The informal name for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is NASA. Established in 1958, NASA is the United States federal agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research. It has been pivotal in numerous milestones, including the Apollo moon landing missions, the Space Shuttle program, and the Mars rover missions. NASA's work advances scientific knowledge regarding space exploration and contributes to technological innovation, making it a key player in global space efforts and collaborative international missions in the realm of space science.