FAA stands for the Federal Aviation Administration. It is the largest modern transportation agency of the United States government and falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The FAA's primary mission is to ensure the safety of civil aviation through the regulation of all aspects of American civil aeronautics. This includes the construction and operation of airports, the management of air traffic control (the "NextGen" system), the certification of personnel and aircraft, and the protection of U.S. assets during the launch or re-entry of commercial space vehicles. Founded in 1958 (originally as the Federal Aviation Agency), it was created in response to a series of mid-air collisions, highlighting the need for a unified federal body to manage the increasingly crowded and complex national airspace. Today, the FAA is a global leader in aviation safety standards, often working alongside international organizations like ICAO to harmonize flight regulations and ensure that the "golden age of flight" remains the safest era of transportation in human history.