NATIONAL AERONAUTICS & SPACE ADMINISTRATION

CONGRESS CREATES NASA

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On July 29, 1958, the Congress of the United States passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA.

The act, signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, set up NASA as a civilian agency to operate the space program of the United States.   President John F. Kennedy would make the space effort an integral part of his New Frontier program and set the goal in 1961 to land a man on the moon before decade's end.

The agency, which would begin operations on October 1, 1958, was created in the aftermath of the October 4, 1957 launch of the world's first man-made satellite, Sputnik, by the Soviet Union.

JFK appointed NASA's second administrator, James E. Webb, in 1961.

          Vehicle Assembly Building
       John F. Kennedy Space Center
            Cape Canaveral, Florida
    Photo by MrMiscellanious (2005)

"TO GO WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE"

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS & SPACE ADMINISTRATION CREATED 

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On July 29, 1958, the Congress of the United States passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA.  The act, signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, set up NASA as a civilian agency to operate the space program of the United States.

The agency, which would begin operations on October 1, 1958, was created in the aftermath of the October 4, 1957 launch of the world's 1st man-made satellite, Sputnik, by the Soviet Union.

Earlier, on January 1, 1958,  the United States launched Explorer I, our first successful space satellite.  President John F. Kennedy would make the space effort an integral part of his New Frontier program and set the goal in 1961 to land a man on the moon before decade's end.

Today NASA has a budget of $17.8 billion and more than 18,000 employees.  It has directed the Apollo missions to the moon as well as Skylab, the Space Station and the Space Shuttle.

Dr. William H. Pickering* and JFK

Mariner Spacecraft Model

White House Oval Office 

NASA Photo (1961)

^William Hayward Pickering (1910-2004) was born in Wellington, New Zealand & educated at the University of Canterbury & California Institute of Technology.  His speciality was electrical engineering.  WHP directed the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 

"WELL, I WAS SCARED A GOOD PORTION OF THE TIME"

GRISSOM'S LIBERTY BELL 7 SINKS DURING RECOVERY

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On July 21, 1961, Liberty Bell 7, a spacecraft piloted by astronaut Gus Grissom*, splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean only to sink during the recovery process.  President John F. Kennedy watched live television coverage at the White House.

While the flight itself was deemed a success, NASA officials were more than concerned about the sinking of Grissom's space capsule.  The capsule was unable to be saved.

At a post-flight press conference, Grissom was asked how he felt during the ordeal, he said...

"Well, I was scared a good portion of the time."

In the afternoon, JFK signed into law HR 6874 authorizing the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

*Virgil "Gus" Grissom (1926-1967) was born in Mitchell, Indiana & served in the US Army Air Forces during WWII.  After the war, he earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering at Purdue, then re-enlisted in the USAF & served as a fighter pilot in the Korean War.  VGG was chosen as one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts.  He died in the pre-launch test fire of Apollo 1 which took the lives of two of his fellow astronauts.

Astronaut Gus Grissom

Liberty Bell 7

NASA Photo

FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL

CONGRESS PASSES NATIONAL AERONAUTICS & SPACE ACT

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On July 29, 1958 the Congress of the United States passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA.  The act, signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, set up the civilian agency to operate the space program of the United States.

President John F. Kennedy would make the space effort an integral part of his New Frontier program and set the goal in 1961 to land a man on the moon before decade's end.

The agency, which would begin operations on October 1, 1958, was created in the aftermath of the October 4, 1957 launch of the world's 1st man-made satellite, Sputnik, by the Soviet Union.  Earlier, on January 1, 1958,  the United States launched Explorer I, our 1st successful space satellite.

The motto of NASA is "For the benefit of all."

OPEN SKIES PROPOSALS

IKE PRESENTS OPEN SKIES PROPOSALS AT GENEVA SUMMIT

Geneva, Switzerland (JFK+50) Sixty years ago today, July 21, 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower presented his "Open Skies" proposals at the Geneva Summit.

The proposals called for both the United States and Soviet Union to exchange maps detailing the exact location of all military installations. 

They also provided that once the maps were "in hand" both nations could conduct aerial flights over the installations of each others country to make sure they were in compliance with arms control agreements.

According to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, President Eisenhower "reasoned that getting permission to fly over Soviet military facilities while granting permission for the Soviets to overfly U.S. military installations would greatly ease tensions between the superpowers."

The Soviets rejected Ike's proposals which resulted in the continuation of U.S. reconnaissance flights over the U.S.S.R.  In August 1960, however, the first CORONA reconnaissance satellite ended the need for U.S. overflights of the Soviet Union for a period of 30 years.

In 1989, the Open Skies proposal was revived "to allow countries without satellites to get reliable information about military development in other countries."

SOURCE

"Open Skies Proposals," National Museum of the United States Air Force, January 6, 2006, www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Official White House Portrait

LIBERTY BELL 7 SINKS DURING RECOVERY

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) Fifty-four years ago today, July 21, 1961, Liberty Bell 7, a spacecraft piloted by astronaut Gus Grissom, splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean only to sink during the recovery process.

President John F. Kennedy watched live television coverage at the White House.

While the flight itself was deemed a success, NASA officials were more than concerned about the sinking of Grissom's space capsule.

In the afternoon, JFK signed into law HR 6874 authorizing the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Astronaut Gus Grissom

Liberty Bell 7

NASA Photo

MONKEY BUSINESS IN SPACE

THE LEGACY OF HAM, THE SPACE CHIMP

Cape Canaveral, Florida  (JFK+50) Fifty-four years ago today, January 31, 1961, the United States successfully launched Ham*, a chimpanzee, into space making it a first for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The chimp, born in the French Cameroons and trained at the Holloman Aerospace Medical Center in Alomagordo, New Mexico,  survived a 16 minute 39 second flight.

Ham, the cream of the crop of 40 original primate candidates selected by NASA, was trained to push levers when lights on his spacecraft came on.  His flight was a complete success, as reported by the space agency, with Ham surviving with only a bruised nose.

Ham's handler, Edward Dittmer, said the chimp "performed so well and was remarkably easy...to handle.  I'd hold him and he was just like a little kid."

Edward Dittmer (left) and Ham

NASA Photograph

Ham's back-up, "Minnie," the only female trained by NASA, was the last-surviving space chimpanzee.  She died in 1998 at the age of 41.

In an article by Henry Nicholls published by The Guardian, Ham may not have fared as well as NASA claimed.  

A leading primatologist, Dr. Jane Goodall, who did a research project on chimps in Tanzania, watched the film made of Ham in flight and saw photographs made at the time of his recovery from space.  

Dr. Goodall said...

"I have never seen such terror on a chimp's face."

Of additional concern, is the discussion that NASA was considering having Ham stuffed after his death in 1983 and put on display at the Smithsonian. 

Fortunately, that idea was scrapped.  It was decided to retain Ham's skeleton while the rest of his remains were interred at the Space Hall of Fame in Alamogordo.

*Ham (1956-1983) was brought to Miami, Florida in 1959 where he was bought by the USAF and sent to New Mexico's "School for Space Chimps". 

After his successful space flight, Ham lived 17 years at Washington, D.C.'s National Zoo.  He died at the North Carolina Zoo at the age of 26.

SOURCE

"Ham the astrochimp, hero or victim," by Henry Nicholls, The Guardian, December 16, 2013, http://www.theguardian.com/science/animal-magic/2013/dec/16/ham-chimpanzee-hero-or-victim

CHARLES WEDS DIANA

ROYAL WEDDING IN LONDON 33 YEARS AGO 

London, England (JFK+50) Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, married Lady Diana Spencer thirty-three years ago today, July 29, 1981, in a lavish ceremony at St. Paul's Cathedral here in London.

A television audience estimated at 750 million people watched the wedding around the world.

The service was a traditional Church of England ceremony conducted by the Most Reverend Robert Runcie, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The royal couple would honeymoon aboard the royal yacht Britannia which would take them on an eleven day cruise in the Mediterranean..

Prince Charles, Lady Diana, 

Nancy and Ronald Reagan

Reagan Library Photo (1985)

PRESIDENT KENNEDY CONGRATULATES RETURNING ASTRONAUT

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) President John F. Kennedy placed a call by radio telephone from the White House 53 years ago today, July 29, 1961, to the Randolph to congratulate Air Force Captain Virgil "Gus" Grissom on his successful spaceflight.

The flight, aboard the Liberty Bell 7, lasted 15 minutes and 37 seconds.

Gus Grissom 

July 21, 1961

 NASA Photo

NASA CREATED 56 YEARS AGO TODAY

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) The Congress of the United States passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act fifty-six years ago today, July 29, 1958, creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA.

The act, signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, set up NASA as a civilian agency to operate the space program of the United States.

President John F. Kennedy would make the space effort an integral part of his New Frontier program and set the goal in 1961 to land a man on the moon before decade's end.

Dr. William H. Pickering^ and JFK

Mariner Spacecraft Model

White House Oval Office 

 NASA Photo (1961)

The agency, which began operations on October 1, 1958, was created in the aftermath of the October 4, 1957 launch of the world's first man-made satellite, Sputnik, by the Soviet Union.

Earlier, on January 1, 1958,  the United States launched Explorer I, our 1st successful space satellite. Today NASA has a budget of $17.8 billion and more than 18,000 employees.  It has directed the Apollo missions to the moon as well as Skylab, the Space Station and the Space Shuttle.

^William H. Pickering was Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

NASA CREATED 55 YEARS AGO TODAY

July 29, 2013

NASA CREATED BY LAW 55 YEARS AGO TODAY

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) The Congress of the United States passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act 55 years ago today, July 29, 1958, creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA.

The act, signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, set up NASA as a civilian agency to operate the space program of the United States.

President John F. Kennedy would make the space effort an integral part of his New Frontier program and set the goal in 1961 to land a man on the moon before decade's end.

    Dr. William H. Pickering^ and JFK
           Mariner Spacecraft Model
             White House Oval Office 
                   NASA Photo (1961)

^William H. Pickering was Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The agency, which would begin operations on October 1, 1958, was created in the aftermath of the October 4, 1957 launch of the world's 1st man-made satellite, Sputnik, by the Soviet Union.

Earlier, on January 1, 1958,  the United States launched Explorer I, our 1st successful space satellite.

          Vehicle Assembly Building
       John F. Kennedy Space Center
            Cape Canaveral, Florida
    Photo by MrMiscellanious (2005)


Today NASA has a budget of $17.8 billion and more than 18,000 employees.  It has directed the Apollo missions to the moon as well as Skylab, the Space Station and the Space Shuttle.

JFK CALLED GUS GRISSOM FOLLOWING HIS SUCCESSFUL SPACEFLIGHT

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) President John F. Kennedy placed a call by radio telephone from the White House 52 years ago today, July 29, 1961, to the Randolph and congratulated Air Force Captain Virgil "Gus" Grissom* on his successful spaceflight.

The flight, aboard the Liberty Bell 7, lasted 15 minutes and 37 seconds.

          Gus Grissom and Liberty Bell 7 
                            July 21, 1961
                            NASA Photo

*Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom (1926-1967) was born in Mitchell, Indiana.   The 2nd American astronaut to fly in space, GG joined the USAF in 1944.  After WWII, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.

Gus served in the Korean War and was chosen as one of the original 7 Mercury astronauts by NASA.  

Gus Grissom died along with fellow astronauts Ed White and Roger Chaffee in a fire which broke out during a pre launch test in 1967.

101st AIRBORNE TO VIETNAM 48 YEARS AGO 

Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam (JFK+50) 4000 paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army arrived here in South Vietnam 48 years ago today, July 29, 1965.

Most of the operations conducted by the 101st were in the Central Highlands and the A Shau Valley.*

*During its time of service in Vietnam, the 101st earned 17 Medals of Honor for bravery in combat.

   101st Airborne Soldiers in Vietnam



DIANA AND CHARLES WED 32 YEARS AGO 

London, England (JFK+50) Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, married Lady Diana Spencer 32 years ago today, July 29, 1981, in a lavish ceremony at St. Paul's Cathedral.

A television audience estimated at 750 million people watched the wedding around the world.

The service was a traditional Church of England ceremony which was presided over by the Most Reverend Robert Runcie, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The royal couple would honeymoon aboard the royal yacht Britannia which would take them on an 11 day cruise on the Mediterranean Sea.

          Prince Charles, Lady Diana, 
           Nancy and Ronald Reagan
         Reagan Library Photo (1985)