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(Photo: Daniel AJ Sokolov) [2018019] 2018 celebrates the 60th anniversary of NASA. It owes its existence to television – and to Captain Video.
On October 1, 1958, the United States Aerospace Research Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), opens its doors. NASA has about 8,000 employees, since it is the successor organization to the National Aeronautical Advisory Committee (NACA) of the Aerospace Research Agency founded in 1915. The NACA's transfer to NASA was signed by the President of the United States, General Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower, on July 29, 1958 – exactly 60 years ago.
The successes and failures of NASA, including humans on the moon, deep penetrating probes, spectacular missions to Mars, and deadly explosions fill the volumes. Even badism and racism at NASA are now addressed. The existence of NASA as a fact, however, is less often enlightened. Their existence is not obvious. The major competitor of the United States, the Soviet Union, for example, did not have separate organization of the civilian space apart from the army.
In Germany today, the equivalent of the German Aerospace Center is an badociation with relatively modest means. India, the EU, Canada, the United Kingdom and China have established their civilian facilities only decades after NASA. After all, France founded in 1961 with CNES a civil space agency. He is considered the second largest in the world, but does not play in the same league as NASA.
It is a coincidence of special circumstances that led the United States to establish NASA in 1958 and television plays an important role. Television (worm) leads to NASA
Although the first commercial television channel was in the United States in 1941, it was not until about ten years later: operators tear up TV licenses and devices become more affordable, The new media is a great success: by 1955, half of households had a television – mainly a black and white camera.
(Image: Max Siegmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0)
L & # 39 widespread use of flicker boxes With a limited choice of TV channels, the possibility of propagandist evisceration of the success of US space travel increases significantly, but also brings live chess in the living room. And on television is science fiction, which has always inspired and inspired technological development. In the 1950s, this interaction reached a new dimension, the influence goes far beyond the experts involved in the development of new technology
Science Fiction Hype
Stephen Grundmanis to Whitehorse.
(Photo: Daniel AJ Sokolov)
"There has been a strong culture of science fiction in the United States since the 1920s, and this genre is becoming very popular in the 1950s," said political historian Stephen Grundmanis online. Space Operas, both on television and as comic books: Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, or Captain Video and his Video Rangers. "
" It must be kept in mind that television is new, what is happening impresses On the other hand, people in particular are political and administrative decision makers who are not immune, " said the Canadian during the interview in Whitehorse. "Senior officials are also returning home and watching television with their children, and what they see there is a strong impact on the US space program."
Missiles instead of planes
Americans were crazy about space, "The 1950s car design borrows rockets, and other consumer items such as televisions or washing machines are futuristic in inspiration. " This trend was inspired by the very rapid progress of aeronautical technology. "In a few years, propeller planes will become supersonic aircraft," Grundmanis said, adding that "Americans are convinced that they can do anything with technology."
<img src = "https : //heise.cloudimg.io/width/519/q50.png-lossy-50.webp-lossy-50.foil1/_www-heise-de_/imgs/18/2/4/7/1/2/2 /0/Al_Hodge_Captain_Video_electronic_gun_helmet-acb473cd262b31ad.jpeg "srcset =" https://heise.cloudimg.io/width/1038/q30.png-lossy-30.webp-lossy-30.foil1/_www-heise-de_/imgs/ 18/2/4/7/1/2/2/0 / Al_Hodge_Captain_Video_electronic_gun_helmet-acb473cd262b31ad.jpeg 2x "alt =" Black and white photo of a man in uniform and a helmet [19659017] Al Hodge as video captain
(Image: DuMont Television)
Belief in a new technology is by no means limited to the United States. Even Nikita Khrushchev, party leader in the Soviet Union, is convinced in 1957, after the launch of Sputnik I, the first satellite in the history of humanity, that "military aircraft will soon be handed over to museums" . The missiles would make the planes obsolete. Later, Sergei Khrushchev's son began working as a space engineer in the Soviet space program.
The CIA does not consider the announcement of Khrushchev senior absurd. CIA chief Allen Dulles reports to the National Security Council that US intelligence has found fewer bombers on Soviet airfields than expected. This is interpreted as an indication that the Soviets can really rely on missiles instead of bombers.
"Space is perceived as the next scene of military confrontation," confirms Grundmanis. "The Soviets and Americans are working frantically on rockets to get into space."
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