Answering this question is one of the key goals in NASA's Astrophysics Division, and is the main objective of its Cosmic Origins (COR) Program.
Here are some of the topics our work focuses on:
No one mission or observatory can provide all the answers. The Cosmic Origins Program includes telescopes that together operate across much of the electromagnetic spectrum. From the iconic Hubble Space Telescope’s groundbreaking science to the future discoveries awaiting us with the James Webb Space Telescope and more to come, Cosmic Origin's facilities help us in our search for answers to the biggest questions about our universe and its origins.
Nancy Grace Roman: First Chief Astronomer. In this undated image from the 1960s, Nancy Grace Roman sits in her office in NASA Headquarters. Roman was the first Chief of Astronomy at NASA’s Office of Space Science and the first woman to hold an executive position in the agency. Read more »