National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Overview
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA was created in response to the Soviet Union's October 4, 1957 launch of its first satellite, Sputnik I. The 183-pound, basketball-sized satellite orbited the earth in 98 minutes. The Sputnik launch caught Americans by surprise and sparked fears that the Soviets might also be capable of sending missiles with nuclear weapons from Europe to America. The United States prided itself on being at the forefront of technology, and, embarrassed, immediately began developing a response, signaling the start of the U.S.-Soviet Space Race.
Creation and early years
On July 29, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, establishing NASA. The NASA Act (Pub.L. 85–568) was an amendment to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) charter and provided for research into the problems of flight within and outside the earth's atmosphere. The new agency became operational on October 1, 1958. Since that time, most U.S. space exploration efforts have been led by NASA, including the Apollo moon-landing missions, the Skylab space station, and later the Space Shuttle program.
Apollo program
One of NASA's earliest and most significant programs was the Apollo program, which aimed at achieving human missions to the Moon. This program was initiated by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961, with the goal of landing a man on the Moon before the end of the decade. The program was named after Apollo, the Greek god of light, music, and the sun. The first manned Apollo mission, Apollo 7, launched on October 11, 1968. The first Moon landing, Apollo 11, took place on July 20, 1969, when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the lunar surface.
Space Shuttle program
The Space Shuttle program, officially called the Space Transportation System (STS), was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011. The Space Shuttle was a reusable spacecraft that launched with the aid of two solid-fuel boosters and an external tank. After its mission, it re-entered Earth's atmosphere and landed like an airplane. The shuttle could carry a crew of seven and over 50,000 pounds of payload into Low Earth Orbit. The program was officially launched in 1981 with the flight of Columbia on the STS-1 mission.
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station, or a habitable artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. Its first component was launched into orbit in 1998, and the ISS is now the largest artificial body in orbit and can often be seen with the naked eye from Earth. The ISS consists of pressurized modules, external trusses, solar arrays, and other components. ISS components have been launched by Russian Proton and Soyuz rockets, and American Space Shuttles.
Current and future programs
NASA's current major projects include the Artemis program, which plans to land "the first woman and the next man" on the Moon by 2024. Artemis would be the next step towards the long-term goal of establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon, laying the foundation for private companies to build a lunar economy, and eventually sending humans to Mars. NASA also continues to study and monitor Earth's climate and environment, the solar system, and the universe through dozens of spacecraft and ground-based observatories.