NASA's 50th Anniversary

Over the Hill

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, better known as NASA, hits the big FIVE-ZERO today. That’s right, 50. NASA was formed on July 29, 1958 under the National Aeronautics and Space Act, “For the Benefit of All” (that’s their motto), but also because the Soviet Union launched its own space program a year before. 11 years later (July 16, 1969) NASA and the Apollo 11, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, successfully achieved a manned moon-landing (the famous, “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” was thus uttered).

The thought of space travel was once believed to be zany and outrageous. However, thanks to the hard work of great thinkers that’s no longer the case. The next big step for NASA is another Moon Landing, and then working towards a manned mission to Mars. NASA hopes to put a man on Mars by 2037.

Who knows? Perhaps by July 29, 2108 we’ll be living on Mars or planning intergalactic space travel!