NASA Space Age History

The Start of the Space Age  "An Act to provide for research into the problems of flight within and outside the Earth's atmosphere, and for other purposes."

 With this simple preamble, the Congress and the President of the United States created: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on October 1, 1958.National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on October 1, 1958.

So it Begins….  The “Cold War”: After WWII the USA and the USSR were locked in a struggle to prove which country’s ideas and ways were the best.After WWII the USA and the USSR were locked in a struggle to prove which country’s ideas and ways were the best.

Space Race  During this period, space exploration emerged as a major area of contest and became known as the space race.

The first satellites  October 4, 1957 the Soviets launched Sputnik 1, first unmanned satellite to orbit the Earth.

The first satellites  October 4, 1957 the Soviets launched Sputnik 1, first unmanned satellite to orbit the Earth.  January 31, 1958 the US launched it’s first unmanned satellite, Explorer 1

Sputnik I The Launch

Explorer I Left to Right: Dr. William Pickering, Dr. James Van Allen and Dr. Wernher von Braun hold aloft a model of Explorer I, the first successful US satellite, launched Jan. 31, 1958.

NASA Programs  Mercury Program- 1 st manned flights

NASA Programs  Mercury Program- 1 st manned flights Alan Shepard – 1 st American in Space (did not orbit) May 5, 1961Alan Shepard – 1 st American in Space (did not orbit) May 5, 1961

NASA Programs  Mercury Program- 1 st manned flights Alan Shepard – 1 st American in Space (did not orbit) May 5, 1961Alan Shepard – 1 st American in Space (did not orbit) May 5, 1961 Soviets beat us by a few months-Soviets beat us by a few months-

NASA Programs  Mercury Program- 1 st manned flights Alan Shepard – 1 st American in Space (did not orbit) May 5, 1961Alan Shepard – 1 st American in Space (did not orbit) May 5, 1961 Soviets beat us by a few months-Soviets beat us by a few months-  Yuri Gagarin – 1 st man in space on April 12, 1961.

 John H. Glenn Jr. became the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962.

 Gemini Program – Walk in space & docking

 John H. Glenn Jr. became the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth on February 20,  Gemini Program – Walk in space & docking June 3, 1965, when Edward H. White, Jr., became the first U.S. astronaut to conduct a spacewalkJune 3, 1965, when Edward H. White, Jr., became the first U.S. astronaut to conduct a spacewalk

Going to the Moon - Project Apollo  Apollo Program:  A NASA priority on May , when President John F. Kennedy announced "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth." "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth."  A direct response to Soviet successes in space

Apollo Program  Apollo I- Disaster, astronauts burned on launch pad

 Apollo 11 – Neil Armstrong- 1 st man on the moon

 Apollo 13 – near disaster  Oxygen tank burst while in space causing all involved to get very creative in April 1970.

 Apollo 13 – near disaster  Oxygen tank burst while in space causing all involved to get very creative in April  Due to the explosion Apollo 13 never landed on the moon.

Space Shuttle Program

 Reusable space transportation

Space Shuttle Program  Reusable space transportation  Rides piggyback on 747 on Earth

Space Shuttle Program  Reusable space transportation  Rides piggyback on 747 on Earth  Disasters

Space Shuttle Program  Reusable space transportation  Rides piggyback on 747 on Earth  Disasters Challenger exploded shortly after lift-offChallenger exploded shortly after lift-off

Space Shuttle Program  Reusable space transportation  Rides piggyback on 747 on Earth  Disasters Challenger exploded shortly after lift-offChallenger exploded shortly after lift-off Columbia burned on reentryColumbia burned on reentry

 Probes – Unmanned missions that travel farther than humans go.Unmanned missions that travel farther than humans go. the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft landed on Mars on July 4, 1997 and explored the surface of the planet with its miniature rover

 Probes – Unmanned missions that travel farther than humans go.Unmanned missions that travel farther than humans go. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launched in 1977 Voyager 2 now in the “heliosheath” (the outer edges of the solar system) – Voyager 1 has left our solar system.

NASA Future

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