After Russia launched Sputnik in 1957, Congress began hearings for a long-term space plan. Six months before the bill to create NASA passed, the United States had already launched its first satellite into space.
Congress passed and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 into law on July 29, 1958, creating NASA. The legislation gave NASA a unique mandate, “that activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of mankind.”
The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 is a part of America’s 100 Docs, an initiative of the National Archives Foundation in partnership with More Perfect that invites the American public to vote on 100 notable documents from the holdings of the National Archives. Visit 100docs.vote today.
