NASA Wallpapers

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's space exploration.


What Does NASA Do?

NASA's mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.

To do that, thousands of people have been working around the world -- and off of it -- for 50 years, trying to answer some basic questions. What's out there in space? How do we get there? What will we find? What can we learn there, or learn just by trying to get there, that will make life better here on Earth?

NASA Headquarters, in Washington, D.C., provides overall guidance and direction to the agency. Ten field centers and a variety of installations around the country conduct the day-to-day work in laboratories, on air fields, in wind tunnels, and in control rooms. Together, this skilled, diverse group of scientists, engineers, managers, and support personnel share the Vision, Mission, and Values that are NASA.

To implement NASA’s Mission, NASA Headquarters is organized into four Mission Directorates.


Aeronautics: Pioneers and proves new flight technologies that improve our ability to explore and which have practical applications on Earth.


Exploration Systems: Creates new capabilities and spacecraft for affordable, sustainable human and robotic exploration


Science: Explores the Earth, moon, Mars, and beyond; charts the best route of discovery; and reaps the benefits of Earth and space exploration for society.


Space Operations: Provides critical enabling technologies for much of the rest of NASA through the space shuttle, the International Space Station, and flight support.