NASA

From Wikinfo
Jump to: navigation, search


See also Critical views of 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 in 1915 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

File:Nasa.florida.300pix.jpg
Florida, USA, taken from NASA Shuttle Mission STS-95 on 31st October 1998.
Read a full description of this image.


NASA has also collaborated with the ESA on some missions:

much more required here!

Field Installations

There are 12 NASA field installations:

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

See Also

External Links

  • NASA Home Page
  • The Failure of NASA: And A Way Out by Philip K. Chapman, Space Daily, May 30. An opinion piece which claims that NASA's problems are not in lack of funding but in mismanagement and a false belief in unsuccessful "giant leap" projects like the space shuttle and the International Space Station. Contains a graphic of NASA's funding up to.

References

  • Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "NASA" August 13,