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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is celebrating its 60th anniversary today, a milestone that marks the moment when the United States government began to look at the stars with as much scientific curiosity as military suspicion. 19659003] Today, just sixty years ago, Dwight Eisenhower, then President of the United States, signed the legislation that gave birth to the iconic space agency, although its implementation Occurred on October 1 of the same year.
However, the history of NASA goes back more than half a century, to the dawn of aviation, when Washington created in 1915 the National Advisory Committee for Air Navigation. 39, aeronautical (NACA), whose main mission "It was not limited to the study of flights in the atmosphere, so over time, its engineers and scientists began to study rockets and spaceflight, "he explained. The Pentagon historian and advisor for space and space issues, Richard Hallion
In 1926, the American physicist and inventor Robert Goddard captured the attention of the world by successfully launching the first rocket to propel liquid
. This milestone was a scientific achievement of great value, but also an obvious military opportunity
During the Second World War (1939-1945), Germany took a big step forward by developing ballistic missiles that could travel more than 300 kilometers. At the end of the war, rocket development became a subject of great interest to the United States. and the Soviet Union, "said Hallion, adding that, in short," it was essentially the genesis of what would later be called the race to space. "
At that time, space research had two clear aspects: A military woman, who aspired to develop rockets capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, and another scientist, who wanted to put a satellite into orbit.
Encore once the Americans came back and had to observe how, on October 4, 1957 it was the Soviets who crowned the space with a satellite: Sputnik 1.
This new disappointment led the American government to rethink what which should be the way forward in space research.The Congress then decided to create a new agency that would merge NACA and the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA).
"The result of this marriage was what eventually became NASA, "added the historian, adding that while it is true that the Armed Forces have maintained" their own interests in the space, "this decision has allowed to NASA to "focus on the civil aspects and exploration".
From this moment, the historical achievements of the aerospace agency began to accumulate, as the arrival of man to the Moon on July 20, 1969; but he also suffered setbacks such as the Challenger shuttle blast, in 1986, in which his seven crew members died.
These accidents and the high cost of the special race, have led in recent years Washington to bet on the feet on the ground and look less at the stars.
However, the arrival at the White House of Donald Trump once again set the conquest of space on the front line. A conquest that, yes, is both scientific and military.
His promise that the United States will be the first country to put a man on Mars seems more distant today than his commitment to creating a Force. The space, whose mission will be to protect patriotic interests in the stratosphere.
"To ensure that our military is ready to fight and win in this contested scenario, we have worked hard to increase our lethality and our strength." Leadership and freedom of action in the field "Space," badured Efe the best of the US Air Force. Far, therefore, seem to be those golden years when the authorities began to look at the stars with as much curiosity as apprehension.
"Space can no longer be considered a benign environment", condemned Russell. EFE
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