About ETD

The Engine That Powers Goddard

Goddard encompasses major laboratories and facilities for developing and operating unmanned scientific spacecraft. The Engineering and Technology Directorate (ETD) is the largest organization at Goddard Space Flight Center. Goddard has six distinctive facilities & installations. ETD has employees at the Greenbelt main campus in Maryland, Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and White Sands Test Facility Ground Stations in New Mexico.

Wallops Engineering

The Wallops Engineering Office (WEO) provides multidisciplinary engineering capabilities required for the development of scientific payloads and vehicle systems at the Wallops Flight Facility (WFF).

Aerospace Flight Hardware & Technology

The Aerospace Flight Hardware & Technology Division (AFHD) provides comprehensive technical leadership for the full life cycle development of advanced instrumentation and aerospace flight systems for NASA’s Earth and Space missions.

Systems Architectures

The Systems Architectures Division (SAD) has the overall responsibility for end-to-end systems engineering, systems architecture development, analysis and implementation for new and existing space missions – performed either internally (“in house”) or in conjunction with Other Government Agencies/industry partners (“out-of-house”).

An End-To-End Science Mission Operation

The Engineering and Technology Directorate designs missions, builds satellites and instruments, operate and control spacecraft and acquire and distribute data to the world-wide science community.

The ETD recruits and hires the best and the brightest from across the nation to bring together the largest collection of scientists, engineers and technologists under one roof. With their help, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center can implement and create cutting-edge technology that aims to advance and expand the understanding of the observable universe and further explore the Moon and Mars. The expertise that the directorate has includes:

Advanced technology for tracking and gathering scientific data.
Hands-on operational knowledge of how to successfully implement space science missions.
A fundamental and strategic system engineering approach to tackle new challenges and advance the needs of research.

The ETD’s staff is supported by unique world-class facilities, and the ability to apply emerging technologies to develop high-performance, cost-effective solutions to the most challenging problems in science and exploration.