Remote Agent ( remote intelligent self-repair software )( RAX ), developed at NASA Ames Research Center and JPL, was the first artificial intelligence control system to control a spacecraft without human supervision.

* Remote Agent homepage at NASA Ames Research Center's Intelligent Systems Division

Leading up to the 1998 return, an airborne observing campaign was organized to mobilize modern observing techniques by Peter Jenniskens at NASA Ames Research Center.

Five years after the early Able space probe missions ended, NASA Ames Research Center used the Pioneer name for a new series of missions, initially aimed at the inner solar system, before the bold flyby missions to Jupiter and Saturn.

In October 2004, SGI built the supercomputer Columbia, which broke the world record for computer speed, for the NASA Ames Research Center.

Endeavour seen at NASA / Ames, on its final flight to California Science Center

* NASA Ames: Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards: The Torino Scale

However, the November 2008 release of the TOP500 list places the Blue Gene / L supercomputer behind the Pleiades supercomputer in NASA / Ames Research Center, the Jaguar supercomputer in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the IBM Roadrunner supercomputer in Los Alamos National Laboratory.

* David Morrison — NASA Ames

The Ames Research Center ( ARC ), is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) major research center.

Named after Joseph Sweetman Ames and founded on December 20, 1939 as the second National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics ( NACA ) laboratory, ARC became part of NASA in 1958 as part of the turnover from the dissolution of NACA, having now ( at the last estimate ) over $ 3. 0 billion in capital equipment, 2, 300 research personnel and a $ 600 million annual budget.

Ames plays a role in many of NASA missions in support of America's space and aeronautics programs.

Ames also develops tools for a safer, more efficient national airspace and unique partnerships benefiting NASA ’ s mission.

Although Ames is a NASA Research Center, and not a flight center, nevertheless it has been closely involved in a number of astronomy and space missions.

The upcoming Lunar Atmosphere Dust Environment Explorer ( LADEE ) mission has been assigned to NASA Ames.

NASA Ames was a partner on the Mars Phoenix, a Mars Scout Program mission to send a high-latitude lander to Mars, deployed a robotic arm to dig trenches up to 1. 6 feet ( one half meter ) into the layers of water ice and analyzing the soil composition.

NASA Ames was one of the first locations in the world to conduct research on image processing of satellite-platform aerial photography.

One of the air intakes of the 80 by 120 foot wind tunnel ( world's largest ), located at NASA Ames Research Center.

The NASA Ames Research Center wind tunnels are known not only for their immense size, but also for their diverse characteristics that enable various kinds of scientific and engineering research.

The 80 by 120 Foot Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center holds the distinction of being the largest wind tunnel test section in the world.

for NASA overall, the substantial realignment in research priorities that followed the announcement of the Vision for Space Exploration in 2004 has led to a significant number of layoffs at Ames.

Also in 2008, it was announced that former Director Henry McDonald was a 60th Anniversary Class of the NASA Ames Hall of Fame for providing, "... exceptional leadership and keen technical insight to NASA Ames as the Center re-invented itself in the late 1990s.

* NASA, Vanguard — A History, " Chapter 1 Background of Space Exploration " mentions S. Fred Singer's role in early US space exploration.

Included are: VISTA ( Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, 1987 ), Discovery II ( NASA / GRC, 2002 ), Human Outer Planet Exploration ( NASA / MSFC, 2003 ), ICAN-II ( The Pennsylvania State University )

Artist Concept of a NASA Mars Exploration Rover on Mars

* NASA Ambassador of Exploration Award for involvement in the U. S. space program, 2007 ( posthumous ).

The NASA / MSFC Human Outer Planets Exploration ( HOPE ) group has investigated a manned MTF propulsion spacecraft capable of delivering a 163 933-kilogram payload to Jupiter's moon Callisto using 106-165 metric tons of propellant ( hydrogen plus either D-T or D-He3 fusion fuel ) in 249 – 330 days.

Currently, only twenty-four nations have spaceflight technology: Russia ( Russian Federal Space Agency ), the United States ( NASA, the US Air Force, SpaceX ( a U. S private aerospace company )), the member states of the European Space Agency, the People's Republic of China ( China National Space Administration ), Japan ( Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ), and India ( Indian Space Research Organisation ).

According to the Vision for Space Exploration, the next manned NASA program was to be Project Constellation with its Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles and the Orion Spacecraft ; however, the Constellation program was never fully funded, and in early 2010 the Obama administration asked Congress to instead endorse a plan with heavy reliance on the private sector for delivering cargo and crew to LEO.

For comparison, the similarly sized NASA Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity had, by their fifth anniversary in January 2009, traveled a total of and transmitted over 125, 000 images.

These Research & Development organizations support NASA's Exploration efforts, as well as the continued operations of the Space Shuttle and International Space Station, and the space science and Aeronautics work across NASA.

* NASA Ames Exploration Center

* NASA Solar System Strategic Exploration Plans

In 2006 the NASA Mars Exploration Rover Spirit labeled one of the hills explored " Zhongsan ".

* NASA Mars Exploration Rover mission has named seven peaks in a chain of hills, named the Columbia Hills, after each of the seven astronauts lost in the Columbia shuttle disaster, including Chawla Hill after Kalpana Chawla.

* Mars Exploration Rovers — NASA rovers ( 2004 )

In 2006, NASA posthumously awarded him the Ambassador of Exploration Award for his work for the agency and science.

* Mars Exploration Rover project, NASA / JPL document NSS ISDC 2001 27 May 2001

The NASA FY2013 budget includes $ 143. 7 million USD for Cost of Facilities ( CoF ) requirements in support of Exploration programs including Space Launch System ( SLS ) and Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle ( MPCV ).

* NASA Ambassador of Exploration ( 2005 )

The Society supports manned space missions as well as unmanned space missions, which are remotely controlled or robotic space probes by both the public ( e. g., NASA, Russian Federal Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ) and private sector ( e. g., Ansari X Prize, Transformational Space, Scaled Composites, etc.

* Orlando Figueroa-formerly the Director of the Applied Engineering & Technology Directorate at the NASA GSFC ( as the " Director of Engineering " he manages the full scope of engineering activities at Goddard ), previously the NASA Mars Czar Director for Mars Exploration and the Director for the Solar System Division in the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters