NASA HEADQUARTERS
Washington, DC 20546
993 civil servants

Agency management, which primarily resides at NASA Headquarters, is responsible for leadership and management across the Strategic Enterprises, as well as the development of strategy ("what, why, and for whom"). The four Strategic Enterprises are Space Science, Earth Science, Human Exploration and Development of Space, and Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology. Headquarters:

AMES RESEARCH CENTER
Moffett Field, CA 94035
1,400 civil servants
NASA's Center of Excellence
for Information Technology

Founded in 1939 as an aircraft research laboratory, Ames conducts computer science and information systems development, and space, Earth, and life sciences, including:

DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER
Edwards, CA 93523
500 civil servants
NASA's Center of Excellence
for Atmospheric Flight Operations

Adjacent to Edwards Air Force Base in the southern California desert since 1946 and home of historic X-plane testing, NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center provides a versatile facility ideal for Space Shuttle landings and tests on a variety of aerospace vehicles. Dryden's mission is to:

GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
Greenbelt, MD 20771
3,300 civil servants
NASA's Center of Excellence
for Scientific Research

Named for rocket propulsion pioneer Robert Goddard in 1959, Goddard has diverse responsibilities ranging from research in Earth science and astrophysics to satellite tracking and control. The Center:

JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
Pasadena, CA 91109
6,000 contractors
NASA's Center of Excellence
for Deep Space Systems

JPL, a government-owned facility since 1944 and operated by the California Institute of Technology under a NASA contract, provides historic center of excellence in planetary science; home of the worldwide Deep Space Network of large ground-based satellite communications dishes. JPL:

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER
Houston, TX 77058
3,100 civil servants
NASA's Center of Excellence
for Human Operations in Space

Established in 1961 as the Center for activities related to U.S. human space flight, Johnson manages the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs. Major activities include:

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
KSC, FL 32899
1,900 civil servants
NASA's Center of Excellence
for Launch and Cargo Processing Systems

Created in the early 1960's as launch site for Apollo, now economic hub of central Florida's "Spacecoast," Kennedy launches the Space Shuttle and expendable rockets. The Center:

LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER
Hampton, VA 23665-5225
2,400 civil servants
NASA's Center of Excellence
for Structures and Materials

Established in 1917 as the nation's first aeronautical research laboratory, Langley is responsible for some of the most important aeronautical advances of the 20th century; performs research and development in aeronautics and space technology related to:

LEWIS RESEARCH CENTER
Cleveland, OH 44135
2,000 civil servants
NASA's Center of Excellence
for Turbomachinery
International leader in jet engine research since 1941, Lewis has expertise in advanced space propulsion and space power systems, including:

MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
Huntsville, AL 35812
2,900 civil servants
NASA's Center of Excellence
for Space Propulsion
Originally part of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency, transferred to NASA in 1960 and famed as the U.S. home of Wernher von Braun and other German rocket pioneers, Marshall provides expertise for rocket engine development, with other responsibilities in the International Space Station program, astrophysics, microgravity science, and technology transfer. The Center:

STENNIS SPACE CENTER
SSC, MS 39529-5000
200 civil servants
NASA's Center of Excellence
for Rocket Propulsion Testing

Premier U.S. center for testing large rocket propulsion systems, supports the Space Shuttle program and fosters the commercialization of Earth observation data. Stennis:

WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY
Wallops Island, VA 23337
255 civil servants

One of the world's original rocket launch sites founded in 1945, Wallops manages NASA's suborbital sounding rocket program and scientific balloon flights to Earth's upper atmosphere.

INSPECTOR GENERAL OFFICES
181 civil servants