Editing Marshall Space Flight Center (section)

===Advanced scientific research===
Hundreds of experiments have been conducted aboard the [[International Space Station]]. The deep-space images from the [[Hubble Space Telescope]] and the [[Chandra X-ray Observatory]] are made possible in part by the people and facilities at Marshall. The MSFC was not only responsible for the design, development, and construction of these telescopes, but it is also now home to the only facility in the world for testing large telescope mirrors in a space-simulated environment. Work is well underway on the [[James Webb Space Telescope]] (JWST), which will have the largest primary mirror ever assembled in space. In the future, the facility will likely be used for another successor, the [[Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope]] (AT-LAST).{{citation_needed|date=July 2019}}

The [[National Space Science and Technology Center]] (NSSTC) is a joint research venture between NASA and the seven research universities of the State of Alabama. The primary purpose of NSSTC is to foster collaboration in research between government, academia, and industry. It consists of seven research centers: Advanced Optics, Biotechnology, Global Hydrology & Climate, Information Technology, Material Science, Propulsion, and Space Science. Each center is managed by either MSFC, the host NASA facility, or the [[University of Alabama in Huntsville]], the host university.{{citation_needed|date=July 2019}}

====Solar System research====
Teams at MSFC manage NASA's programs for exploring the Sun, the Moon, the planets, and other bodies throughout the [[Solar System]]. These have included [[Gravity Probe B]], an experiment to test two predictions of Einstein's general theory of relativity, and [[Hinode (satellite)|Solar-B]], an international mission to study the solar magnetic field and origins of the solar wind, a phenomenon that affects radio transmission on the Earth. The MSFC Lunar Precursor and Robotic Program Office manages projects and directs studies on lunar robotic activities across NASA.{{citation_needed|date=July 2019}}

====Climate and weather research====
MSFC also develops systems for monitoring the Earth's climate and weather patterns. At the Global Hydrology and Climate Center (GHCC), researchers combine data from Earth systems with satellite data to monitor biodiversity conservation and [[climate change]], providing information that improves agriculture, urban planning, and water-resource management.<ref>[http://www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/ GHCC / Earth Science Office] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224052901/http://www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/ |date=2011-02-24 }}</ref>

====Microsatellites====
On November 19, 2010, MSFC entered the new field of microsatellites with the successful launch of [[FASTSAT]] (Fast, Affordable, Science and Technology Satellite). Part of a joint DoD/NASA payload, it was launched by a [[Minotaur IV]] rocket from the [[Kodiak Launch Complex]] on [[Kodiak Island]], Alaska. FASTSAT is a platform carrying multiple small payloads to low-Earth orbit, creating opportunities to conduct low-cost scientific and technology research on an autonomous satellite in space. FASTSAT, weighing just under {{cvt|400|lb|kg}}, serves as a full scientific laboratory containing all the resources needed to carry out scientific and technology research operations. It was developed at the MSFC in partnership with the Von Braun Center for Science & Innovation and Dynetics, Inc., both of Huntsville, Alabama. Mark Boudreaux is the project manager for MSFC.{{citation_needed|date=July 2019}}

There are six experiments on the FASTSAT bus, including [[NanoSail-D2]], which is itself a nanosatellite – the first satellite launched from another satellite. It was deployed satisfactorily on January 21, 2011.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101016051029/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/smallsats/fastsat/ "FASTSAT Latest News and Update"] MSFC Data</ref>