AURA OPERATES THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION'S (NSF) NATIONAL OPTICAL INFRARED LABORATORY (NOIRLAB), THE NATIONAL SOLAR OBSERVATORY (NSO), AND THE VERA C. RUBIN OBSERVATORY CONSTRUCTION (RUBIN CONSTRUCTION OR LSSTPO) UNDER COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH THE NSF. AURA ALSO OPERATES THE SPACE TELESCOPE PROJECT (STSCI) UNDER AN AGREEMENT WITH THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA). THE FEDERAL AGREEMENTS ARE DEPENDENT ON ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATION.