NASA

American  

[nas-uh] / ˈnæs ə /

noun

1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration: the federal agency that institutes and administers the civilian programs of the U.S. government that deal with aeronautical research and the development of launch vehicles and spacecraft.

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NASA British  

/ ˈnæsə /

acronym

1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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Usage

What is NASA? NASA is short for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a civilian agency of the United States government that specializes in space exploration and research about flight and aircraft.Aeronautics is the science of flight. Although NASA is most known for space travel and research, it also researches things like supersonic flight, energy-efficient aircraft, and drones.Over the years, NASA has advanced space exploration and made many contributions to science. Its notable programs and missions have included astronaut moon landings, Mars rovers, satellites around planets, and interstellar telescopes.One of NASA’s earliest and most famous programs was the Apollo program, which put the first person on the moon on July 20, 1969.NASA runs numerous missions and programs at its facilities across the United States.

Example Sentences

Orion's next milestone, set to take place on day five of the 10-day mission, is to enter the lunar sphere of influence, where the Moon's gravitational pull exceeds that of the Earth, according to NASA.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

Those issues aside, the Artemis II crew—Koch, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover from NASA, as well as Jeremy Hansen, representing the Canadian Space Agency—had a packed start to their flight.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

While investors’ appetite for space has grown in recent years, NASA, through its contracts, remains a major backer of everything from satellite makers to launch companies.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

The work was supported in part by NASA.

From Science Daily • Mar. 2, 2026

The foil, similar to that used by NASA, trapped the heat inside the structure while preventing the camouflaged outside surface from overheating.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer