The NASA space-research field centre at Moffett Field, California, for the study of aeronautics and life sciences. It was established in 1939 as the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, part of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, and became part of NASA in 1958. Ames managed the Pioneer probe series, designed the Cassini probe, and is involved in the search for extraterrestrial life. Its passive dosimeter system (PDS) monitors radiation on the International Space Station. Among its most popular missions are the Curiosity rover on Mars, the Cassini mission to Saturn, and its Hubble Space Telescope programmes.

http://www.nasa.gov/ames Latest news of Ames’s space-technology and astrobiology research. It also includes feature articles, press releases, and links to its current and past missions, as well as image galleries.