Notes on NASA
4/10/1958
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This memorandum was prepared for Dr. James Killian, President Eisenhower's Special Assistant for Science and Technology. It noted that legislation establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) would be introduced in Congress on April 14, 1958, and outlined how the new agency would get started, including its budget and leadership.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958, establishing NASA as the replacement for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).
Eisenhower wanted NASA to be a strictly civilian agency, as opposed to having a predominantly military nature. The President, along with many leading scientists and advisers, were convinced that if the Defense Department was given control of the space program, research would be restricted to the military’s agenda, which would consequently generate an overly militaristic and aggressive tone.
The creation of NASA, spurred by the need for an official Federal agency tasked with advancing space exploration, was largely the result of the Cold War. The space race, which began when the U.S.S.R. launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth, on October 4, 1957, was one manifestation of hostile relations and tense competition between the United States and the Soviet Union.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958, establishing NASA as the replacement for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).
Eisenhower wanted NASA to be a strictly civilian agency, as opposed to having a predominantly military nature. The President, along with many leading scientists and advisers, were convinced that if the Defense Department was given control of the space program, research would be restricted to the military’s agenda, which would consequently generate an overly militaristic and aggressive tone.
The creation of NASA, spurred by the need for an official Federal agency tasked with advancing space exploration, was largely the result of the Cold War. The space race, which began when the U.S.S.R. launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth, on October 4, 1957, was one manifestation of hostile relations and tense competition between the United States and the Soviet Union.
This primary source comes from the Collection DDE-WHCF: White House Central Files (Eisenhower Administration).
National Archives Identifier: 12060417
Full Citation: Memorandum of Notes on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for Dr. James Killian; 4/10/1958; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (1); Confidential Subject Files, 1953 - 1961; Collection DDE-WHCF: White House Central Files (Eisenhower Administration); Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Abilene, KS. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/notes-on-nasa, April 28, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
