The Goddard Space Flight Center has developed more planetary instruments than any other institution on Earth.

The Landsat Program is a series of Earth-observing satellite missions jointly managed by NASA Goddard and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Goddard Space Flight Center operates spaceflight tracking and data acquisition networks, and develops and maintains space and Earth science data information systems for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Goddard Space Flight Center has built and operated more research satellites dedicated to the study and protection of our home planet than any other institution in the world.

The Goddard Space Flight Center is the largest combined organization of scientists and engineers dedicated to increasing knowledge of the Earth, the Solar System, and the Universe via observations from space in the U.S.

The Goddard Space Flight Center is NASA's first, and oldest, field center.

The Goddard Space Flight Center was named for Dr. Robert H. Goddard, considered the father of modern rocketry.

The total mass of the SDO Spacecraft at launch is 3200 kg (payload 270 kg; fuel 1400 kg).

The goal of the Living With a Star program is to develop the scientific understanding necessary to effectively address those aspects of the connected Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society.

SDO is a 3-axis stabilized spacecraft with two solar arrays and two high-gain antennas, and will orbit at 36,000 km in a circular geosynchronous orbit at 102° W longitude inclined at 28.5°.

The SDO will generate approximately 1.5 Terabytes of data per day.

The primary mission of the Solar Dynamics Observatory is scheduled to last 5 years 3 months, with expendables expected to last for 10 years.

Researchers and industry teams in Weather Accident Prevention are working to bring a sort of weather channel to the cockpit; better weather datalink systems to pilots, air traffic controllers and airline dispatchers; and better ways to detect, warn of and minimize turbulence. Weather is a contributing factor in about 30 percent of all aviation accidents. Turbulence is the greatest cause of airline injuries and costs airlines at least $100 million a year.

Accident Mitigation researchers are working to make accidents more survivable. AvSP drop tests of full scale airplanes help engineers determine how to make aircraft seats, restraining systems and structures better able to withstand crashes. Researchers are also developing new technologies to prevent in-flight fires and minimize fire hazards after an accident.

Synthetic Vision would address the single largest contributing factor in fatal worldwide airline andgeneral aviation crashes: limited visibility. NASA engineers and their industry partners are developing an advanced cockpit display that will use technologies such as Global Positioning System signals and terrain databases to give pilots a clear out-the-window picture, no matter what the weather or time of day.

The Aviation Safety Program, part of NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, explores ways to improve the overall safety of aircraft that fly today in U.S. airspace and those that will fly in the U.S. system for tomorrow—the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen.

n support of aeronautical R&D, Dryden is involved in many aspects of the Fundamental Aeronautics and Aviation Safety programs, including the X-48 Blended Wing body and Ikhana (Predator B) in support of subsonics; the F-15B Quiet Spike in support of supersonics and Adaptive Flight Controls in support of the Aviation Safety Program.

Dryden is the primary alternate landing site for the Space Shuttle and orbital support for the International Space Station.

Painted on the dry lake beds near Dryden is the world's largest compass rose, which measures approximately 0.75 miles (1.21 km) in diameter.

For 60 years, Projects at Dryden have led to major advancements in the design and capabilities of many state-of-the-art civilian and military aircraft. The newest, the fastest, the highest - all have made their debut in the vast, clear desert skies over Dryden.

Located at Edwards, California, in the western Mojave Desert, Dryden is uniquely situated to take advantage of the excellent year-round flying weather, remote area, and visibility to test some of the nation's most exciting air vehicles.