NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It is a government agency of the United States responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research. NASA's mission is to drive advances in science, technology, aeronautics, and space exploration in order to achieve its goal of expanding human knowledge of the universe and our place in it, while also helping to improve life on Earth. This includes the development and operation of spacecraft for scientific and human exploration, the launch of satellites for communication and meteorology, and the development of new technologies to improve air and space travel.