1. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States Government, responsible for the nation's public space program. Established on July 29, 1958 by the National Aeronautics and Space Act, its annual funding amounts to $16 billion. In addition to the space program, it is also responsible for long-term civilian and military aerospace research. NASA is widely regarded as the forefront leader of space agencies worldwide.
2. Yuri Gagarin became the first successful cosmonaut when he entered orbit in Russia's Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961, a day now celebrated as a holiday in Russia and in many other countries. 23 days later, on mission Freedom 7, Alan Shepard first entered space for the U.S. John Glenn, in Friendship 7, became the first American to successfully orbit Earth, completing three orbits on February 20, 1962.
2006-10-05 05:45:00
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answer #1
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answered by Mye 4
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A Brief History of NASA
Launching NASA
"An Act to provide for research into the problems of flight within and outside the Earth's atmosphere, and for other purposes." With this simple preamble, the Congress and the President of the United States created the national Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on October 1, 1958. NASA's birth was directly related to the pressures of national defense. After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union were engaged in the Cold War, a broad contest over the ideologies and allegiances of the nonaligned nations. During this period, space exploration emerged as a major area of contest and became known as the space race.
2006-10-05 06:34:17
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answer #2
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answered by rosieC 7
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