Ames Research Center, one of 10 NASA field Centers, is located in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley. For over 60 years, Ames has led NASA in conducting world-class research and development. With 2500 employees and an annual budget of $900 million, Ames provides NASA with advancements in:
- entry, descent and landing technologies,
- information technology,
- next-generation aviation improvements,
- astrobiology,
- airborne sciences and
- small satellite programs
Location: California’s Silicon Valley, 40 miles south of San Francisco; 12 miles north of San Jose, between Mountain View and Sunnyvale
Jobs: 2,500 employees
Economic impact: $1.3 billion annually for the U.S.; $932M for California; and $877M for San Francisco Bay Area creating over 8,400 jobs in the U.S. with 5,900 in California and 5,300 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Budget: $893M
Established: December 20, 1939 as part of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), in 1958 absorbed into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Ames' Key Goals
- Maintain expertise in information technology, aerospace and aeronautics research and engineering.
- Conduct research in space, Earth, lunar and biological sciences.
- Develop lead status for NASA in small spacecraft missions.
- Expand public and private partnerships.
- Contribute innovative, high performance and reliable exploration technologies.