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On This Day in 1958: NASA is Created
July 28, 2022 at 09:08 PM EDT
By Weatherbug's Sabrina Dineshkumar
This day in history marks the moment the U.S. Congress officially passed legislation to establish the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Today, NASA is on the forefront of space exploration and research around the world.
NASA was created on July 29, in 1958, with the mission of running America’s space endeavors. The administration was formed as a response to increasing tensions in the Cold-War era Space Race. The Soviet Union had recently launched the infamous satellite, Sputnik 1, into orbit on October 1, 1957, which began to fuel fears in the United States that the Soviets could launch nuclear weapons from space. Coupled with America’s eagerness to be on the forefront of space exploration, NASA's creation was the next right step in that direction.
In November of 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2, carrying the first living animal into space, a dog named Laika. Later that same year America launched its own rocket, the Vanguard, which sank back down to Earth and exploded a few moments after takeoff. Not to be hindered, NASA pressed on and successfully launched the Explorer 1 in January of 1958, making it the first U.S. satellite to orbit the Earth. In July, NASA was born, symbolizing America’s commitment to the Space Race. A few years later, President John F. Kennedy made a compelling speech, with a pledge to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. With great timing in 1969, Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy and landed Neil Armstrong and crew on the surface of the moon. It was a riveting moment in space exploration history, which Armstrong commemorated with the words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.
Since then, NASA has continued to develop cutting-edge technology to propel our understanding of the universe forward. The agency has experienced both countless successes and tragic setbacks throughout history. This past year, NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest optical telescope in space, producing stunning high-resolution images of our galaxies. NASA continues to push the space frontier and lead scientific discovery globally.
Source: History.com
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Story Image: Rocket launch (Courtsey of Pexels)
NASA was created on July 29, in 1958, with the mission of running America’s space endeavors. The administration was formed as a response to increasing tensions in the Cold-War era Space Race. The Soviet Union had recently launched the infamous satellite, Sputnik 1, into orbit on October 1, 1957, which began to fuel fears in the United States that the Soviets could launch nuclear weapons from space. Coupled with America’s eagerness to be on the forefront of space exploration, NASA's creation was the next right step in that direction.
In November of 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2, carrying the first living animal into space, a dog named Laika. Later that same year America launched its own rocket, the Vanguard, which sank back down to Earth and exploded a few moments after takeoff. Not to be hindered, NASA pressed on and successfully launched the Explorer 1 in January of 1958, making it the first U.S. satellite to orbit the Earth. In July, NASA was born, symbolizing America’s commitment to the Space Race. A few years later, President John F. Kennedy made a compelling speech, with a pledge to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. With great timing in 1969, Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy and landed Neil Armstrong and crew on the surface of the moon. It was a riveting moment in space exploration history, which Armstrong commemorated with the words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.
Since then, NASA has continued to develop cutting-edge technology to propel our understanding of the universe forward. The agency has experienced both countless successes and tragic setbacks throughout history. This past year, NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest optical telescope in space, producing stunning high-resolution images of our galaxies. NASA continues to push the space frontier and lead scientific discovery globally.
Source: History.com
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Story Image: Rocket launch (Courtsey of Pexels)