WELCOME TO THE SCIENCES & EXPLORATION DIRECTORATE
The largest Earth and Space Science research organization in the world.
The Sciences and Exploration Directorate (SED), located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in suburban Maryland, USA, is a national resource for research in the Earth and Space Sciences. The SED serves Goddard's mission to expand knowledge of the Earth and its environment, the solar system and the universe through observations from space. It also leads technology development in support of its scientific endeavors. The Directorate performs this work in partnership with colleagues in the national and international scientific communities.
The SED plans, organizes, implements, and evaluates a broad program of scientific research, both theoretical and experimental, in the study of the Earth-Sun system, the solar system and the origins of life, and the birth and evolution of the universe. The program ranges from modeling and basic research, to flight experiment development, and to data analysis and communication of results. The SED also conducts a vibrant Education and Public Outreach program to widely communicate scientific results.
The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), an Astrophysics Division mission, was built in collaboration and partnership with the Department of Energy, institutions in Italy, Germany, Japan, Sweden and France.