Before NASA

Explorer I

Creation NASA

Presidency During NASA

NASABy: Sam Angely

Before NASA• The NACA (National Advisory

Committee for Aeronautics) was formed on March 3, 1915– Created by President Woodrow Wilson– Spent $5,000 for initial operation to

higher aviation level to Europe's Level

• Purpose was to direct and conduct research and experimentation in aeronautics– Carried out research and experiments

until the creation of NASA in 1958.

To learn more about the history of NACA click here!

Creation NASA• The orbiting of Sputnik launched by

the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957 sent US in fear– They were ahead of us in missile

technology

• On November 3, 1957 Soviet launched a second Sputnik carrying dog “Laika Barker”– Soviet had advanced use of outer

space environment

Creation NASA

• By January 23, 1958 there was testimony of scientists of reason to have NASA– Radio communications– Long-term meteorological forecasts– The exploration of Mars and Venus

Click here to see the comparison of Sputnik and Explorer I

Presidency During NASA• Eisenhower proposed the idea

on April 1958 to create a civilian space agency called NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Agency)

– Use existing 8,000 committee of NACA

– Would get rid of military parts that took part in:• Fundamental rocketry• Space research

Presidency During NASA

• Eisenhower’s choice cost hundreds of billions of dollars and not one project reached flight-in-orbit stage– Budget crunch came military

space projects were first to go

Explorer I

• Launched on January 31, 1958

• Dr. Wernher von Braun designed Explorer I

• Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed it to be launched from Jupiter C rocket.– Completed in less then

three months

Explorer I

• Purpose of the Explorer was to measure radiation environment in Earth Orbit

• Made 12.54 orbits per day

• On March 31, 1970 burned up in Earth’s atmosphere

Click here for a video of Explorer I take off!!!

Work Citied• "Eisenhower." Encyclopedia Astronautica. Web. 24 Feb. 2010.

<http://www.astronautix.com/astros/eishower.htm>.

• "Explorer 1 First U.S. Satellite - NASA JPL." Space, Stars, Mars, Earth, Planets and More - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. <http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/explorer/history/>.

• "NASA - Before NASA, There was NACA." NASA - Home. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_277.html.

• "NASA - Sputnik and the Creation of NASA: A Personal Perspective." NASA - Home. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. <http://www.nasa.gov/50th/50th_magazine/gallowayEsaay.html>.

• "The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA)." Web. 24 Feb. 2010. <http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Evolution_of_Technology/NACA/Tech1.htm>.