploring bodies throughout the Solar System with advanced robotic missions such as New Horizons, and researching astrophysics topics, such as the Big Bang, through the Great Observatories and associated programs. Since February 2006 NASA's self-described mission statement is to "pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research."

For more information about NASA, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

News tagged with nasa

Astronauts blast off for Christmas space mission

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Dec 20, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

(AP) -- A Russian rocket blasted off from a cosmodrome in Kazakhstan lighting up the frigid Central Asian steppe Monday, shuttling an American, a Russian and a Japanese to the International Space Station.

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Keck Telescopes Take Deeper Look at Planetary Nurseries

Space & Earth / Astronomy

Dec 23, 2009 | 4.7 / 5 (7) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers using the W. M. Keck Observatory have peered far into a young planetary system, giving an unprecedented view of dust and gas that might eventually form planets similar to Jupiter, ...

Titan's lakes could be explored by boat

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Dec 22, 2009 | 4.6 / 5 (10) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- If a suggestion to be made to NASA comes to fruition, vast lakes thought to be filled with liquid hydrocarbons near the north pole of Saturn's moon Titan, may one day be explored by boat.

Highlight: California, Nevada Lakes Warming Rapidly

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

Dec 21, 2009 | 3.9 / 5 (8) | 4

(PhysOrg.com) -- A new JPL study examines the impact recent variability in climate is having on the surface temperatures of large lakes in California and Nevada.

NASA Flight Tests Unique Jumbo Jet with Opening in Side

NASA Tests Unique Jumbo Jet with Opening in Side; Plane's Airborne Telescope Will Be Used to Study Cosmos

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Dec 21, 2009 | 5 / 5 (4) | 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- A NASA jumbo jet that will help scientists unlock the origins of the universe with infrared observations reached a milestone Friday when doors covering the plane's telescope were fully opened ...

Silicon technology offers extended X-ray vision of high-energy cosmos

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Dec 21, 2009 | 5 / 5 (3) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- As elements of the integrated circuits running our computers, phones and electronics, silicon wafers are everywhere. An ESA-led effort is establishing an out-of-this-world use for these ...

Computer-simulated Thunderstorms with Ice Clouds Reveal Insights for Next-generation Computer Models

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

Dec 18, 2009 | 4.2 / 5 (5) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Computer simulations of thunderstorms using data from a field campaign in Australia confirm that the "ice-phase" cloud processes in climate models contribute most to the wide discrepancy between ...