ECONOMIC

IMPACT REPORT

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

October 2022

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration
Stephan’s Quintet, a visual grouping of five galaxies, is 

best known for being prominently featured in the holiday 

classic film, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” NASA’s James Webb 

Space Telescope reveals Stephan’s Quintet in a new light. 

This enormous mosaic is Webb’s largest image to date, 

covering about one-fifth of the Moon’s diameter. James 

Webb Space Telescope is managed at Goddard in Maryland 

with contributions from industries across the country and 

international partners across the globe.
NASA Economic Impact Report FY 2021 1

Introduction

NASA contributes to our Nation’s economic competitiveness, fueling growth in American industry and supporting quality, 

high-paying jobs across the country. NASA commissioned a study of 

its national economic impact for FY21, which showed that every U.S. 

state and the District of Columbia benefited from NASA activities. 

Additionally, the report examines the impact of NASA’s 

Moon-to-Mars campaign and investments in climate 

change research and technology. 

The analysis uses a standard national economic inputoutput model that has been in existence and tested for 

more than 50 years. In many ways, those numbers are 

conservative since the overall economic impact of NASA 

is truly far greater than what any one number can ever 

hope to convey. 

NASA’s economic impact is seen in the resurgence of 

the U.S. commercial space economy, which is seeing 

unprecedented levels of private investment and growth. 

It’s seen in a surge of new space companies. There 

is estimated to have been over $15 billion in private 

investments in space start-up companies in 2021 and 

the majority of these investments were made in U.S. 

companies—in no small part due to NASA’s strong support 

for our domestic commercial space industry through our 

partnerships, contracts, and technology transfer activities. 

NASA’s economic impact is also seen in the incalculable 

value of the climate change data provided by our earth 

observation satellites and scientists, and shared freely 

and openly with the world. This lets us understand the 

magnitude of the challenge that climate change presents 

and helps provide new knowledge and tools for mitigating 

and adapting to these changes. 

And the economic impact of NASA is international. The 

agency is one of the most recognized and valued brands on 

planet Earth and serves as an embodiment of the hope and 

dream that humans everywhere can cooperate together to 

explore the stars. Through the International Space Station, 

our Artemis and Moon to Mars activities, and hundreds of 

international partnerships in space science, aeronautics, 

and space technologies, NASA has a truly positive impact 

on the global economy, with the result that more and more 

economies around the planet are becoming integrated into 

the emerging space economy. 

These commercial, scientific, and international contributions 

are additional impacts above and beyond the estimated 

levels of economic impact calculated in the Economic 

Impact Report. As time passes, it may well be that some 

of the most important NASA contributions to our economy 

come from activities we are barely even aware of today. 

But we already know of innumerable ways in which NASA’s 

economic impact is strong—and getting stronger.



Bill Nelson

Administrator

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
2

NASA’s vision for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Mission is to help emerging aviation markets to safely develop an air transportation system that moves people 

and cargo between places previously not served or underserved by aviation – 

local, regional, intraregional, urban – using revolutionary new aircraft that are 

only just now becoming possible. AAM includes NASA’s work on Urban Air 

Mobility, and will provide substantial benefit to U.S. industry and the public.
NASA Economic Impact Report FY 2021 3

NASA’s National

Economic

Impact

While NASA has field centers operating in various 

parts of the country, the impact of NASA spending (both labor and procurement) is not confined to states 

that have active NASA facilities. 

All 50 states see economic benefits from 

NASA’s missions of aerospace research

and space exploration.

Results from NASA’s research and development activities 

ripple throughout the national economy, supporting 

high-tech industries and creating or sustaining tens of 

thousands of knowledge-intensive jobs. In addition, NASA 

invests in economically valuable technologies that help 

the nation maintain its competitive advantage. These 

investments improve U.S. businesses productivity and 

global competitiveness. 

In FY21, NASA employed more than 19,000 civil servants

and had a budget of $23.27 billion. Through labor 

expenditures and procurements, this resulted in a 

significant economic impact across the nation. 



In FY21, NASA’s efforts*

• Impacted all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 

Generated 

a total 

economic 

output of 

more than 

$71.2 billion 

an increase 

of 10.7% 

from FY19.

Supported 

more than 

339,600 

jobs.

Resulted in 

nearly $7.7 

billion in 

federal, 

state, and 

local tax 

revenues.

$71.2 B 339,600 $7.7 B

FY 2021 * These are estimates derived by 

a national economic modeling 

application [IMPLAN] based on 

NASA’s procurement and labor 

expenditures. 
4

NASA Output Impact by State ($M) 
NASA Economic Impact Report FY 2021 5

NASA Employment Impact by State 
6

Artemis I’s Space Launch System rocket (managed 

at Marshall in Alabama) and the Orion Crew Capsule 

(managed at Johnson in Texas) sit on the mobile launch 

pad in Florida.
NASA Economic Impact Report FY 2021 7

Moon to Mars

(M2M)

Campaign

NASA’s human lunar exploration plans under 

Artemis call for sending the first woman and

first person of color to the surface of the Moon and 

establishing sustainable exploration by the end of the 

decade. Working with U.S. companies and international 

partners, NASA will uncover new scientific discoveries 

and lay the foundation for long-term lunar exploration and 

development. The agency will use what it learns on the 

Moon to prepare for humanity’s next giant leap—sending

astronauts to Mars.

It all starts with U.S companies delivering scientific 

instruments and technology demonstrations to the lunar 

surface, followed by a spaceship, called the Gateway, 

in orbit around the Moon that will support human and 

scientific missions, and human landers that will take 

astronauts to the surface of the Moon. The agency’s 

powerful Space Launch System rocket and Orion 

spacecraft (pictured on the previous page) are the backbone to build the Gateway and transport astronauts to 

and from Earth. 

Some highlights of the economic impacts that occur 

throughout the national economy include:

• M2M economic activity across the U.S. supports more 

than 93,700 jobs.

• M2M spending supports more than $20.1 billion in total 

economic output across the country, an increase of 

42.6% from FY19.

• The M2M program generates an estimated $2.2 billion 

in federal, state, and local tax revenues nationwide.



The following represents the variety of programs and projects 

of the M2M campaign:

• The Space Launch System

• Orion spacecraft

• All ground support equipment for development, testing, and launch of SLS/Orion

• Gateway

• Human Landing System

• Space suits for lunar surface operations

• In situ resource utilization, surface power systems, life support, and other advanced 

technology developments for a sustained lunar presence

• Mars 2020 & Sample Return

• Commercial Lunar Payload Services

For additional information about NASA’s moon to Mars campaign, please visit 

EXPLORE MOON to MARS. 
8

NASA Moon to Mars Campaign Output Impact by State ($M) 
NASA Economic Impact Report FY 2021 9

NASA Moon to Mars Campaign Employment Impact by State 
10

This natural color image of Eleuthera Island, 

the Bahamas, was taken by Landsat 9 on 

January 18, 2022. Between Landsat 8 and 

Landsat 9, the Landsat program delivers 

complete coverage of the Earth’s surface 

every eight days. Landsat is jointly managed 

by NASA and the USGS, and is an example 

of NASA partnering with other government 

agencies to benefit the world. 
NASA Economic Impact Report FY 2021 11

NASA’s Investments in

Climate Change

Research and

Technology

NASA is a global leader in studying Earth’s 

changing climate. The agency’s observations of 

Earth from space, the air, and on the ground are helping 

humans learn how the interconnected systems of the 

planet interact.

NASA has a broad climate research program. Among 

the many areas NASA studies are greenhouse gases, 

temperature change, changes in sea ice and land ice, 

sea level rise, clouds and precipitation, and air pollution. 

NASA also develops technologies that can be used to 

mitigate or adapt to climate change, like sustainable 

aviation technologies.

In addition to providing the nation and world with unique 

climate observations, analysis, and modeling, this research 

helps NASA better assess the impacts of climate change 

on its mission and ensure the resiliency of its facilities and 

assets. NASA’s capabilities in researching Earth and its 

atmosphere will continue to be critical in understanding 

causes and effects of temperature changes, sea level rise, 

and other major climate changes. 

• NASA’s investments in climate change research and 

technology economic activity across the U.S. supports 

more than 37,000 jobs.

• NASA’s investments in climate change research and 

technology spending supports more than $7.4 billion in 

total economic output across the country.

• NASA’s investments in climate change research and 

technology generates an estimated $810 million in 

federal, state, and local tax revenues nationwide.



The following represents the variety of 

programs and projects included in NASA’s 

investments in climate change research 

and technology:

• Earth Science Activities

– Earth Science Research

– Earth Systematic Mission

– Earth System Science Pathfinder Applied Science (Pathways,

 including SERVIR)

– Earth System Explorers

– Earth Science Technology 

• Aeronautics Activities 

– Advanced Air Transport Tech

– Advanced Composites Project

– Advanced Air Mobility

– Air Traffic Management eXploration

– Airspace Technology Demonstration

– Convergent Aeronautics Solutions

– Cross Program Operations

– Environmentally Responsible Aviation

– Hi-Rate Composite Aircraft Manufacturing

– Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core

– SMART-NAS Test Bed for Safe TBO

– Transformational Tools and Technologies

• Space Technology Activities

– Portions of Space Technology Research Grants; Technology Transfer; Small 

Business Technology Transfer

– TDM Fission Surface Power

– GCD Nuclear Systems 

• Portions of Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) 

• Construction and environmental compliance and remediation efforts at NASA 

facilities

For more information about NASA’s Climate Change activities, please visit

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, Vital Signs of the Planet. 
12

NASA’s Investments in Climate Change Activities 

Output Impact by State ($M) 
NASA Economic Impact Report FY 2021 13

NASA’s Investment in Climate Change Activities 

Employment Impact by State 
14

The sun rises above the Earth's horizon in this photograph from the International 

Space Station (ISS) as it orbited 262 miles above the Pacific Ocean. The ISS is the 

current core of the emerging economy in low-Earth orbit.
NASA Economic Impact Report FY 2021 15

Global Space

Economy

NASA, from its inception with the National 

Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, has a 

mandate to involve the international community in its 

mission of scientific discovery and space exploration. 

Beyond direct partnerships with dozens of nations over its 

history, the expansion of humanity’s influence into orbit and 

beyond has led to a booming space economy—satellites, 

launch vehicles, research and development, space tourism, 

and more.

Today, there are more than 90 nations active in space, 

employing more than a million people and representing 

more than $107 billion in spending by world governments. 

The total value worldwide of this space economy has 

grown to more than $469 billion. There are 49 active and in 

development spaceports worldwide, with more proposed. 

The number of patents awarded to space-related 

technologies has quadrupled over the past two decades.* 

In 2031, it is projected that 10.9 million people will be 

employed in STEM fields in the U.S.**

International Partnerships

NASA’s most extensive international partnership orbits 

approximately 250 miles above the Earth’s surface, circling 

the planet every hour and a half. The International Space 

Station, representing 15 nations and five space agencies 

(NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, Japanese 

Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space 

Agency) has been operating for more than 20 years, 

providing a unique orbital laboratory that has performed 

thousands of experiments during its operational lifetime. In 

addition to the ISS, NASA had more than 640 active

international agreements for various scientific research and

technology development activities in FY21, representing

everything from ground-based research and development 

to scientific instruments that study other worlds.



The Artemis Accords 

While NASA is leading the Artemis missions, international 

partnerships will play a key role in achieving a sustainable 

and robust presence on the Moon while preparing to conduct 

a historic human mission to Mars. With numerous countries 

conducting missions and operations in cislunar space, it is 

critical to establish a common set of principles to assure the 

safe and responsible exploration of outer space.

As of October 2022, 21 countries have signed the accords.

United for Peaceful Exploration of Deep Space

* Data from Space Foundation’s The Space Report 2022 Q2 global space economy analysis:

https://www.spacefoundation.org/2022/07/27/the-space-report-2022-q2/

** U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/stem-employment.htm
16

NASA’s all-electric X-57 Maxwell (managed at Armstrong in California) continues to undergo 

high-voltage ground testing with successful spinning of the propellers under electric power. 

The principal goals of the X-57 Project are to share the X-57 design and airworthiness process with regulators and standards organizations; and to establish the X-57 as a reference 

platform for integrated approaches of distributed electric propulsion technologies. Electric 

aviation has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from air travel.
NASA Economic Impact Report FY 2021 17

NASA

Partnerships

Partnerships are an increasingly important part of 

how NASA creates positive impacts across the U.S. 

economy. Through partnerships, the Agency provides 

over 60 years of experience in advanced engineering and 

testing capabilities, cutting-edge research, and technology 

development, as well as unique land, to hundreds of 

commercial companies, academic institutions, U.S. 

Government agencies, and international entities. 

NASA Partnerships continue to evolve and diversify 

as external partners and capabilities expand. These 

partners continue to make breakthroughs in exploration 

technology and science in areas pertinent to NASA’s 

missions. Partnering with all segments is vital in 

successfully accomplishing NASA missions in everything 

from returning to the Moon to stay with Artemis, to flight 

technology like NASA’s all-electric X-57 Maxwell (pictured 

on the previous page).

FY21 NASA Non-Procurement Partnership highlights 

include:

• 2,655 active domestic and international partnership 

agreements.

• 697 new domestic and 122 new international 

agreements.

• 700 different active partnerships with non-Federal U.S. 

Partners.

• Partnerships in 44 of 50 states. 



FY21 Innovative Non-Procurement Partnership 

Examples

• NASA’s Aeronautics National Campaign:

thirteen companies and one university have signed 

agreements with NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National 

Campaign to continue work towards integrating air 

taxis, cargo delivery aircraft and other new air vehicle 

concepts into the national airspace system to move 

people and cargo between places not previously 

served or underserved by aviation. 

• Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL): providing Deep Space 

network services to Astrobotic under a reimbursable 

Space Act Agreement supporting plans for commercial 

space lunar exploration. Astrobotic’s first lunar lander, 

Peregrine, is scheduled to launch from NASA’s 

Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

For more partnership examples: https://www.nasa.gov/

partnerships/recent-partnerships.html
18

Plenty Unlimited maintains plant health using 

robotics in nearly every step of the farming 

process. The growing environment mimics 

the closed-loop environment developed by 

NASA in the Biomass Production Chamber 

that demonstrated how to grow plants without 

sunlight or open air. Credit: Plenty Unlimited Inc.
NASA Economic Impact Report FY 2021 19

NASA in

Your Life

NASA drives economic development and growth 

through technological innovation. When NASA 

develops the advanced technologies necessary for space 

exploration or makes breakthrough scientific discoveries 

about the universe, it isn’t just applicable to the Agency’s 

missions in space. Many of these developments find 

applications in everyday American life. Through spinoff 

technologies and the Agency’s Technology Transfer 

Program, NASA provides an impact on American lives 

beyond dollars and jobs.

Infusing NASA Technology 

into the American Economy

NASA’s Technology Transfer Program ensures that 

innovations developed for exploration and discovery are 

broadly available to the public, maximizing the benefit to 

the Nation. The first step in getting NASA technology 

into your daily life are New Technology Reports (NTRs), 

detailing any invention, discovery, improvement, or 

innovation that was either conceived or first put in practice 

as part of NASA work. In addition to NTRs, every year 

NASA personnel file dozens of patent applications and 

enable hundreds of people to access NASA-developed 

software for use in research or business. These spinoff 

technologies find new and beneficial applications 

in health care, transportation, public safety, energy, 

industrial production, and more. From new remote sensor 

technology that helps doctors better diagnose patients 

to new insulation to make power plants more efficient, 

NASA technology has an impact on the daily life of every 

American in myriad ways.



Tech Transfer 2021

• 1,542 New Technology Reports

• 67 new patent applications filed

• 112 patents issued

• 5,168 software usage agreements 

Indoor Farming

• The need to generate oxygen and grow food 

in space inspired NASA to test indoor agriculture techniques. 

• Thanks to agency-funded research, private companies are building on 

NASA’s vertical farm structure (the first ever built in the United States), 

plant-growth “recipes,” and environmental-control data to create 

successful indoor farms (pictured on the previous page).

• After decades of NASA research, the Controlled Environment Agriculture 

(CEA) industry expanded dramatically in the 1990s due in part to 

hundreds of millions of dollars invested by high-tech companies. In FY21, 

the global vertical farming market was worth about $3.1 billion and is 

projected to reach $9.7 billion by 2026*. 

• Imagery and full article here: https://spinoff.nasa.gov/indoor-farming

* Vertical Farming Market worth $9.7 billion by 2026 – Exclusive Report by 

MarketsandMarketsTM – Bloomberg

For more information on NASA Environmental Solutions, please visit:

Environmental Solutions Through NASA Technology
20

National Impact Moon to Mars Climate Change

Jobs Output Jobs Output Jobs Output

Alabama 41,084 $8,030,000,000 24,899 $4,954,000,000 1,083 $199,000,000

Alaska 550 $91,000,000 17 $3,000,000 171 $30,000,000

Arizona 3,876 $711,000,000 432 $78,000,000 246 $45,000,000

Arkansas 48 $8,000,000 3 $1,000,000 18 $3,000,000

California 66,236 $15,244,000,000 11,640 $2,867,000,000 9,972 $2,252,000,000

Colorado 26,255 $5,024,000,000 14,639 $3,002,000,000 3,552 $549,000,000

Connecticut 485 $108,000,000 86 $19,000,000 238 $49,000,000

Delaware 114 $25,000,000 8 $2,000,000 17 $4,000,000

Florida 38,569 $7,425,000,000 10,016 $2,061,000,000 2,565 $432,000,000

Georgia 462 $89,000,000 42 $8,000,000 140 $24,000,000

Hawaii 354 $65,000,000 4 $1,000,000 78 $14,000,000

Idaho 111 $17,000,000 5 $1,000,000 27 $4,000,000

Illinois 621 $134,000,000 38 $9,000,000 177 $36,000,000

Indiana 1,131 $216,000,000 15 $4,000,000 89 $17,000,000

Iowa 333 $61,000,000 3 $1,000,000 35 $5,000,000

Kansas 117 $22,000,000 2 $1,000,000 69 $13,000,000

Kentucky 168 $33,000,000 26 $5,000,000 28 $5,000,000

Louisiana 2,601 $494,000,000 1,234 $225,000,000 25 $5,000,000

Maine 110 $19,000,000 32 $10,000,000 39 $7,000,000

Maryland 36,771 $7,965,000,000 400 $87,000,000 6,425 $1,316,000,000

Massachusetts 3,260 $692,000,000 84 $19,000,000 958 $179,000,000

Michigan 785 $143,000,000 23 $5,000,000 347 $63,000,000

Minnesota 273 $51,000,000 22 $5,000,000 60 $11,000,000

Mississippi 5,187 $865,000,000 1,201 $208,000,000 315 $46,000,000

Missouri 481 $93,000,000 47 $9,000,000 106 $22,000,000

Montana 152 $24,000,000 19 $3,000,000 57 $9,000,000

Summary: NASA Impacts by State 
NASA Economic Impact Report FY 2021 21

National Impact Moon to Mars Climate Change

Jobs Output Jobs Output Jobs Output

Nebraska 40 $9,000,000 1 $1,000,000 7 $2,000,000

Nevada 681 $118,000,000 24 $5,000,000 46 $8,000,000

New Hampshire 454 $88,000,000 21 $4,000,000 185 $34,000,000

New Jersey 486 $109,000,000 61 $19,000,000 83 $17,000,000

New Mexico 855 $178,000,000 61 $12,000,000 91 $16,000,000

New York 2,321 $531,000,000 198 $52,000,000 511 $113,000,000

North Carolina 1,102 $175,000,000 31 $7,000,000 320 $51,000,000

North Dakota 35 $7,000,000 1 $1,000,000 6 $1,000,000

Ohio 10,907 $2,461,000,000 1,280 $301,000,000 1,910 $417,000,000

Oklahoma 802 $158,000,000 6 $2,000,000 462 $79,000,000

Oregon 244 $47,000,000 16 $4,000,000 133 $25,000,000

Pennsylvania 1,870 $378,000,000 977 $202,000,000 288 $54,000,000

Rhode Island 86 $16,000,000 32 $6,000,000 19 $3,000,000

South Carolina 250 $42,000,000 2 $1,000,000 28 $5,000,000

South Dakota 153 $37,000,000 7 $1,000,000 107 $26,000,000

Tennessee 1,645 $340,000,000 57 $15,000,000 295 $58,000,000

Texas 41,937 $9,280,000,000 14,144 $3,142,000,000 757 $154,000,000

Utah 5,175 $970,000,000 4,605 $892,000,000 177 $28,000,000

Vermont 44 $8,000,000 5 $1,000,000 12 $2,000,000

Virginia 32,739 $6,800,000,000 3,392 $900,000,000 4,017 $833,000,000

Washington 4,622 $1,062,000,000 3,712 $918,000,000 287 $57,000,000

Washington, DC 2,047 $580,000,000 82 $21,000,000 238 $58,000,000

West Virginia 707 $139,000,000 61 $11,000,000 53 $10,000,000

Wisconsin 268 $55,000,000 20 $4,000,000 116 $21,000,000

Wyoming 39 $7,000,000 2 $1,000,000 17 $3,000,000

Total 339,643 $71,244,000,000 93,735 $20,111,000,000 37,002 $7,414,000,000
22

NASA and Northrop Grumman completed a solid rocket 

booster motor ground test for future flights of the agency’s 

Space Launch System rocket at Northrop Grumman’s test 

facility in Promontory, Utah, July 21. The booster motor, 

called Flight Support Booster-2 (FSB-2), fired for a little 

over two minutes and produced more than 3.6 million 

pounds of thrust. NASA’s economic impact is felt across the 

nation including states without NASA centers.
Follow, share, and be a part of the conversation 

on popular social media sites with NASA. 

Join us on our flagship accounts:

https://www.youtube.com/NASA

https://www.facebook.com/NASA/

https://twitter.com/NASA

https://www.instagram.com/NASA/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/nasa/
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA Headquarters

300 E. Street SW

Washington, DC 20546

www.nasa.gov/centers NP-2022-08-3064-HQ G-616006