NASA Collaboration

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) pushes the bounds of technology and invention to new heights with their mission for space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautical research. Parts of this history are preserved in national parks or by National Park Service programs across the country.

National parks are home to stellar views of night skies and innovative scientific research and planning on the ground. Today the National Park Service and NASA team up to collaborate on research, data collection, and outreach. In 2016, the NASA Astronaut Corps were officially named honorary park rangers for their out-of-this world contributions to the National Park Service.

What's Happening in Parks

Junior Ranger Spaceflight Explorers

Reach for the stars to become a Junior Ranger Spaceflight Explorer! Test your knowledge and challenge yourself to fun puzzles and activities to learn more about national parks and space exploration. Get a copy of the official Junior Ranger Spaceflight Explorer book to earn your certificate and let the fun begin!

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      When a NASA astronaut draws parallels between art and science, it's out of this world! Hear from oceanographer, engineer, and NASA astronaut Megan McArthur as she reflects on the Department of the Interior Museum’s 1874 "Chasm of the Colorado" masterpiece of the Grand Canyon, the importance of preserving national parks, and see photos of parks she has taken from space. (Music courtesy of Chad Perkins)


      Parks and the Space Program

      Showing results 1-10 of 238

      • Hot Springs National Park

        Thermophile Safari

        • Type: Field Trips
        • Locations: Hot Springs National Park
        A small waterfall covered in layers of bright green, algae-like material.

        Thermophiles, organisms that survive in extreme heat conditions, are one of the most unique resources found in Hot Springs National Park. Students will use scientific studies and on-site observations to assess the factors that have made Hot Springs’ thermophilic ecosystem a destination for scientists.  This specialty program is only available for smaller class sizes. Designed for 7th grade and high school biology lessons.

        • Type: Video
        • Locations: Death Valley National Park
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        Join Dr. Lu Chou on a journey through the history book of Mars. In this talk, we will uncover parallels between Mars and our own planet, right here in Death Valley. Discover stories of planetary exploration revealed by our robotic companion, the Curiosity rover, and celebrate the feat of human ingenuity as Curiosity guides us into the cosmos.

      • Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park

        To the Moon and Back: A Revolution in Transportation

        • Type: Article
        • Locations: Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park

        Transportation. It’s probably something most of us do not think much about. From cars, bikes, planes, and trains, most of us use some form of transportation to travel to work, school, appointments, and whatever else we do in life. Revolution. A term that can refer to a dramatic social or political change, or simply refer to a cyclical journey. In this article you will learn more about the Transportation Revolution in the Blackstone River Valley and its lasting legacies.

        • Type: Multimedia Asset
        A streak of orange shapes, with a glowing white orb in the center, sit high in a dark sky over a valley of forest, open fields, and buildings.

        Astral photographers captured the nearly three-hour partial and total phases of the April 8 eclipse.

        • Type: Photo
        A streak of orange shapes, with a glowing white orb in the center, sit high in a dark sky over a valley of forest, open fields, and buildings.

        Astral photographers captured the nearly three-hour partial and total phases of the April 8 eclipse.

        • Type: Article
        • Locations: Hot Springs National Park
        • Offices: Interpretation, Education, and Volunteers Directorate
        A group gathers at an overlook to view the eclipse. People hold up eclipse viewers

        Public programming for the 2024 Total Eclipse was a team effort! With help from Earth to Sky—an organization that fosters collaboration between NASA and the National Park Service—visitors at Hot Springs National Park and other NPS sites in the eclipse path got to experience awe and learning as they witnessed the April 8, 2024 Total Eclipse.

      • National Center for Preservation Technology and Training

        Podcast 148: Cultural Impacts of the Apollo Program

        • Type: Article
        • Offices: National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
        Rodney and Bret in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center

        Catherine Cooper speaks with Bret Bennington and Rodney Hill, professors at Hofstra University about the far-ranging cultural importance and impacts of the Apollo Program.

        • Type: Podcast Episode

        Catherine Cooper speaks with Bret Bennington and Rodney Hill, professors at Hofstra University about the far-ranging cultural importance and impacts of the Apollo Program.

      • National Center for Preservation Technology and Training

        Preserving the Race for Space 2024: From the Earth to the Moon and Beyond

        • Type: Article
        • Offices: National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
        Logo for the Space Race Symposium 2024

        NCPTT invites participation in the Race for Space Symposium, 2024, in Houston, TX

      • Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve

        Astronauts and Superintendent Paul Fritz

        • Type: Multimedia Asset
        four men crouching under a cave wall, one man is wearing a park ranger uniform and holding a large, rolled up piece of paper

        Left to right: Ted Foss, Joe Engle, Eugene Cernan, and former park superintendent Paul Fritz photographed during Apollo 14 training in 1969.

      Last updated: September 12, 2023