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Luxembourg, 14 October 2020. – NASA has calculated the economic impact of its activities on the U.S. economy in 2019 at a stunning $64.3 billion, the U.S. space agency said in a recently published report.The first-ever agency-wide economic impact report shows that, through all NASA activities, the agency generated more than $64.3 billion in total economic output during fiscal year 2019, NASA said. It supported more than 312,000 jobs nationwide, and generated an estimated $7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes throughout the United States.
The study found, for example, that the agency’s Moon and Mars exploration programs generated more than $14 billion in total economic output and supported more than 69,000 jobs nationwide in fiscal year 2019. The agency counted more than 2,000 spinoffs since 1976.
“In this new era of human spaceflight, NASA is contributing to economies locally and nationally, fueling growth in industries that will define the future, and supporting tens of thousands of new jobs in America,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “With an investment of just one-half of 1% of the federal budget, NASA generates significant total economic output annually. This study confirms, and puts numbers, to what we have long understood – that taxpayer investment in America’s space program yields tremendous returns that strengthen our nation on several fronts – a stronger economy, advances in science and technology, and improvements to humanity.”
The study was conducted by the Nathalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement at the University of Illinois at Chicago and presented end of September 2020.
