NASA Founded Fifty Years Ago Today

Fifty years ago today, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration got started.

• "Looking Back at 50 Years of NASA"
  Discovery Channel (July 29, 2008)
  
  • "Fifty years ago today, United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act into existence. This landmark act led to the formation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration -- aka NASA -- on October 1, 1958.
  • "From the first U.S. manned orbit around the Earth through the now-imminent retirement of its space shuttle fleet, the aging space program has seen its fair share of both triumphant and trying times.
  • "Here Discovery Space offers reflections in expert 'My Takes,' slideshows of classic images, and video to reflect on NASA's upcoming 50th anniversary of putting people into space.
  • "During the next 90 days we'll be adding more, so be sure to check back often!..."
• "NASA Established 50 Years Ago"
  Associated Content (July 29, 2008)
  Whither the Space Agency?
  • "On July 29, 1958, President Eisenhower signed National Air and Space Act, establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a civilian agency in response to the challenge of the Soviet launch of Sputnik nearly a year before.
  • "Before the establishment of NASA, American space efforts, such as they were, were divided among the branches of the armed services. The establishment of NASA gathered into one civilian agency, along with the aeronautics research efforts of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) that had been founded in 1915.
  • "Even so, President Eisenhower was somewhat skeptical of funding a large space program and barely approved of the first American man in space program, Project Mercury. It would take another Soviet space feat, the successful orbital flight of Yuri Gagarin, and a new President for NASA to really come into its own...."
• "NASA's 50th Anniversary Website"
  NASA
  • Links to video, articles, photos, descriptions of upcoming events

Quite a lot has happened in that half-century.


(From NASA, used without permission)