NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the government department responsible for the United States of America's space program.
NASA's predecessor was the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA), which was formed after World War I to promote aeronautical research and development in the United States. In 1959, the department was reorganized and given control of the space program, which had previously been undertaken separately by different branches of the military.
NASA space missions
- Manned space missions
- Mercury program
- Gemini program
- Apollo program and others
- Skylab
- Unmanned space missions
- Mariner program and others
- Surveyor program
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Field Installations
There are 12 NASA field installations:
- John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida
- Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California
- Hugh L. Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, California
- Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, near Pasadena, California
- Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
- Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia
- Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio
- George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
- Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, Louisiana
- John C. Stennis Space Center, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
- Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia
Some of its most notable achievements are sending the first men to the moon in 1969, the ongoing space shuttle program, contributions to the international space station, and the launching of various space probes and satellites. Its activities have led to a wealth of scientific discoveries, many of which have led to important military and commercial applications. In recent years, their strategy has begun to shift from pursuing a few high-cost projects, to pursuing a number of smaller and lower-cost projects, including the use of unmanned rockets, probes and robots.
Related Legislation
- 1958 - National Aeronautics and Space Administration PL 85-568
- 1961 - Apollo mission funding PL 87-98 A
- 1970 - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Research and Development Act PL 91-119
- 1984 - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act PL 98-361
- 1988 - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act PL 100-685