When was NASA founded?- NASA history

This article focuses on the topic ‘When was NASA founded? NASA history.

Introduction

Have you ever wondered about the origin of everything? Or did you come across thoughts that involve the creation of the universe, planets, the solar system, space, how do we talk on phones, watch television, predict the weather, travel into rockets, or reach the moon?

I am pretty sure, every one of you must have come across at least one of these thoughts once in a while. Here we are going to learn about NASA, which has made various things possible through its establishment and inventions throughout these years. 

The space program and research emerged due to the cold war between The United States and The Soviet Union. It gave birth to human spaceflight and the scientific exploration related to Space and technology.

• NASA is a leading space agency in the United States that is involved in space exploration and discoveries. It has been known for being one of the most unique civil space agencies in the whole world. 

• NASA has an administrator and a deputy administrator. Bill Nelson is currently the 14^th administrator and Pam Melroy Col. is the 15^th deputy administrator.

• NASA is known for the tremendous inventions and advancements in its discovery related to space and technology.

• Well space in itself is a wide topic to talk about. So let us explore interesting facts about NASA, its formation, and discoveries on human spaceflight and space sciences. 

What is NASA? When was NASA Founded?

• NASA is a short-term use for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The term space here suggests that NASA is associated with science, research, studies, and experiments related to space, aviation, and everything related to aerospace or aeronautics.

• NASA has its headquarters in the capital city of the United States, Washington, D.C. 

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was founded on July 29, 1958. It is 63 years old today. NASA is an independent space agency that comes under the United Nations Federal government. 

• The purpose of NASA was to conduct studies, research, and experiments on space sciences and aerospace technology. Before the formation and establishment of NASA, an emerging space agency was experimenting with space sciences and technology. 

• Therefore, NASA was formed in 1958, succeeding the agency that was earlier called National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA 1915-1958). The purpose of NASA was to have a focus on civil space programs. 

History of NASA

Let us learn about the creation of NASA, its powerful impact on the country and the world, and the factors that led to its establishment as one of the largest space agencies in the world.

Creation of NASA

• The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) which was a predecessor of NASA, started working on its experiments in 1946 that included rocket planes. The Committee worked on rocket-engine planes like Bell X-1 (supersonic plane) that was later used by the military of the United States.

• Around the 1950s a challenge was introduced for various countries to launch an artificial satellite for the International Geophysical Year that was celebrated for the years 1957 – 1958.

• On the 4th of October of 1957, The Soviet Union launched their first artificial Earth satellite, called Sputnik 1. This was the first space satellite and a huge achievement for the Soviet Union.

• In response to the Soviet Union space program launch, NACA opened about establishing a “Special Committee on Space Technology” on January 12 that was headed by Guyford Stever.  This federal agency or committee did not develop or conduct space research for military purposes. 

• Soon after this, the director of NACA Hugh Latimer Dryden on January 14 published “A National Research Program for Space Technology”.

The above-published Research program stated that:

 “It is of great urgency and importance to our country both from consideration of our prestige as a nation as well as military necessity that this challenge [Sputnik] be met by an energetic program of research and development for the conquest of space … It is accordingly proposed that scientific research be the responsibility of a national civilian agency … NACA is capable, by rapid extension and expansion of its effort, of providing leadership in space technology.”

• In February 1958 “Advanced Research Product Agency” (ARPA) was formed to work on development and research related to military space technologies as the federal committee was not involved in the development of space technologies for the military.

• Finally, on the 29th of July, 1958, the 34th president of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower established NASA by signing the “National Aeronautics and Space Act”. 

• NASA started functioning officially on 1st October 1958 and was formed with the following:

• An annual budget of US$100 million was sanctioned by the government to NASA.
• It had employees of around 8000 and two major small facilities for testing and research purposes.
• NASA originated from the 43 years experienced by NACA and absorbed all of its programs and members.
• There were these three major research-based laboratories named: Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory, Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, and Ames Aeronautical Laboratory.
• There were various space programs transferred from ARPA to NASA.

•  NASA began to grow and gained its control on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory around December 1958. 

The Space missions led by NASA

In October 1958, NASA started functioning and began its research and development programs for the upcoming events. Let us learn about a few of such famous space missions conducted by NASA in its history.

PROJECT MERCURY (1958 – 1963)

• Project Mercury was the first program in the United States that involved human spaceflights. The main aim of this project was to send humans in space flights to space and orbit around the Earth. This project was started in 1958.

• Their mission was to research and investigate the behavior of humans and learn its functioning in space. Project Mercury had an objective to recover both the spaceflight as well as humans safely from space. This provided the result that humans in space could function 34 hours of flight (weightless).
• The astronauts selected for this mission were the first seven astronauts selected from the Navy, Air Force, and Marine pilot program. 

• Mathematician Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan were the human computers that calculated the trajectories of this mission.

PROJECT GEMINI ( Years active – 1961 to 1966)

• Project Gemini was initiated based on studies related to Project Mercury and the duration of the spaceflights in space. It was a 2-manned space mission. 

• Project Gemini had an objective to train the astronauts and ground staff/crews for future Apollo missions. It had to work on the development of space rendezvous and its techniques to dock at earth’s orbit with another space vehicle.

• It had an aim to learn the re-entry and precise methods of landing back to earth. The capsule was built for only two astronauts hence the name Gemini that represented twins.

• On June 3, 1965, the astronaut of NASA, Ed White became the first Astronaut in America to walk in space, as shown below:

APOLLO PROGRAM OF NASA (Years active – 1960 to 1972)

• The President of the United States, John F. Kennedy challenged Americans to land on the lunar surface by the end of the decade – 1960s. 

• After Eight years, in the year 1969 Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the lunar surface (moon). Armstrong was a commander in the Apollo 11 space mission.

• The Apollo mission resulted in smooth space travel and it brought back the humans safe from the lunar surface. 
• Its objective was to investigate various scientific methods on the lunar surface and create a scientific interest in the nation as well as globally. The project Apollo conducted various space exploration missions and experiments that involved the development of technologies to encourage the interest of the nation in space.

• Many unfortunate events have also taken place. One of which is Apollo 1 during which the fire swept in the spacecraft while the testing of pre-flight. This event took place in 1967. The crew members on board lost their lives.

Due to this unfortunate event, the space missions have ensured the success, safety, and security of its crew members for further space missions and programs.

PROJECT SKYLAB (Years active – 1965 to 1979)

• Project Skylab is the first and independently built space station in the United States. The space station was constructed on the earth weighing around 77,088 kg. 

• Skylab was launched in 1973, on the 14th of May. It has these four solar arrays in the shape of windmills, which are attached to the Apollo telescope mount. 

• The mission of Skylab was to conduct research and experiments on the space station. The first crew of astronauts that occupied the space station was for 177 days three times in 1973 and 1974. 
• The first experiment that was conducted in the space station was related to the solar observatory. The space station includes a laboratory to perform experiments and research on microgravity, studying the sun, etc.

APOLLO – SOYUZ (Years active – 1972 to 1975)

• The cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union began to thaw in the 1970s. The space missions created cooperation between the government and space agencies of both nations.

• The president of the United States Richard M. Nixon and Alexei Kosygin who was the premier of the Soviet Union signed an agreement of cooperation on the 24th of May, 1972. This agreement meant that the crews of both nations could perform a joint mission in space. 

• This mission was termed as Apollo-Soyuz Space test mission/project. This project involved the docking and rendezvous of the earth orbit of a Soyuz spacecraft with Apollo command and service module. This mission took place in 1975.

• Both the astronauts of their respective nations conducted their experiments and scientific research, providing a better experience to the future joint space missions of the United States and Russia. 

The astronauts partnered internationally with each other and taught us more about space and the universe. Due to those experiments and missions, the future of space exploration became possible. 

The International Space Station is an example of one such partnership. 

(Picture given below)

Several modern space missions include human spaceflight programs. A few of them have been listed with their years in function:

The Space Shuttle Program (Years active – 1972 to 2011)

The Space shuttle era started in 1972 with a motive to originally using space shuttles as a launchable and frequently reusable vehicle. 

Over the last few decades, NASA’s space shuttles like Columbia, Discovery, Atlantis, Challenger, and Endeavor had taken approximately 135 flights and carried a total of 355 various people to the earth’s orbit and space.

It was reusable and it provided support with launching, repairing, and recovering satellites. It was used for conducting research and scientific experiments. 

Through these space shuttles, the largest structure in the space was built – The International Space Station. 

International Space Station [ISS] (Built-in 1993 – Present) 

The Space Station was built for international space cooperation and joint crew space missions. 

The International Space Station consists of the following:

• Space Station Freedom Project of NASA with the Soviet Union’s Mir2 Space Station.
• Then there is a European Columbus space station
• Along with a Laboratory module named Kibo of Japan

The International Space Station consisted of the following other space stations:

1. European Space Agency (ESA)
2. Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
3. Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA)
4. Canadian Space Agency (CSA)

The experiments and research on scientific study take place in the International Space Station’s Laboratory. This enhances the lives of people living on the earth. 

It was built between 1998 and 2011. 

Since November 2002, the International Space Station has not been left alone in space, as it is continuously being housed by these space agencies. 

• Constellation Program (2005 – 2010)
• Commercial Crew Program (2011 – Present)
• The mission of Journey to Mars (2010 – 2017)
• Artemis Program (2017 – Present)

These were a few of the human spaceflight missions conducted by NASA in its history.

Along with manned space missions, NASA has also engaged in un-crew space missions and robotic space flight missions. These missions included the launching of satellites, rovers, some probes as well as launch vehicles.

NASA has been working on its inventions and researching based on its ideas to enhance the possibility of space exploration missions in the coming decades.