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United States operational

NASA Ames Research Center

NASA Ames Research Center is NASA's Silicon Valley research facility, located at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California.

Headquarters
Mountain View, United States
Founded
1939
Type
commercial
nasa.gov
Founded
1939
Headquarters
Mountain View, United States
Ownership
Subsidiary of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Quick Facts
Country
United States
Founded
1939
Type
commercial
Status
operational

About NASA Ames Research Center

Updated 2026-09-05

NASA Ames Research Center is NASA's Silicon Valley research facility, located at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California.

Established in 1939, Ames leads NASA research in several key areas: astrobiology (the Astrobiology Institute studies the origins of life and habitability of other worlds), advanced thermal protection systems (the Arc Jet Complex tests heat shields for spacecraft reentry, including materials used on Orion and Mars entry vehicles), small satellite technology (the GeneSat, PharmaSat, and PhoneSat CubeSat programs pioneered low-cost biological and technology demonstrations), and high-performance computing (the Pleiades supercomputer supports NASA mission modeling and climate research).

Ames also hosts the NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) facility and manages NASA's relationship with Silicon Valley technology companies through research partnerships and the NASA Research Park on the Moffett airfield.

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Verification
Verified 2026-09-05

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Frequently asked about NASA Ames Research Center

Quick answers to the questions readers most often search for.

When was NASA Ames Research Center founded?
NASA Ames Research Center was founded in 1939 in United States.
Where is NASA Ames Research Center headquartered?
NASA Ames Research Center is headquartered in Mountain View, United States.
What does NASA Ames Research Center do?
NASA Ames Research Center is NASA's Silicon Valley research facility, located at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California. Established in 1939, Ames leads NASA research in several key areas: astrobiology (the Astrobiology Institute studies the origins of life and habitability of other worlds), advanced thermal protec…
Is NASA Ames Research Center a public or private company?
NASA Ames Research Center is a privately held company and is not listed on any stock exchange.
What sector does NASA Ames Research Center operate in?
NASA Ames Research Center works in satellite manufacturing, Research and Materials, plus 1 other space-industry sectors.

Data Accuracy Notice: Information about NASA Ames Research Center is compiled from publicly available sources including company websites, press releases, regulatory filings, and industry reports. Data is reviewed periodically but may not reflect the most recent developments.

Last verified: September 5, 2026
Editorial owner: Dr. Donovan, Editor-in-Chief Company representatives may submit corrections This page does not constitute an endorsement or affiliation Learn about our data methodology