NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It has been a pioneer and leader in the field of organizing space missions. It was established by President Dwight Eisenhower on October 1, 1958. The first ever project “Project Mercury” was announced on October 7, 1958. Freedom 7 was the first manned American spacecraft.
It carried astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. and was launched from Cape Canaveral on May 5, 1961. A goal of sending a man to the moon by the end of the 1960s was given by President John F. Kennedy. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon as a part of the Apollo 11 mission.
Fast Facts: –
- You will receive a text if the ISS (International Space Station) passes over your location.
- NASA invented invisible braces, scratch-resistant lenses and much more.
- The Apollo astronauts were unable to qualify for life insurance because of the seriously dangerous nature of their jobs.
- It is a myth that NASA spent millions of dollars producing the space pen while Soviet astronauts used a pencil instead.
- Thad Roberts, an intern was arrested and got punished with seven years imprisonment for contaminating stolen moon rocks.
- NASA shows the movie Armageddon as a part of staff training and asks the trainees to identify as many scientific inaccuracies as they can.
- Mira, a dying star is one of the most important discoveries of NASA. This star is currently flying through the universe and shedding matter.
- NASA also has an Office of Planetary Protection.
