NASA’s Artemis campaign will return humans to the lunar surface in the 2020s, create a long-term American presence for years to come, and provide the experience and technology to conduct the first human missions to Mars. While providing scientific returns, geopolitical leadership, and the enduring value of human and robotic space exploration, Artemis offers considerable benefits to American citizens in the prospect of substantial economic growth while driving a workforce of the future.

Results achieved by NASA’s aeronautical innovators through the years directly benefit today’s air transportation system, the aviation industry, and the passengers and businesses who rely on those advances in flight every day. As a result, every U.S. commercial aircraft and U.S. air traffic control tower uses NASA-developed technology to improve efficiency and maintain safety.

Technologies and missions we develop for human spaceflight have thousands of applications on Earth, boosting the economy, creating new career paths, and advancing everyday technologies all around us.

Recently launched earth science missions are providing unprecedented views of our planet, incredible insight into the health of our oceans and atmosphere, and helping decision-makers improve lives on Earth and safeguard our future. At NASA, we are fortunate that our science and exploration endeavors are inextricably linked and help us discover and innovate for the benefit of humanity. 

The benefits derived from an orbiting laboratory are definitely not limited to space exploration. Examples range from the tangible, such as air purification and water filtration products, to the potential, such as cleaner combustion engines or medical scans that expose patients to lower levels of radiation. Some  benefits arise from new scientific knowledge, while others are derived from the specialized equipment needed to live in and conduct research in space.

Science is interconnected; no important question stands alone. The Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is an organization where discoveries in one scientific discipline have a direct route to other areas of study. This flow is something extremely valuable and is rare in the scientific world.

NASA technology development supports the nation’s innovation economy by creating solutions for space exploration that also generate tangible benefits for life on Earth. NASA is investing in the future of innovation.