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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has 9 Centers, a Head Quarters, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, The Goddard Institute for Space Studies, The Independent Verification and Validation Facility, The Space Telescope Science Institute, The Wallops Flight Facility, and The White Sands Test Facility distributed across the nation.

Each center, laboratory and facility has been assigned an area of excellence. These are:

1. Ames Research Center, CA. Center of Excellence in Information Technologies.
2. Dryden Flight Research Center, CA. Center of Excellence in Atmospheric Flight Operations.
3. Glenn Research Center, OH. Center of Excellence in Turbomachinery.
4. Goddard Space Flight Center, MD. Center of Excellence in Scientific Research.
5. Johnson Space Center, TX. Center of Excellence in Human Operations in Space.
6. Kennedy Space Center, FL. Center of Excellence in Launch and Payload Processing Systems.
7. Langley Research Center, VA. Center of Excellence in Structures and Materials.
8. Marshall Space Flight Center, AL. Center of Excellence in Space Propulsion.
9. Stennis Space Center, MS. Center of Excellence in Rocket Propulsion Test.
10. The Wallops Flight Facility, VA. Sounding Rockets, Scientific Balloons, Shuttle Small Payload Projects.
11. NASA Head Quarters, DC. Responsible for Agency Management.
12. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CA. Center of Excellence in Deep Space Systems.
13. The Goddard Institute for Space Studies, MD. Excellence in Global Climate Change.
14. The Independent Verification and Validation Facility, WV. Verification and Validation for Software's and Systems.
15. The Space Telescope Science Institute, MD. Space Exploration and Science Images.
16. The White Sands Test Facility, NM. Rocket Propulsion, Hazard Assessment, Astronaut Approach and Landing Training.

For a map and additional details about centers of excellence you can visit: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codea/codeaf/excellence.htm.

To find out more about the facility and what is done at each location: http://www.nasajobs.nasa.gov/Work_4_NASA/where_we_work.htm

For detailed information about each installation visit: http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/nasacenters/centers.htm.

Regardless of the education program you are interested in (K-Post Doc, for students, for educators, for scientists, for the general public) you can learn about research topics and projects currently being worked at the different NASA installations by visit the following web sites and selecting the installations of interest to you:

• Graduate Student Research Program: http://fellowships.hq.nasa.gov/gsrp/research/
• Summer Faculty Fellows Program: http://www.asee.org/nffp/lablist.cfm
• National Research Council Resident Research Associateship Program: http://www4.nationalacademies.org/pga/rap.nsf/frmLabInfoSearchForm?OpenForm
  

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration sponsors the NASA Undergraduate Student Research Program (NASA-USRP), offering  undergraduates across the United States mentored research experiences at  nine participating NASA Centers.

• KSC USRP Information: http://education.ksc.nasa.gov/programs/usrp.htm

NASA solicits participation in the exploration and development of  space for the purpose of expanding our knowledge of space, developing  tools and techniques to live and work there, and to encourage the private  sector's increasing role in space.  NASA encourages civil service employees and contractors to develop, protect, commercialize, and transfer their technology with the private sector. May companies and industries have spun out of the Space Program. Discover new products or commercial  opportunities at these web sites:

• NASA Space Commercialization: http://commercial.nasa.gov/
• NASA Commercial Technology Network: http://nctn.hq.nasa.gov/
• Space Product Development: http://spd.nasa.gov/
• Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization: http://osdbu.nasa.gov/
• KSC Technology Commercialization Office: http://technology.ksc.nasa.gov

KSC NASA Exploration Station offers 1-hour educational programs to students at the Center for Space Education building, Kennedy Space Center, FL. You can schedule a program by calling (321)-867-2959. Also, if you would like to combine the NASA educational program with an all-day experience at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, please contact them at 321-449-4400.

• KSC Exploration Station: http://education.ksc.nasa.gov/erc/exstation.htm
• KSC Visitors Center: http://kennedyspacecenter.com

NASA Field Center Educator Resource Centers (ERC) provide educators access to materials for their classroom. The ERCN Field Center Listing provides links to the respective ERC based on your location.

• For Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, the KSC ERC would provide the materials or email us at erc@nasa.gov
• To see Educator Resource Centers listed by State: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/contacts/ERCN_Field_Center_Listing.html

For information about careers in NASA, and jobs available in all  fields of study, go to the NASA Job web site: http://www.nasajobs.nasa.gov/

Most of our programs require that a person be a U.S. citizen.  Programs that are available to non-U.S. citizens will indicate such.

These web sites will give you information on the many different  types of aerospace careers:

• Human Space Flight Student and Educator Outreach: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/outreach/index.html
• NASA Job web site: http://www.nasajobs.nasa.gov/
• University Space Research Association: http://www.usra.edu/

The NASA Aerospace Education Services Program (AESP) is a nationwide  program, staffed by trained, professional educators. They communicate NASA's activities (past, present and future) in different formats suited to a  variety of audiences using local, state and regional curriculum  frameworks and standards. 

• KSC AESP Information: http://education.ksc.nasa.gov/aesp/aesp.htm
• NASA AESP Web site: http://www.okstate.edu/aesp/AESP.html

If your school is within 50 miles of KSC and would like an engineer to come speak to your class about their job/path to their career, please visit the Education Outreach page for guidelines and email address.

If you are outside the 50 mile radius, but would like someone to come to your school to discuss careers etc, please go to the Speakers Bureau page for guidelines

Many NASA Resources are available online.

• KSC Student Resource Page
• KSC Educator Resource Page
• NASA Education Page

If you are a K-12/Pre-College educator in Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, please visit our educator workshop page at http://education.ksc.nasa.gov/erc/workshops.htm for information on open workshops and how to schedule a specific workshop tailored to your group.

If you are outside of Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, please visit http://education.nasa.gov/ for workshops in your area.

Requests for autographs should be mailed to:
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
ATTN:  Astronaut Office/CB
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Houston, TX  77058.

NASA provides many opportunities to  talk to astronauts, engineers and scientists via live web casts. Go to  http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/ for the schedule of events.

For information about KSC and its area of expertise, you may visit the KSC Frequently Asked Questions at http://contact.ksc.nasa.gov/efaq/

For information about the NASA Center nearest to you, visit the NASA Home Page at http://www.nasa.gov/ or the NASA Education Programs Home Page at http://education.nasa.gov.