NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, was established by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1958. Its creation was a direct response to the Soviet Union's successful launch of the first artificial satellite in 1957.
President John F. Kennedy set a goal for NASA to send a man to the moon by the end of the 1960s. This goal was achieved on July 20, 1969, when the Apollo 11 mission successfully landed the first men on the moon.
President John F. Kennedy set a goal for NASA to send a man to the moon by the end of the 1960s. This goal was achieved on July 20, 1969, when the Apollo 11 mission successfully landed the first men on the moon.
In 1970, the Apollo 13 mission faced a critical situation when an oxygen tank exploded. This incident forced the mission to abort its planned lunar landing and focus on safely returning the crew to Earth.
The first space shuttle built for NASA's reusable spacecraft fleet was Enterprise. Although it was used for testing and never flew in space, it was an important step in the development of the shuttle program.
Originally intended to be named Constitution, the space shuttle Enterprise was renamed following a successful write-in campaign by fans of the TV show Star Trek.
Within the next year and a half, NASA is slated to complete construction of the International Space Station and retire its remaining space shuttles: Atlantis, Discovery, and Endeavour.
Space shuttle Endeavour was constructed using spare parts from its sister shuttles, Discovery and Atlantis, showcasing NASA's resourcefulness in maintaining its shuttle fleet.