National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Cultural  

1. An agency of the United States government, charged with directing civilian programs in aeronautics research and space exploration. NASA maintains several facilities, most notably the Johnson Space Center in Houston (which selects space crew personnel and is responsible for ground direction of space flights), and the launching pads at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

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Example Sentences

But unless you’re a space buff, you probably haven’t heard of Samuel C. Phillips, the Air Force lieutenant general who directed the Apollo program for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration starting in 1964.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

He frequently reports about the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Pentagon and Federal Aviation Administration in his role, tracking the intersection of government policy and space operations.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

National Aeronautics and Space Administration teams have been preparing the vehicles to depart from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on the planned roughly 10-day trip.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, has been in the news a lot lately, outlining its strategic objectives and preparing to fly astronauts to the moon and back in just a few days.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

The expanded mission called for a new name: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly