NASA’s challenging and exciting missions provide unique opportunities for engaging and educating the public. Air travel, space flight, the exploration of the unknown, and the discovery of new, mysterious, and beautiful things are all endeavors that hold an intrinsic fascination for people around the world. And the benefits—to NASA, the Nation, and the world—of engaging students and the public in our scientific and engineering adventures cannot be overstated. By stimulating people’s imaginations and creativity and by meaningfully communicating the significance of our discoveries and developments to them, we can help to improve the scientific and technological literacy of our society and draw new students into careers in science and engineering.

—NASA 2003 Strategic Plan