The United States created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, known as NASA, in 1958.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958. NASA began operations on October 1, 1958, replacing the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA. The new agency was designed to coordinate civilian space exploration and aeronautical research.
NASA’s creation came during the Cold War space race, shortly after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 in 1957. The agency’s early work included Project Mercury, which sought to place American astronauts in orbit, followed by Project Gemini and the Apollo lunar program.
NASA’s Apollo 11 mission landed humans on the Moon in 1969. The agency later operated the Space Shuttle program, contributed to the International Space Station, and developed robotic missions throughout the solar system. NASA remains a civilian agency; U.S. military space activities are handled separately by the Department of Defense and the U.S. Space Force.