The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began in 1958. It was created by U.S. legislation for the purpose of creating a government space program for the United States. This legislation was in response to the Soviet Union's the first man-made satellite, Sputnik I. According to the act NASA was to conduct research on the problems of flight in and out of the atmosphere, with and without human pilots, and to cooperate with other nations in the peaceful exploration of space. NASA is responsible for many satellites including Landsat, which was a series of satellites for the collection of information on natural resources, communication satellites and weather satellites. The Project Apollo program under NASA led to several landings on the Moon from 1969-1972. It is also the designer and developer of the space shuttle.
NASA Manned Missions
- Project Mercury Initiated in 1958 and completed in 1963, Project Mercury was the United States' first man-in-space program. The objectives of the program, which made six manned flights from 1961 to 1963, were specific: orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth, investigate man's ability to function in space and recover both man and spacecraft safely. [1]
- Project Gemini The Gemini Program was a necessary intermediate step between Project Mercury and the Apollo Program and had four objectives: subject astronauts to long duration flights- a requirement for projected later trips to the moon or deeper space; develop effective methods of rendezvous and docking with other orbiting vehicles, and to maneuver the docked vehicles in space; perfect methods of reentry and landing the spacecraft at a pre-selected land-landing point; gain additional information concerning the effects of weightlessness on crew members and to record the physiological reactions of crew members during long duration flights. [2]