History of NASA Space Program

By Addy Scott

  • Began Operation

    Began Operation
    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began operation. They had about 8,000 employees.

  • 1st Launch

    1st Launch
    NASA launched their first shuttle.

  • Launch of Pioneer 3

    Launch of Pioneer 3
    The United States launched Pioneer 3, the first U.S. satellite to ascend to an altitude of 63,580 miles.

  • First voice from space

    First voice from space
    An Air Force Atlas booster placed into orbit a communications relay satellite, PROJECT SCORE or the "talking atlas." A total of 8,750 pounds was placed in orbit, of which 150 pounds was the payload. On 19 Dec. President Eisenhower's Christmas message was beamed from the project score satellite in orbit, the first voice sent from space.

  • Recovery of the Monkeys

    Recovery of the Monkeys
    The United States launches and recovers two monkeys, Able and Baker, after launch in Jupiter nosecone during a suborbital flight. The flight is successful, testing the capability to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and to recover spacecraft in the Atlantic Ocean, but Able later died.

  • Launch of TIROS 1

    Launch of TIROS 1
    The United States launched TIROS 1, the first successful meteorological satellite, observing Earth's weather.

  • Unpiloted flight test returns

    Unpiloted flight test returns
    Development of the X-38, a spacecraft design planned for use as a future International Space Station emergency crew return "lifeboat," passed a major milestone today with a successful first unpiloted flight test.

  • Hubble Space Telescope

    Hubble Space Telescope
    The Hubble Space Telescope gave humanity its first direct image of what is probably a planet outside our solar system-one apparently that has been ejected into deep space by its parent stars.