Where is Nasa located? NASA's main achievements

(Charles F. Bolden, Jr.)

First Deputy Laurie Garver
(Lori Garver) Website NASA.gov

National Aeronautics and Research Administration outer space (English) National Aeronautics and Space Administration , abbr. NASA listen)) is an agency belonging to the US federal government, reporting directly to the Vice President of the United States. Responsible for the country's civil space program.

Images and videos obtained by NASA and its affiliates, including from numerous telescopes and interferometers, are released in the public domain and may be freely copied.

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Apollo

Skylab

Augustine Commission

The commission's main conclusion was that without a significant increase in its budget, NASA would not be able to implement all of its plans outlined in the Constellation program.

The report expressed support from a safety point of view space flights, continuation of work on the Constellation program. Commercial companies do not have experience in organizing manned space flights and do not meet the requirements for the safety of manned spacecraft.

Refusal to continue the Constellation program

After "Constellation"

On February 1, 2010, US President Barack Obama submitted a draft budget for 2011 to Congress (the US fiscal year begins on October 1). Based on the findings of the Augustine Commission, President Obama proposes to abandon the manned Constellation program, that is, to abandon the return to the Moon. Since 2004, when former US President George W. Bush announced a new US strategy in space, which included, as part of the Constellation program, the creation of Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles, a new manned spacecraft Orion, a lunar Altair module, NASA spent almost $9 billion. The budget for 2011 and 2012 allocates another 2.5 billion to wind down the Constellation program.

President Obama's 2011 budget message will require NASA to reorganize its operations. NASA's activities focus on the development of new technologies.

Budget 2011

The 2011 budget message noted that compared to the 2010 budget, NASA's budget over five years (2011-2015) will be increased by total by $6 billion, NASA's budget will be more than $100 billion over those five years.

NASA's main activities for the next five years:

Development advanced technologies and demonstrating new approaches to space exploration ($7.8 billion over five years).
- Creation of fuel storage facilities in space for refueling space systems. These systems are supposed to be used for flights beyond Earth orbit. It is understood that, for example, to fly to the Moon there is no need to launch a super-heavy rocket. A relatively light rocket launches from Earth, is refueled at orbital fuel storage facilities and flies further to the Moon or Mars.
- Development and creation of automatic rendezvous and docking systems.
- Creation of inflatable modules as the basis for organizing habitable bases in space.
- Creation of life support systems with a closed cycle in space.
- Support for small ones (value up to $100 million) short-term projects, to which, on a competitive basis, commercial, scientific and international organizations can be involved.
- Development of resource utilization technologies celestial bodies, including for the production of fuel for space systems.
Development of robotic space systems that will carry out predecessor missions in the solar system ($3.0 billion over five years).
- Development and creation, under the leadership of NASA, of interplanetary automatic stations for flights to the Moon, to Mars, to the satellites of Mars, to the Lagrange point, to asteroids with the task of reconnaissance of targets for future manned flights from the point of view of risk, as well as availability useful resources necessary for human expansion in space.
- Flights to the Moon or asteroids and demonstration of the use of the resources of celestial bodies for various purposes are possible.
Development of heavy launch vehicles and propulsion technology ($3.1 billion over five years).
- Development and creation missile systems next generation in order to reduce the cost and time of creation of future heavy missile systems. Cooperation with commercial enterprises, scientific and international organizations is possible.
Commercialization space activities in the US ($6.1 billion over five years).
- Support for the creation of cargo and manned spacecraft by commercial companies on a competitive basis.
Modernization of the Kennedy Space Center after the cessation of shuttle flights ($1.9 billion over five years).
- Improving the operational efficiency of the center and reducing launch costs spacecraft NASA and other users.
Extending the service life of the International space station and expansion applied research on it ($15.3 billion over five years).
- Support for extending the operation of the ISS until 2020.
Accelerate climate change research and observation satellites ($10.3 billion over five years).
- Monitoring carbon concentrations in the atmosphere to understand its impact on climate change.
- Accelerating the development of climate change satellites.
- Modeling climate change to improve forecasting.
Planetary exploration ($7.9 billion over five years).
Astrophysics ($5.6 billion over five years).
Exploring the Sun ($3.4 billion over five years).
Creation of the next generation of aviation that causes the least damage to the environment (“green aviation”) ($2.95 billion over five years).
Development of NASA and its centers ($18.3 billion over five years).
Education ($0.73 billion over five years).
Completion of the Constellation program ($1.9 billion in 2011 + $0.6 billion in 2012).

It is unclear from the budget what specific missions in the field of manned flights will be assigned to NASA. Perhaps a flight to the moon within the framework of the “flexible path of development” (Flexible Path, FlexPath) proposed by the Augustin Commission.

Prospects for US manned space exploration

The goals set for NASA in the draft budget for 2011 and the next four years are not based on any time frame. For the first time, NASA does not have a specific, time-bound human flight program. The Augustin Commission concluded that the Orion manned spacecraft being created under the Constellation program would not have flown before 2017. The current NASA administration hopes that private companies can send American astronauts before this date. Although, there are currently no specific plans in this regard.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says: “I disagree with those who say we have given up on human spaceflight. I think we'll get back to manned flight perhaps faster than if we continued previous work. If we want to go to Mars, then with new technologies we will be there in days, not months."

This law determined the budget for NASA for 2011 ( budget year in the US begins on October 1) in the amount of $19 billion. The budget stipulated that manned flights would be about earth's orbit, in particular, the delivery of crews to the ISS should be carried out by commercial companies. NASA finally abandons the Constellation program. NASA is tasked with speedily developing a heavy rocket and corresponding spacecraft for flights beyond low-Earth orbit. The heavy rocket should be ready for flight by 2016.

The NASA Act does not provide for flights to the Moon. NASA's priority is flights into deep space, in particular, flights to Mars or one of the asteroids. The law confirms the extension of the ISS operational life until 2020.

The 2011 budget provided funding for an additional shuttle flight, Atlantis STS-135, in June 2011.

NASA budget for 2013

The 2013 budget provides for research under a program to study outer planets solar system(Outer Planets Flagship), including the development of technologies to improve the radiation resistance of scientific instruments, reduce the mass and increase the energy efficiency of spacecraft, and increase the landing accuracy for in situ research. Funds will also be allocated for preparatory research for future spacecraft designed to study Uranus and Saturn's moon Enceladus.

Agency budget

NASA has the largest budget of any space agency in the world. From 2008 to 2008, NASA spent about $810.5 billion on space programs (adjusted for inflation).

Agency management

Since 2005, the head of NASA has been Michael Griffin. On January 20, 2009, he resigned from his post due to the election of the new US President Barack Obama. On January 22, 2009, Chris Scolese was appointed interim head of NASA. On July 15, 2009, the US Senate confirmed Major General Marine Corps retired, former astronaut Charles Bolden.

Research centers, construction and launch of facilities

Marshall Space Flight Center: is one of NASA's largest rocket and spacecraft research centers.
Kennedy Space Center: development of shuttle functional components and launch procedures.

NASA- The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency owned by the US federal government and responsible for the country's civil space program.

All images and video materials obtained by NASA and its divisions, including using numerous telescopes and interferometers, are published in the public domain and can be freely copied, that is, there is no copyright protection.

NASA was created on July 29, 1958, as part of the "space race" after the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite Earth. Earlier, in February of the same 1958, the DARPA agency was created, many of whose projects were transferred to NASA.

The 2011 budget message noted that compared to the 2010 budget, NASA's budget over five years (2011 - 2015) will be increased by a total of $6 billion, during these five years NASA's budget will be more than $100 billion.

NASA's main activities for the next five years:

* Development of advanced technologies and demonstration of new approaches to space exploration ($7.8 billion over five years).
o Creation of fuel storage facilities in space for refueling space systems. These systems are intended to be used for flights beyond low-Earth orbit; it is understood that, for example, to fly to the Moon, there is no need to launch a super-heavy rocket. A relatively light rocket launches from Earth, is refueled at orbital fuel storage facilities and flies further to the Moon or Mars.
o Development and creation of automatic rendezvous and docking systems.
o Creation of inflatable modules as the basis for organizing habitable bases in space.
o Creation of life support systems in space with a closed cycle.
o Support for small (cost up to $100 million) short-term projects, to which commercial, scientific and international organizations can be involved on a competitive basis.
o Development of technologies for using the resources of celestial bodies, including for the production of fuel for space systems.
* Development of robotic space systems that will carry out the mission of predecessors in the solar system ($3.0 billion over five years).
o Development and creation, under the leadership of NASA, of interplanetary automatic stations for flights to the Moon, to Mars, to the satellites of Mars, to the Lagrange point, to asteroids, with the task of reconnaissance of targets for future manned flights, from the point of view of risk, as well as the availability of useful resources necessary for human expansion in space.
o Possible missions to the Moon or asteroids and demonstration of the use of the resources of celestial bodies for various purposes.
* Development of heavy launch vehicles and propulsion technology ($3.1 billion over five years).
o Development and creation of next generation missile systems, in order to reduce the cost and time of creation of future heavy missile systems. Cooperation with commercial enterprises, scientific and international organizations is possible.
* Commercialization of space activities in the United States ($6.1 billion over five years).
o Support for the creation of cargo and manned spacecraft by commercial companies on a competitive basis.
* Modernization of the Kennedy Space Center after the cessation of shuttle flights ($1.9 billion over five years).
o Improve the center's operational efficiency and reduce launch costs for NASA and other users' spacecraft.
* Extending the life of the International Space Station and expanding applied research there ($15.3 billion over five years).
o Support for extending the operation of the ISS until 2020.
* Accelerate climate change research and observation satellites ($10.3 billion over five years).
o Monitoring carbon concentrations in the atmosphere to understand the impact on climate change.
o Accelerate the development of climate change satellites.
o Climate change modeling to improve forecasting.
* Planetary exploration ($7.9 billion over five years).
* Astrophysics ($5.6 billion over five years).
* Study of the Sun ($3.4 billion over five years).
* The next generation of aviation that causes the least damage to the environment (“green aviation”) ($2.95 billion over five years).
* Development of NASA and its centers ($18.3 billion over five years).
* Education ($0.73 billion over five years).
* Completion of the Constellation program ($1.9 billion in 2011 + $0.6 billion in 2012).

It is unclear from the budget what specific missions in the field of manned flights will be assigned to NASA. Perhaps, after all, a flight to the moon within the framework of the “flexible path of development” (Flexible Path, FlexPath) proposed by the Augustin Commission.

Since 2005, the head of NASA has been Michael Griffin. On January 20, 2009, he resigned from his post due to the election of the new US President Barack Obama. On January 22, 2009, Chris Scolese was appointed interim head of NASA. On July 15, 2009, the US Senate confirmed retired Marine Major General and former astronaut Charles Bolden as head of NASA.

According to NASA plans, the agency will not have a single manned spacecraft for five years: all shuttles are planned to be retired in 2010, and the appearance of the new Orion spacecraft with the Ares I launch vehicle is planned for 2015. During all this time, American astronauts will be carried by Roscosmos.

NASA logo general information A country date of creation July 29, 1958 Predecessor agency National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (March 3, 1915) The activity is managed by Vice President of the United States
US government Higher department Supreme federal authorities of the United States Headquarters Washington (DC) Number of employees
>18 800 Annual budget ~$ 19.5 billion (2017) Supervisor Jim Bridenstine
(Jim Bridenstine) First Deputy Laurie Garver
(Lori Garver) Website NASA.gov Audio, photo, video on Wikimedia Commons

Story

"Apollo"

"Skylab"

Length 24.6 m, maximum diameter 6.6 m, weight - 77 tons, internal volume 352.4 m³. Orbit altitude 434-437 km (perigee-apogee), inclination 50°. In total, three expeditions visited the station. The main task of the expeditions was to study human adaptation to conditions of weightlessness and conduct scientific experiments.

Augustine Commission

The commission's main conclusion was that without a significant increase in its budget, NASA would not be able to implement all of its plans outlined in the Constellation program.

The report expressed support, from the point of view of space flight safety, for the continuation of work on the Constellation program. Commercial companies do not have experience in organizing manned space flights and do not meet the requirements for the safety of manned spacecraft.

Refusal to continue the Constellation program

After "Constellation"

In accordance with President Obama's 2011 budget address, NASA will have to reorganize its operations. NASA's activities focus on the development of new technologies.

Prospects for US manned space exploration

The goals set for NASA in the draft budget for 2011 and the next four years are not based on any time frame. For the first time, NASA does not have a specific, time-bound human flight program. The Augustin Commission concluded that the Orion manned spacecraft being created under the Constellation program would not have flown before 2017. The current NASA administration hopes that private companies are able to send American astronauts into space before this date. Although, there are currently no specific plans in this regard.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says: “I disagree with those who say we have given up on human spaceflight. I think we'll get back to manned flight perhaps faster than if we continued our previous work. If we want to go to Mars, then with new technologies we will be there in days, not months."

Missions by objectives

Missions by year and planet

Spacecraft	Launch year	Mercury	Venus	Mars	Jupiter	Saturn	Uranus	Neptune
Mariner-2	1962		span
Mariner-4	1964			span
Mariner-5	1967		span
Mariner 6 and Mariner 7	1969			span
Mariner 9	1971			Orbit
Pioneer-10	1972				span
Pioneer-11	1973				span	span
Mariner-10	1973	span	span
Viking-1 and Viking-2	1975			Orbit
Voyager 1	1977				span	span
Voyager 2	1977				span	span	span	span
Galileo	1989		span		Orbit
Magellan	1989		Orbit
Mars Global Surveyor	1996			Orbit
Mars Pathfinder	1996			Mars rover
Cassini	1997		span		Orbit	Orbit

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration, popularly simply a space agency. NASA is a US-owned agency, and as one of the most progressive space agencies in the world, its developments, research and missions are followed by excitement around the world. Not long ago, NASA landed the Curiosity rover on the surface of Mars, and by 2030, NASA plans to launch the first manned mission to the Red Planet. The American space agency has the largest budget of any similar agency in the world: over fifty years, NASA has spent about $810.5 billion on space programs.

Main materials

The NASA aerospace agency's lander is equipped with special tool HP3 (Heat and Physical Properties Package), designed for drilling Martian soil to a depth of five meters and studying the heat flows of Mars. February 28 installation

Since the second half of the 20th century, space has become one of the priority areas of human activity. In just sixty years, humanity has made a giant leap in the field of space exploration, moving from visual and theoretical observations to applied science. First, thanks to the development of science and technology, people on rockets were able to penetrate near-Earth space. Subsequently, new technologies allowed man to begin to closely study the solar system, reach the planets closest to us and look into the abyss of the Universe. Now we know that our planet Earth, this tiny world, is too small and defenseless, that outer space is actually a complex, constantly changing system. Many of the advances in space exploration are the result of many years NASA activities- American Aerospace Agency.

The history of NASA and the first attempts to understand space

The second half of the 20th century is associated with the beginning of the space race, an unprecedented in its scale and scope scientific and technological competition between two superpowers - the USA and the USSR. In the Soviet Union, this area was entirely left to the military, but overseas a special structure was created for these purposes - a state institution. In space exploration, the Americans decided to take a different path, planning to create their own space agency, which would combine the efforts of the state machine, science and the national economy.

In the late 50s in the United States, at the government level, it was decided to create a specialized structure - the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, then NASA. This is exactly what the abbreviation of this organization stands for. The activities of the newly created organization were under the jurisdiction of the US government.

It cannot be said that the NASA space agency was created from scratch. Back in 1915, the National Committee on Aeronautics began its work in America. In subsequent years there appeared whole line non-governmental organizations And government agencies involved in the study of outer space. It was necessary with maximum benefit use the accumulated experience of specialists National Committee in aeronautics in the field of rocketry, who already in 1946 managed to create the world's first supersonic aircraft, the Bell X-1. Jet aircraft and rocketry became in those years priority direction in technology development.

On the basis of the National Aeronautics Committee, work was carried out on the creation of artificial Earth satellites, the development of a program of manned suborbital flights and the subsequent flight of a spacecraft with a person on board.

The reason for revising your national space program became the successes of the Soviet Union. The launch of a Soviet rocket with an artificial satellite on board on October 4, 1957 gave rise to space race. The response to this step of the Soviets was the signing at the end of July 1958 by US President Dwight Eisenhower of the Decree on the creation of a national aerospace agency. Space exploration and related new technologies have moved from the category of scientific and technical field to the sphere political confrontation, becoming in subsequent years a catalyst for the confrontation between the two superpowers on the world stage.

The new organization was the first of its kind to be in charge of all space industry. Much later, similar structures began to appear in other countries, when NASA already had a wealth of operational experience behind it. The headquarters and main office of the National Office are located in the capital of the country, Washington. Place direct activities became the state of Florida, where there were extensive launch sites at Cape Canaveral. Already in October 1958, just 10 days after the official date of the formation of the new department, the first spacecraft Pioneer-1 was launched. From this moment it began real work and the history of NASA, which will become an important page in the history of human exploration of near-Earth space and the subsequent study of the planets of the solar system.

Originally staff new organization consisted of 900 employees distributed across several departments and divisions. However, already in 1965 the space agency staff numbered 2,500 people. To the main facilities operated by NASA, in 1965, the Mission Control Center in Houston and a new spaceport, the Kennedy Space Center, were added. Currently, the number of NASA employees is 18 thousand people. The number of departmental facilities scattered throughout the United States and located outside the country is more than 1000. The budget of this largest government scientific and technical organization, as of 2018, is more than 20 billion US dollars.

Today NASA is the main coordinator of all national programs on the peaceful exploration of outer space, a participant in many international projects aimed at studying objects of the solar system. NASA Research Topics Cover a Huge Layer modern science and technology, allowing you to implement the most complex projects in practice.

Structure of the world's largest scientific and technical institution

Beginning as the successor to the National Aeronautics Committee, NASA has become a powerhouse over the years. government structure. Today it is a whole network of research centers and laboratories working under the auspices of NASA and under the auspices of government organizations. A number of the largest scientific institutions all over the planet they work with the American space agency on the terms of branches. The organization itself has powerful scientific and technical potential. NASA research is carried out in four directions at once:

space exploration;
research human body while staying in unearthly conditions;
exploration of our planet;
development promising projects based on new technologies and their subsequent implementation.

One of the main divisions of NASA is the California AMES Research Center, which develops advanced technologies in the field of astronomy, nuclear and quantum physics. Research and technical tests are constantly carried out at the center, the results of which form the basis for certain projects. NASA scientists, working at the DRYDEN Space Center, are designing and creating aircraft And space technology. NASA aircraft created in this center today actively take part in the study of planet Earth, and space probes successfully plow the vast expanses of space.

NASA specialists from the GLENN research center, located in Ohio, are closely involved in the creation of rocket engines. It was through their efforts that the rocket engines were created, which ensured the successful maneuvering and landing of the lunar module of the Apollo 11 spacecraft. Almost all of the major projects implemented by NASA are the merit of the staff of the Goddar Space Center, which ensured the study of the enormous amount of information acquired during the study of near-Earth space and astrophysical data about our planet. This center is developing tracking and control systems for the operation of satellites in low-Earth orbit. Practical JPL laboratory, located in the small town of Pasadena, is a testing site for jet propulsion.

Think tank and the heart of NASA is the Space Center named after. Johnson, located in Houston. From here, all space launches and flights are coordinated, spacecraft are controlled, including control and monitoring of the situation on board the ISS. IN central hall This space center monitored the Apollo program of manned flights to the Moon, including the direct landing of American astronauts on the surface of our satellite. All launches within the Apollo program and most other launches, as well as the launch of most artificial satellites, were carried out and continue to be carried out from Space Center Kennedy. This huge complex, consisting of factory assembly shops and numerous launch sites, is located on the southern tip of Florida. From here, on July 16, 1969, the giant Saturn rocket launched toward the Moon, carrying spaceship Apollo 11 with three astronauts on board.

In addition, there are three more large research centers, part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. They conduct active work to create promising spacecraft, new tracking and flight control systems are being created. In laboratories research institutes and US universities are underway scientific works under the control of NASA, which are then used in the implementation of projects.

Major milestones and achievements in NASA activities

NASA is one of the most significant participants in space exploration. Over the 60 years of its existence, NASA specialists, scientists, technicians, designers and researchers in many fields of science have implemented more than 500 different programs and projects, each of which has become important milestone in the history of modern science.

Following the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite, the Piner-1 space probe, larger and more ambitious launches and events followed. The rapid pace of development of astronautics in those years was explained by the presence of competition between the USSR and the USA. Conceding the palm Soviet Union In launching a ship into space with a person on board, the Americans took revenge during the implementation of the Apollo project. NASA marked its victory in the space race with the Soviets with the landing of two astronauts on the surface of the Moon on July 20, 1969. This event not only became epoch-making in the history of mankind, demonstrating to the whole world the pinnacle of technical and scientific thought, but it was also the apotheosis of a grandiose program, which in its scope and scale did not have and does not have similar projects in history.

The landing on the satellite was to be followed by more grandiose projects, which implied the creation of colonies on the Moon. Subsequently, the development project was discontinued. This happened for a number of reasons, most of which are economic. Today NASA has returned to the idea of building an intermediate transit station in lunar orbit, ensuring long-distance flights into space. However, experts consider the creation of a lunar base inappropriate.

In addition to the exploration of the Moon, a number of NASA missions have become landmarks in the field of space exploration. Suffice it to recall the epic with the automatic space probes Mariner and Voyager. Thanks to these devices, man was able not only to get closer to the secrets of our near space, but also to look beyond the lenses of ground-based telescopes. The nimble and small Mariner probes made it possible to see Mars up close. The space probes Viking 1 and Viking 2 successfully landed on the surface of the Red Planet, giving humans the first opportunity to look at the Martian landscapes. The space probes Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 provided the world with new images of Jupiter. Together with them, only through the efforts of two other probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, scientists around the world received the most valuable information about distant Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

A significant step in the exploration of near-Earth space was the creation of NASA and the subsequent launch of the first orbital station"Skylab". During the last third expedition (1973-1974), the station set an absolute record for a person's stay in space - 84 days.

A new record for a man in space was set in 1998. Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka spent 878 days in orbit – 2 years and almost 5 months.

The beginning of the 80s was marked in the history of NASA by the beginning of a new stage in space exploration. For the first time in the history of space launches, in April 1981, the reusable space shuttle Columbia took off from the launch pad at Cape Kennedy. The Americans created six Shuttles, which repeatedly flew into Earth orbit. It is with the reusable Space Shuttle that the first very terrible disaster. After 73 seconds of flight on January 28, 1986, the American space shuttle Challenger exploded, killing seven astronauts. 17 years later, the fate of its twin ship was repeated by the Columbia. While landing, the spacecraft collapsed in upper layers atmosphere of our planet. All seven crew members of the spacecraft were killed.

It should be noted that among the numerous programs implemented by NASA over the past 30 years, research of the Red Planet has been a priority. The place of Mars in the study of the planets of the solar system has always been significant, but in last years There has been an intensification of work in this direction.

Activities of NASA today

In addition to the preparation program for sending an expedition to Mars, the organization is actively working to create new and advanced aircraft. Launches of new spacecraft, created jointly with the European Space Agency and similar organizations in other countries, are currently a priority. Significant successes were marked by the landing of three rovers on Mars, two of which, Opportunity and Curiosity, continue to operate today.

During the first decade of the new century, under the auspices of NASA, the Cassini-Huygens, Galileo and automatic space probes set off to study Jupiter, Saturn and the distant regions of the solar system. interplanetary station"New Horizons". For more than 30 years it has continued to fly and at the same time work space probe Voyager 2, having flown away from us at a distance of 17 billion km.

In terms of studying outer space beyond our solar system, NASA experts discovered with the help of space telescope Hubble has a lot of new and previously unknown things. New distant worlds have been discovered that, according to scientists, strongly resemble our planet. In terms of the scale of research and the size of participation, NASA is considered the undisputed leader. It is difficult to appreciate the contribution to the development of science and technology that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has made.

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