Happy 100th “Birthday”, NASA
Let me start by saying that I don’t know if NASA celebrates today as their birthday or not. But if they don’t – they should.
Technically, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created on 1 October 1958. On that date, per the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 the newly-created agency called NASA absorbed the functions of a number of other Federal activities and began operations under it’s own name.
Less than 11 years later, we put a man on the moon.
However, one of those “other Federal activities” NASA absorbed was a thing called NACA: the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics. The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 abolished NACA – and transferred its functions and assets, part and parcel, to NASA. So in my book NASA traces its lineage directly to NACA, inheriting its accomplishments and history.
Those accomplishments were hardly trivial. On 30 September 1958, NACA facilities included a few you might have heard of: the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory at Hampton, Virginia; the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory at Moffett Field, CA; the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory (Lewis Research Center) in Cleveland, OH; and the Muroc Flight Test Unit at Edwards Air Force Base, CA.
Mach 1, Mach 2, and Mach 3 flight were achieved under NACA – not NASA – managed efforts. The Bell X-1 (Mach 1), Douglas D-558-2 (Mach 2), and Bell X-2 (Mach 3) were all NACA projects. Ditto a host of other experimental flight programs dating well back before World War II.
Why bring this up today? Because NACA – NASA’s direct predecessor – was established on 4 March 1915, or exactly 100 years ago today. Establishing NASA and reaching the moon would IMO have been one helluva lot harder if that had never happened.
So even if you don’t celebrate it (and IMO you should): happy 100th, NASA. In my book, today is your true birthday.
(Edited to add that Mach 3 flight was also achieved under NACA.)
Category: Historical
Happy Birthday, NASA!
Maybe to celebrate, you folks could load up the Dutch Rudder Gang and drop them off in space!
But I my be overly optimistic. Your rockets and spacecraft will probably not work correctly due to the sub-optimal performance of one of your contractors, All-Points Logistics.
This is probably a repeat.
I had the privledge of working with some folks who supported the moon landings while I was working at the tracking station on Kauai.
In the run-up to the first shuttle launch in the early 80’s we tracked and downloading scientific satellites and between those missions we’d swing the dish on the moon just for the older guys.
Experiments left there still worked. The 10 meter antenna had a boresite camera and we all just watched. Stories were told, etc.
Yeah, I know about NACA… And thanks for the reminder.
I was in Houston in ’68-’69 and worked with a guy who later went to work in the NASA Lunar Receiving Laboratory as a microbiologist. Since nobody actually knew what was up there yet, there were some serious concerns about bringing back a doomsday plague or whatever. Real Andromeda Strain sort of stuff that needed isolation protocol.
Sometimes weeks would go by, and you wouldn’t see the former co-worker around until one day he would show up, and somebody would say: “Long time, no see, George. What have you been up to?”
George would say: “Quarantine.”
I don’t know much about NACA, but the moon landings and shuttle launches have always remained an inspiration. A number of years back, I actually had the great pleasure of meeting Neil Armstrong, too – and it amazed me how someone who sailed through the sky could remain so down to earth and gracious.
I sure wish we could get NASA back on task with a few more scientists, engineers, adventurers and visionaries and a few less managers, politicians and lawyers. We owe that especially to the early pioneers.
The reported average age of a NASA Engineer during Apollo 11 was 28. Today’s Aircraft Carrier is under 24.
As I get older I often forget what people that age are capable of.
If things work out as they should, the first Mars should be landing and setting up housekeeping on Mars in 2025. That’s 10 years off. The Dragon rocket’s engines have already been flight-tested. It’s a one-way trip, you know. None of those people will be coming back. Ever.
Well, somebody has to take the first step, right?
I hereby nominate all current and future members of the Dutch Rudder Gang to man the controls of that first bird to Mars.
Do I have a second?
Second.
The Martians will undoubtedly be confused.
One will be trying to work their balls (if they have them), one will be showing them how to work government contracts (if they have a government), one will be showing them how to skydive (I hope he fails), one will be showing them how to marry and divorce women for extra money, drugs and cheese, one will show them how to sue over false slander and other weak ass, gay shit (if they have a legal system) and one will be showing them how to forge documents (if they need them).
And, without a doubt, Mars will understand the human word “Turd”.
Yes. Can you think of a better place to send them? Pluto, maybe?
And “Ranger” Burrell could accompany them. That way the Martians could meet the “Least Dangerous Man” on Earth (except for when he is around kids).
Heavy Chevy is also large enough to establish his own gravity.
Hondo great article … Again proving we are all cavemen and Sir are a rocket surgeon!
I thought NASA died years ago when Hussein re-tasked them to do Muslim outreach and make Islamic countries feel better about their contribution to civilization while ignoring centuries of destroy it and being the antithesis of it.
Before any haters start, Hondo’s line of reasoning is solid. A common business practice is when you buy out an outfit your demonstrable lineage goes back to the purchased entity’s incorporation or legal formation. A rival bought an old company that serviced business machines since the late 1940s. Now they can claim to have been a tech firm when computers took up a 1/4 of a city block. I am cool with it and agree NASA should be 100. Thank you, Mr H, for sharing that.
Hi Guys!!
Have some cake.