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Government institution · Washington · United States

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

In research, National Aeronautics and Space Administration stands highest in Physical Sciences (#5,232 of 12,888 worldwide) and Engineering (#4,923 of 6,636 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 27.6× its share of world research.

nasa.govROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#8,771
of 28,054 · #1,201 all time
Rank in United States
#1,170
of 4,192
Research works
4.5k
▲ 5% vs 2013–17
Citations
126k
27.9 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
12.7%
record average 16.5%
Open access
27%
world 28%

What is National Aeronautics and Space Administration 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 #5,232 of 12,888 11.8%215 #825
EngineeringField #4,923 of 6,636 12.6%98 #804

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where National Aeronautics and Space Administration 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).

What does National Aeronautics and Space Administration specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Astronomy and Astrophysics takes 27.6× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield · 37.6 works28×
  2. Aerospace EngineeringSubfield · 44.7 works15×
  3. Physics and AstronomyField · 46.0 works7.9×
← 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: 0.24× its world share, 3 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.23× its world share, 3 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.03× its world share, 0 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.27× its world share, 1 worksNeuroscienceChemical Engineering: 0.56× its world share, 0 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 0.45× its world share, 2 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.73× its world share, 15 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 5.34× its world share, 22 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.83× its world share, 2 worksEnergyEngineering: 2.48× its world share, 98 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 1.55× its world share, 20 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.91× its world share, 8 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.54× its world share, 2 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 7.88× its world share, 46 worksPhysics and AstronomyDentistry: 0.04× its world share, 0 worksDentistryHealth Professions: 0.53× its world share, 4 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.28× its world share, 14 worksMedicineArts and Humanities: 0.10× its world share, 1 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.17× its world share, 2 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 3.09× its world share, 8 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.29× its world share, 2 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.74× its world share, 6 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.13× its world share, 4 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 7.9×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at National Aeronautics and Space Administration?

Ranked on the composite score, Erin Mahoney, Homer E. Newell and Raymond H. Wilson lead among researchers whose main affiliation is National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

  1. 1 Erin Mahoney United States · #754,872 worldwide 33 citations · 66 works
  2. 2 Homer E. Newell United States · #1,246,986 worldwide 4 citations · 30 works
  3. 3 Raymond H. Wilson United States · #1,377,298 worldwide 0 citations · 16 works
All ranked researchers at National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Which keywords describe research at National Aeronautics and Space Administration?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Risk Assessment, Remote Sensing, Mars, Martian Surface, Space Policy, Space Tourism, Climate Change and Simulation.

▲ 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. Climate Change15▲ 2.1×47 topics
  2. Risk Assessment13▲ 7.2×7 topics
  3. Remote Sensing12▲ 3.7×26 topics
  4. Mars8▲ 95×1 topic
  5. Martian Surface8▲ 95×1 topic
  6. Space Policy8▲ 212×1 topic
  7. Space Tourism8▲ 212×1 topic
  8. Simulation8▲ 11×4 topics
  9. Biomechanics7▲ 9.1×3 topics
  10. Microgravity7▲ 138×1 topic
  11. Spaceflight7▲ 138×1 topic
  12. Design7▲ 16×2 topics
  13. Extravehicular Activity7▲ 306×1 topic
  14. Space Suit7▲ 306×1 topic
  15. CubeSat7▲ 139×1 topic
  16. Thermal Analysis7▲ 20×2 topics
  17. small satellite7▲ 139×1 topic
  18. Solar Wind5▲ 22×2 topics
  19. Air Quality5▲ 11×4 topics
  20. Orbit Determination5▲ 47×2 topics
  21. Space Exploration5▲ 42×2 topics
  22. On-Orbit Servicing5▲ 82×1 topic
  23. Solar System Abundances5▲ 37×1 topic
  24. Space Debris5▲ 82×1 topic
  25. Terrestrial Planets5▲ 37×1 topic
  26. Astrobiology5▲ 61×2 topics
  27. Large-Eddy Simulation5▲ 9.2×5 topics
  28. Extraterrestrial Life4▲ 79×1 topic
  29. SETI4▲ 79×1 topic
  30. Satellite Observations4▲ 17×3 topics
  31. Additive Manufacturing4▲ 5.0×3 topics
  32. Thermodynamic Modeling4▲ 14×3 topics
  33. Cryogenic Storage4▲ 49×1 topic
  34. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)4▲ 49×1 topic
  35. Collision Avoidance4▲ 7.5×3 topics
  36. Data Assimilation4▲ 8.5×4 topics
  37. Boundary Layer3▲ 10×3 topics
  38. Biomedical Engineering3▲ 8.1×2 topics
  39. Conflict Resolution3▲ 33×2 topics
  40. Radio Astronomy3▲ 54×2 topics

Which research topics does National Aeronautics and Space Administration publish most on?

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

Space exploration and re…8Space exploration and regulation: 8 fractional worksPlanetary Science and Ex…8Planetary Science and Exploration: 8 fractional worksSpaceflight effects on b…7Spaceflight effects on biology: 7 fractional worksSpace Exploration and Te…7Space Exploration and Technology: 7 fractional worksSpacecraft Design and Technology: 7 fractional worksSpace Satellite Systems and Control: 5 fractional worksAstro and Planetary Scie…5Astro and Planetary Science: 5 fractional worksSpace Science and Extraterrestrial Life: 4 fractional worksSpacecraft and Cryogenic Technologies: 4 fractional worksAir Traffic Management and Optimization: 3 fractional works
Astronomy and AstrophysicsPhysiologyAerospace Engineering

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

  1. 1 Space exploration and regulation Astronomy and Astrophysics 8 works
  2. 2 Planetary Science and Exploration Astronomy and Astrophysics 8 works
  3. 3 Spaceflight effects on biology Physiology 7 works
  4. 4 Space Exploration and Technology Aerospace Engineering 7 works
  5. 5 Spacecraft Design and Technology Aerospace Engineering 7 works
  6. 6 Space Satellite Systems and Control Aerospace Engineering 5 works
  7. 7 Astro and Planetary Science Astronomy and Astrophysics 5 works
  8. 8 Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life Astronomy and Astrophysics 4 works
  9. 9 Spacecraft and Cryogenic Technologies Aerospace Engineering 4 works
  10. 10 Air Traffic Management and Optimization Aerospace Engineering 3 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 available26.7%not open73.3%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors9.0%domestic only91.0%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has National Aeronautics and Space Administration's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 5% higher 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 Washington

All research institutions in Washington

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.