The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) has a rich and storied history that began in response to the Cold War-era competition between the United States and the Soviet Union.
1957: The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, sparking fear and competition in the United States.
1958: In response to Sputnik and to advance U.S. space capabilities, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958. NASA officially began operations on October 1, 1958, absorbing the earlier National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).
1961: Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. Shortly afterward, President John F. Kennedy announced the ambitious goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the decade.
1962: John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth aboard Friendship 7.
1969: NASA achieved Kennedy's goal when Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the lunar surface.
1972: The last Apollo mission, Apollo 17, took place.
1973: Skylab, the first U.S. space station, was launched.
1981: The Space Shuttle program began with the launch of Columbia on mission STS-1. The Shuttle program would become a cornerstone of Nasa's operations for the next three decades.
1986: The Challenger disaster occurred, resulting in the loss of seven astronauts and leading to a reevaluation of the Shuttle program.
1990: Nasa launched the Hubble Space Telescope, which has provided unprecedented views of the universe.
1998: The first modules of the International Space Station (ISS) were launched. The ISS is a collaborative project involving agencies in Canada, Japan, and Europe.
2003: The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred, leading to another period of introspection and reform within Nasa.
2004: President George W. Bush announced the Vision for Space Exploration, which aimed to return humans to the Moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars.
2011: The Space Shuttle program was retired, with Atlantis completing the final mission, STS-135.
2012: The Curiosity rover successfully landed on Mars, beginning a new era of Mars exploration.
2020: The Mars 2020 mission launched, carrying the Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity helicopter, which successfully landed in February 2021.
2017: NASA announced the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon by 2024, including the first woman and next man.
2021: The James Webb Space Telescope was successfully launched, promising to expand our understanding of the universe.
Nasa has increasingly partnered with commercial companies like SpaceX and Boeing for missions to the ISS and beyond.
SpaceX's Crew Dragon has successfully transported astronauts to the ISS, marking a new era of public-private collaboration in space exploration.
Nasa continues to push the boundaries of science and exploration, with ongoing missions to Mars, plans for lunar exploration, and ambitions to send humans to Mars in the 2030s.