You've probably heard about NASA many times . The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency dedicated to space research and exploration. Since its inception, it has launched numerous space missions to explore outer space. It is one of the most important agencies in the world in all things related to astronomy.
In this article we are going to tell you about all the characteristics and importance of NASA.
Key features
This agency was created in 1958. Since then, it has launched more than 160 crewed space missions and sent numerous astronauts into space. NASA's primary objective, and that of all the space missions conducted over the years, is to explore outer space and gather more information about it. The goal is to search for extraterrestrial life and to learn about the characteristics of everything surrounding our planet in outer space. Furthermore, NASA has been involved in research on the cosmic shield that protects our planet and has developed a plan to deflect meteorites that could threaten Earth.
Among the most important missions for which this agency is known is the 1969 moon landing . It was a monumental mission that explored every corner of the planet, and the whole world eagerly awaited what NASA would discover. Many people still believe that the moon landing was a hoax and never happened.
Following several significant spaceflights, NASA had to cancel numerous expeditions due to a lack of funding. Space exploration had lost its appeal with the public, and funding for it dwindled. After 30 years of space missions, the entire program had to be discontinued. However, US President Donald Trump is determined to revitalize the space agency to send more missions into space and make incredible discoveries.
Importance of NASA
It's important to remember that this agency is no longer the only one exploring space. However, its significance shouldn't be underestimated, as it was the agency that took us to the moon some 51 years ago. Furthermore, throughout these decades, it has been responsible for fulfilling humanity's dreams of conquering outer space. Although it was founded on July 29, 1958 , it didn't begin operations until October 1 of that year. NASA plays a crucial role in the exploration of other celestial bodies, as demonstrated by its study of Ceres, the giant in the asteroid belt.
Everything known about outer space to date has been discovered by this agency, so it holds great importance for our understanding of the entire universe. Every time something new is learned about space, we remember this agency. Let's now look at the most important voyages NASA has made that are relevant to our understanding of the universe.
The best NASA trips
- Scout 1: It is the first artificial satellite of the West that was given in response to the Soviets. It is with this artificial satellite that the space race began (link) 30. This device measured 203 centimeters long and 16 centimeters wide and was responsible for discovering that our planet was surrounded by cosmic rays. It circled our planet 58 thousand times and was in space for 12 years.
- Allan Shepard: He was the first NASA astronaut to travel into space. He made an orbital flight on the Mercury Redstone 3 spacecraft. This event took place in 1961.
- Apollo Program: This program's goal was to fly over and land on the moon. The program was launched after President John F. Kennedy announced that they would land a man on the satellite. Many missions followed until Apollo 11 fulfilled the promise of landing on the moon. It happened in 1969, and it was Neil Armstrong who uttered the immortal words: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." He uttered this phrase just before landing on our satellite, the moon. For more details, you can consult the .
- Apollo 13: This is a mission that sought to lead man to step on our satellite for the third time. However, an oxygen tank fence caused the ship to be in danger. It was one of the most important successful failures in history. Although the mission did not go off correctly, they were able to return home thanks to the expertise of the astronauts and their companions. We must also mention the work of the mission control men on Earth who helped return to our planet.
- Pioneer 10: May 1972 and it is a space probe that has become the first spacecraft to cross the Asteroid Belt and reach Jupiter. It has a plate that informs any extraterrestrial intelligence that could be found where it has come from and how we human beings are. The last signal captured from this probe was in 2003. At present, it is heading towards the star Aldebaran within the constellation of Taurus.
Other important missions
Let's see what are the other important missions that NASA has had.
- Space shuttles: It is a program that was born when NASA wanted to reduce research costs. This is because the Apollo spacecraft could only be used once. It seems that there were vehicles that could withstand many trips in space, so they had to develop a ship that could withstand the heat that the entrance and exit of the earth generated. After 9 30 years of study, the Columbia shuttle could be created. Since it began its service it has been in use for more than 2 decades, but it disintegrated on its last outing and took the lives of 7 crew members.
- Hubble Space Telescope: Before Hubble, the images we had of space were the product of ground-based telescopes. NASA decided to place one of these devices off the planet to capture sharper pictures of the universe. Thanks to regular maintenance, Hubble is still active.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about NASA and its exploits.