Ames Research Center

Ames Research Center is one of ten field installations managed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Founded in 1939, it the second oldest of these facilities, originally intended for use as an aircraft research laboratory under the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). It has been part of NASA since 1958.

Ames Research Center contains more than $3 billion in capital equipment, employs some 2,300 research personnel, and operates with an annual budget of $600 million. The center plays a critical role in almost all NASA missions, providing support for America's space and aeronautics programs. Its current purpose is to supply products, technologies, and services that "enable NASA missions and expand human knowledge."

Specialists here provide leadership in astrobiology, robotic lunar exploration, technologies for the new Orion spaceship, studies of habitable planets, supercomputing, advanced thermal protection for spacecraft, and more. The center also assists the Federal Aviation Administration in researching air traffic management for safer, cheaper, and more efficient air travel.

Ames Research Center is located at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California 94035. It does not provide public tours, but visitors are welcome at the nearby Exploration Center and Moffett Museum, open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 4pm and on weekends from noon to 4pm; closed on Mondays.