Glossary

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NAPP National Aerial Photography Program

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASCOM NASA Communications (network)

NASDA (Japanese) National Space Development Agency

NASS National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA)

NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NBS National Biological Service (DoI)

NCAR National Center for Atmospheric Research

NCDC National Climatic Data Center (NOAA)

NCI National Cancer Institute (NIH)

NERL National Exposure Research Laboratory (EPA)

NESDIS National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NOAA)

neutron star Any of a class of extremely dense, compact stars thought to be composed primarily of neutrons; see pulsar

NGDC National Geophysical Data Center (NOAA)

NIH National Institutes of Health

NIMS Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology (DoC)

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DoC); also the designation of that administration's Sun-synchronous satellites in polar orbit

nominal Functioning as designed

NPOESS National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System

NPS National Park Service (DoI)

NRCS National Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) (USDA)

NRL Naval Research Laboratory

NSAU National Space Agency of Ukraine

NSC National Security Council

NSF National Science Foundation

NSORS NOAA Satellite Ocean Remote Sensing (program)

NSPD National Space Policy Directive

NSTC National Science and Technology Council

NTIA National Telecommunications and Information Administration (DoC); the Federal Government's radio spectrum manager, which coordinates the use of LEO satellite networks, such as those for Landsat, Navstar GPS, the Space Shuttle, and TIROS, with other countries of the world

NWTC National Wind Tunnel Complex