NASA

For external links see NASA/External Links

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the agency that oversees the United States' space programs. According to their official website "NASA's mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research."

History
The National Aeronautics and Space Act enacted in 1958 was the congressional legislation signed by Dwight D. Eisenhower that created NASA. NASA began operations on October 1, 1958. NASA can attribute its existence to the "cold war" and the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union gained the early lead in the Space Exploration competition with the launch of Sputnik I on October 4, 1957.

NASA started with the employees, budget, and facilities of the previous National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. This included Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, and Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory.

Human Space Exploration
NASA's first human spaceflight took place on Freedom 7 in Project Mercury. Astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr. was launched from Cape Canaveral on May 5, 1961. NASA sent humans into space during the Gemini Program, the Apollo Program, the Skylab Project, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, and the current Space Shuttle Program. Once the shuttle is retired NASA plans to continue human space exploration through the Constellation Program.

Facilities
NASA's many operations are spread out amongst its various facilities throughout the country. NASA Headquarters located in Washington, D.C. is the administrative center of the many NASA programs and facilities. Johnson Space Center located in Houston, Texas has been and currently is the mission control center of many of the NASA missions. Kennedy Space Center located on the east coast of Florida is the site of many of the current and historical launches of NASA payloads and human exploration. Other facilities in the NASA organization include Ames Research Center, Dryden Flight Research Center, Glenn Research Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Langley Research Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, and Stennis Space Center.

Administration
The Administrator of NASA is [[Charles F. Bolden, Jr.] He became the 12th administrator of NASA on July 17, 2009.