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Research facility · Houston · United States

Johnson Space Center

In research, Johnson Space Center stands highest in Physical Sciences (#5,043 of 12,888 worldwide), Engineering (#3,577 of 6,636 worldwide) and Astronomy and Astrophysics (#314 of 443 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Aerospace Engineering and Physics and Astronomy — Astronomy and Astrophysics is 41.4× its share of world research.

nasa.gov/centers/johnson/home/index.htmlROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#7,790
of 28,054 · #1,406 all time
Rank in United States
#1,032
of 4,192
Research works
13k
▼ 54% vs 2013–17
Citations
148k
11.2 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
22.2%
record average 16.5%
Open access
32%
world 28%

What is Johnson Space Center known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #5,043 of 12,888 22.1%273 #1005
EngineeringField #3,577 of 6,636 23.3%127 #401
Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield #314 of 443 24.7%76 #43
Aerospace EngineeringSubfield #582 of 795 33.0%75 #92
Physics and AstronomyField #1,602 of 1,646 24.4%82 #1205

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Johnson Space Center sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

Which of those standings moved

The same fields on both windows: where it stood over the whole record, and where it stands in 2022–2025. The distance is the story, and it is the one thing the two rank columns above cannot show.

  1. Physical Sciences#1,005 #5,043
  2. Engineering#401 #3,577
  3. Astronomy and Astrophysics#43 #314
  4. Aerospace Engineering#92 #582
  5. Physics and Astronomy#1,205 #1,602
all time2022–2025, better2022–2025, worse

A dot further right is a better standing. Fields it was not ranked in over the whole record are left out.

What does Johnson Space Center specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Astronomy and Astrophysics takes 41.4× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield · 76.5 works41×
  2. Aerospace EngineeringSubfield · 75.0 works18×
  3. Physics and AstronomyField · 81.9 works10×
  4. PhysiologySubfield · 26.4 works8.5×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.16× its world share, 3 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.45× its world share, 8 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.07× its world share, 0 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.70× its world share, 4 worksNeuroscienceChemical Engineering: 0.33× its world share, 0 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 0.29× its world share, 2 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.60× its world share, 17 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 4.11× its world share, 23 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.35× its world share, 1 worksEnergyEngineering: 2.37× its world share, 126 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.58× its world share, 10 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.67× its world share, 8 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.64× its world share, 3 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 10.36× its world share, 82 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.42× its world share, 4 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.67× its world share, 46 worksMedicineNursing: 0.19× its world share, 0 worksNursingArts and Humanities: 0.08× its world share, 1 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.12× its world share, 1 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 1.64× its world share, 6 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.11× its world share, 1 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.57× its world share, 6 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.06× its world share, 3 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 10.4×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Johnson Space Center?

Ranked on the composite score, Colin Campbell, Mark Campbell and H. A. Zook lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Johnson Space Center.

  1. 1 Colin Campbell United States · #70,038 worldwide 91 citations · 46 works
  2. 2 Mark Campbell United States · #76,107 worldwide 195 citations · 48 works
  3. 3 H. A. Zook United States · #86,889 worldwide 292 citations · 48 works
  4. 4 Sara R. Zwart United States · #93,612 worldwide 188 citations · 46 works
  5. 5 Charles W. Lloyd United States · #95,025 worldwide 135 citations · 32 works
  6. 6 Dorothy Z. Oehler United States · #107,683 worldwide 210 citations · 35 works
  7. 7 Myron Diftler United States · #118,095 worldwide 262 citations · 24 works
  8. 8 K. G. Henize United States · #144,139 worldwide 144 citations · 35 works
  9. 9 D. W. Ming United States · #153,700 worldwide 851 citations · 185 works
  10. 10 Scott M. Smith United States · #159,231 worldwide 293 citations · 91 works
All ranked researchers at Johnson Space Center

Which keywords describe research at Johnson Space Center?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Mars, Martian Surface, Risk Assessment, Biomechanics, Simulation, Mobility, Extravehicular Activity and Space Suit.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Mars36▲ 318×1 topic
  2. Martian Surface36▲ 318×1 topic
  3. Risk Assessment34▲ 14×7 topics
  4. Biomechanics30▲ 28×6 topics
  5. Simulation29▲ 32×3 topics
  6. Extravehicular Activity28▲ 938×1 topic
  7. Mobility28▲ 436×2 topics
  8. Space Suit28▲ 938×1 topic
  9. Neurological Effects25▲ 107×2 topics
  10. Immune System25▲ 29×2 topics
  11. Microgravity25▲ 362×1 topic
  12. Spaceflight25▲ 362×1 topic
  13. Solar System Abundances24▲ 138×1 topic
  14. Terrestrial Planets24▲ 138×1 topic
  15. Thermodynamic Modeling12▲ 29×2 topics
  16. Plate Tectonics10▲ 17×2 topics
  17. Optimal Control9▲ 35×2 topics
  18. Tectonics8▲ 18×2 topics
  19. Orbit Determination8▲ 50×2 topics
  20. On-Orbit Servicing7▲ 91×1 topic
  21. Space Debris7▲ 91×1 topic
  22. Thermal Analysis7▲ 15×2 topics
  23. CubeSat7▲ 104×1 topic
  24. small satellite7▲ 104×1 topic
  25. Spacecraft Formation Flying7▲ 138×1 topic
  26. Trajectory Optimization7▲ 34×1 topic
  27. Geochronology6▲ 26×1 topic
  28. Zircon6▲ 26×1 topic
  29. Holocene6▲ 14×3 topics
  30. Sea Level6▲ 17×2 topics
  31. Cryogenic Storage5▲ 51×1 topic
  32. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)5▲ 51×1 topic
  33. Autonomous Vehicles5▲ 7.0×4 topics
  34. Glacial Cycles5▲ 22×1 topic
  35. Paleoclimatology5▲ 18×1 topic
  36. Space Policy5▲ 99×1 topic
  37. Space Tourism5▲ 99×1 topic
  38. Space Exploration5▲ 31×2 topics
  39. Tomography5▲ 7.3×4 topics
  40. Astrobiology5▲ 45×2 topics

Which research topics does Johnson Space Center publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Planetary Science and Exploration, Space Exploration and Technology, Spaceflight effects on biology and Astro and Planetary Science.

Planetary Science and Ex…36Planetary Science and Exploration: 36 fractional worksSpace Exploration and Technology: 28 fractional worksSpaceflight effects on biology: 25 fractional worksAstro and Planetary Science: 24 fractional worksSpace Satellite Systems and Control: 7 fractional worksSpacecraft Design and Technology: 7 fractional worksSpacecraft Dynamics and Control: 7 fractional worksGeological and Geochemical Analysis: 6 fractional worksSpacecraft and Cryogenic Technologies: 5 fractional worksGeology and Paleoclimatology Research: 5 fractional works
Astronomy and AstrophysicsAerospace EngineeringPhysiologyGeophysics1 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Planetary Science and Exploration Astronomy and Astrophysics 36 works
  2. 2 Space Exploration and Technology Aerospace Engineering 28 works
  3. 3 Spaceflight effects on biology Physiology 25 works
  4. 4 Astro and Planetary Science Astronomy and Astrophysics 24 works
  5. 5 Space Satellite Systems and Control Aerospace Engineering 7 works
  6. 6 Spacecraft Design and Technology Aerospace Engineering 7 works
  7. 7 Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Aerospace Engineering 7 works
  8. 8 Geological and Geochemical Analysis Geophysics 6 works
  9. 9 Spacecraft and Cryogenic Technologies Aerospace Engineering 5 works
  10. 10 Geology and Paleoclimatology Research Atmospheric Science 5 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available32.4%not open67.6%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors7.1%domestic only92.9%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Johnson Space Center's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 54% lower than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Houston

All research institutions in Houston

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.