What does do?

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent executive branch agency responsible for the nation’s civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA conducts scientific research to understand Earth and space, develops and tests new aerospace technologies, and conducts human space exploration missions. It operates the International Space Station in partnership with other nations and is advancing plans to return humans to the Moon and explore Mars. It was established in 1958.

In FY 2025,

$24.6B

was spent by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
In FY 2025,

0.3%

of federal spending was by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

How much does the National Aeronautics and Space Administration spend?

NASA spent $24.6 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 0.3% of the $7.04 trillion in overall federal spending. The agency ranked 18th among federal agencies in total spending.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration accounted for 0.3% of all federal spending in FY 2025.

Share of NASA net spending compared to the top ten highest spending agencies in FY 2025

Federal spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the NASA’s federal spending has increased from $19.8 billion in 1980 to $24.6 billion in 2025.

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by NASA, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 1980–2025

Since 1980, NASA’s spending has increased 23.9%, while overall spending has increased 196.9%.
The department’s spending grew less overall spending, which means that the department’s share of the federal budget decreased. In 2025, NASA accounted for 0.3% of all federal spending. That’s 0.1 percentage points lower than 2015 and 0.5 points lower than in 1980.
Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The NASA's share of federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 1980.

Percentage of federal budget dedicated to NASA, FYs 1980–2025

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2025, all of the NASA's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net NASA spending.

How did the NASA spend its budget in 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to NASA, FY 2025

How many people work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration?

Some 14,000 of the 2.02 million total civilian federal employees work for the NASA as of May 2026. This is 22.8% fewer people than the department staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has decreased 22.8% since 2012.

Number of federal employees working for NASA, May 2012–2026

NASA accounts for 0.7% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. NASA constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in May 2026 than in 2012 (0.9%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the NASA’s share of the workforce (0.7%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.3%).

Who leads the National Aeronautics and Space Administration?

NASA is led by an administrator, who is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Their term usually lasts for the duration of the president’s administration but may end sooner if the administrator resigns or is replaced.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.