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

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

It's because of what we've done in Canada that is valued by NASA, and that's something that makes me excited, but even more so proud to be from Canada right now.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

It also neared bankruptcy in 2008 before it was awarded a big contract by NASA.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

In 2013, while Glover was in Washington, D.C., on assignment as a Navy legislative fellow, he happened to miss a phone call from NASA.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

During all the time I worked at NASA, I never looked for any personal credit—I was always a member of a team.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson