NASA Created

Setting the scene

NASA was created on July 29, 1958, when President Dwight Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA began operations October 1, 1958, absorbing the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and other agencies. The creation was a direct response to the Soviet launch of Sputnik in 1957, which shocked America.

What happened

NASA's mandate was civilian space exploration and aeronautics research. Its first administrator was T. Keith Glennan. NASA's early programs included Mercury (first Americans in space), Gemini (spacewalks and docking), and Apollo (moon landing). The agency's budget peaked at 4.4% of federal spending in 1966 during the Space Race.

Why it still matters

NASA has since landed 12 astronauts on the moon, launched the Space Shuttle, built the International Space Station, sent rovers to Mars, and launched telescopes like Hubble and James Webb. July 29, 1958, began the agency that would define the Space Age and demonstrate American technological leadership. NASA's creation showed how Cold War competition could drive peaceful scientific achievement.

Background

It would run Apollo and the shuttle.