National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Budget, Performance and Financial Snapshot Fiscal Year 2008

Who We Are

Mission: NASA's mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.

Organization: NASA's organization is comprised of NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, nine Centers located around the country, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center operated under a contract with the California Institute of Technology.

Personnel: NASA's workforce is comprised of approximately 17,900 full time civil servants.

Budgetary Resources: The budgetary resources for FY 2008 totaled $21.3 billion or $70 per person.


Budget Snapshot

Total Spending FY 2005-2009
Total Outlays
 Mandatory $-10 $-88 $-9 $-14 $-14
 Discretionary $16,197 $16,658 $16,284 $17,118 $17,614
Total $16,187 $16,570 $16,275 $17,104 $17,600
$ in millions
Top 5 Programs By Budget
  Top 5 Programs
  Shuttle Constellation Space Station Earth Science Planetary Science
2008 $3,265 $2,676 $1,686 $1,241 $1,280
2009 $2,982 $3,048 $2,060 $1,368 $1,334
$ in millions

Performance Snapshot

Accomplishments: In its 50th year, NASA confirmed water on Mars, continued to fly the Space Shuttle safely, and furthered human knowledge about Earth and the universe. Specifically, in FY 2008 researchers observed record-low values of sea-ice in the Arctic; researchers also discovered that explosions of magnetic energy cause auroras in Earth's atmosphere. NASA continues to develop its new Crew Exploration Vehicle for future U.S. human space exploration, and is also successfully assembling and operating the International Space Station. Ongoing aeronautics research is contributing advanced concepts and technologies to increase air safety and efficiency in the Next Generation Air Transportation System. And lastly, NASA worked with industries to transfer 50 technologies into the marketplace to benefit the public, from a novel polymer used for cardiac stimulation, to advanced testing of the LZR swimsuit that helped win gold at the Beijing Olympics and an enhanced lithium battery for electric vehicles.

Challenges: NASA successfully conducts many high-risk activities in pursuit of the Agency?s mission, but the Agency does face management challenges that affect the efficient and effective conduct of business. Challenges have been highlighted by the Inspector General, the Government Accountability Office, and by various expert advisors that NASA consults. Some of these challenges include continuing to safely operate the Space Shuttle while effectively transitioning to the next generation of vehicles, addressing new federal reporting requirements, further improving acquisition processes, and dealing with the increasingly sophisticated threats to information technology security.
Financial Snapshot
Clean Opinion on Financial Statements No
Timely Financial Reporting Yes Material Weaknesses 2
Improper Payment Rate 0.12% Total Assets $33,876
Total Liabilities $4,248 Net Cost of Operations $18,388
$ in millions
  Footnote:Mandatory spending in the database is largely composed of:All Other General Fund Proprietary Receipts Including Budget Clearing Accounts and Undistributed Intra-governmental Payments and Receivables from Cancelled Accounts. For detailed FY 08 performance and financial data, please see NASA's Performance and Accountability Report (PAR) at: www.nasa.gov/budget

Summary of National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ratings for Fiscal Year 2008

 
                        FY 2008 Performance
Results per Strategic Goal
  Met/Exceeded     Not met but improved over prior years
  Not met target     Data not yet available
Budget per Strategic Goal
($ in millions)
Strategic Goal: Develop a balanced overall program of science, exploration, and aeronautics consistent with the redirection of the human spaceflight program to focus on exploration.
Strategic Goal 3 is divided into Sub-goals to address the broad portfolio covered by this goal. Please see our Performance and Accountability Report.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $6,860
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Enabling supersonic flight overland N/A flight tests validate research validated within 5%   design and analysis
Maintain a high level of customer satisfaction with Earth Science information systems, compared to ASCI index for government (see www.theacsi.org) Score of 74 Score of 75 >ACSI Index: 68.9 Score of 78   >ASCI Index: 70(est)
Strategic Goal: Bring a new Crew Exploration Vehicle into service as soon as possible after Shuttle retirement.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $3,845
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Complete the Perliminary Design for the Ares-i/Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) develop CLV design syst defin review prelim design review review passed   upper stage review
Strategic Goal: Fly the Shuttle as safely as possible, until its retirement, not later than 2010.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $4,227
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Achieve zero Type-A or Type B mishaps. 2 type-B mishaps zero mishaps zero mishaps zero mishaps   zero mishaps
Strategic Goal: Establish a lunar return program having the maximum possible utility for later missions to Mars and other destinations.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $877
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Complete Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Critical Design Review (CDR), Mission Readiness Review (MRR), Payload Engineering Review (PER). PDR completed milestones completed CDR, MRR, PER MRR postponed   launch
Strategic Goal: Encourage the pursuit of appropriate partnerships with the emerging commercial space sector.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $314
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Demonstrate benefits of prize competitions by awarding at least one prize and communicating the resulting technology advancements. N/A 2 competitions 1 prize award prize awarded   1 prize award
Strategic Goal: Complete the International Space Station (ISS) in a manner consistent with NASA's International Partner commitments and the needs of human exploration.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $2,265
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Fly the ISS elements and logistics baselined for 2008. P3/P4 Truss install 3 missions complete 4 int'l modules 4 modules installed   assemble 3 elements
Accomplish a minimum of 90 percent of the on-orbit research objectives as established one month prior to a given mission. 39 research hours/wk 72 research hours/wk 48 research hours/wk 63 research hours/wk   73 research hours/wk
  * This measure was selected from a number of performance measures aimed at the specific strategic goal