What does NASA do?
• Survey at least 4 people asking: 'What does NASA do?', or "What is the difference between an astronomer and an astronaut?"
• Read the article below and pick 2 important things that NASA does, OR research other appropriate websites that explain the difference between astronauts and astronomers.
Wilson, J. (Ed.). (2017, August 3). What does NASA do? Retrieved from.gov/about/highlights/what de nasa html
• Context: The US spends $19 billion on NASA, over $600 billion on Medicare, over $700 billion on the military and over $800 billion on social security.
Sample Solution
NASA is a space exploration agency that was founded on July 29, 1958. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is responsible for conducting scientific research, exploration and discovery of the universe to better understand our planet,
solar system and beyond. NASA designs, builds, tests and operates spacecrafts that explore the Earth's atmosphere and beyond to collect data for research purposes.
In addition to this research-oriented mission, NASA also serves as an educational hub for its employees by providing them with opportunities to learn about space science through its various programs such as Summer Internships in Science & Technology (SIST). Through these programs young minds are exposed to space technology which helps them gain hands-on experience in designing spacecrafts or exploring unknown worlds from the comfort of their own homes.
An important difference between an astronaut and an astronomer lies in the nature of their work - astronauts are trained professionals who use their knowledge to carry out missions in space on behalf of government agencies like NASA while astronomers mainly focus on researching data obtained through observation of space objects from earthbound locations. Astronauts have specialized skills such as piloting spacecrafts, conducting experiments in zero-gravity environments as well as spacewalking activities whereas astronomers study the stars, galaxies and other celestial bodies using telescopes or other instruments.
The US spends $19 billion on NASA annually – much less than it spends on Medicare ($600 billion), military ($700 billion), or Social Security ($800 billion). Despite this limited budget however, NASA has managed to make remarkable progress over the years by sending humans into outer space and making groundbreaking discoveries about our universe. It has sent several probes into orbit around Mars; launched numerous satellites that capture images of distant planets; flown humans into near Earth orbit; conducted extravehicular activity (EVA) outside Earth’s atmosphere; designed robotic rovers that traverse Mars’ surface; visited asteroids close up with flybys – all contributing significant knowledge towards mankind’s understanding of our place in space/time continuum!
Besides providing us with extensive knowledge regarding cosmic phenomena such as black holes or dark matter particles etc., NASAs achievements also provide valuable insight into more terrestrial matters like climate change which can be used by governments around the world when making critical policy decisions concerning global warming etc.. Thus we can see how important a role it plays within society overall both academically & strategically when tackling important issues facing humanity today!