The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program. NASA was established on July 29, 1958, by the National Aeronautics and Space Act. It was created because on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first Earth-orbiting satellite. The launch of the 183-pound, beach ball-sized satellite caught the United States off guard while it was preparing to launch its own Earth-orbiting satellite. It took 98 minutes for Sputnik 1 to orbit the Earth, a single event that effectively launched the space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, as well as the space age, including the creation of NASA in 1958.
In addition to the space program, it [NASA] is also responsible for long-term civilian and military aerospace research. Since February 2006 NASA's self-described mission statement is to "pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research."
Do faith in God and science contradict?
Learning more about the way God constructed our universe helps all of mankind appreciate the wonder of creation. Expanding our knowledge helps us to combat disease, ignorance, and misunderstanding. However, there is danger when scientists hold their faith in human logic above faith in our Creator. A Christian’s belief in science should never be like our belief in God. A Christian can have faith in God and respect for science, as long as we remember which is perfect and which is not. We can count on science to do many great things, but we can also count on science to make mistakes. If we put faith in science, we depend on imperfect, sinful, limited, mortal men. ..... Cursed is the one who trusts in man.... Jeremiah 17:5
The 9 planets : Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. Explore the planets .
3.24.09 President Obama's conversation with NASA Astronauts
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4.15.10 Pres. Obama's New plan for NASA .
African American Astronauts:
Guion Bluford Jr. was the first African American astronaut in space when he flew aboard the space shuttle Challenger on its night launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Robert Lawrence Jr. was the first African American appointed to the manned orbiting laboratory program, in June 1967, but he never made it into space. He was killed six months after his fighter jet crashed on the runway at an air force base in California.
Dr. Mae Jemison was on the space shuttle Endeavor when it left its launching pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida on September 12, 1992. She is the first African American woman to travel into space. She's a physician and a space engineer.
Bernard Harris Jr. was the first African American astronaut to walk in space. He is also a physician, and a businessman.11.26.11 Mars rover, Curiosity, blasted off to search for life on Mars. Curiosity is expected to spend about two years roaming Mars, hunting things researchers say are essential for life to grow: liquid water, key chemicals used by living organisms and an energy source.
