On July 29, 1958, President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics & Space Act.

On July 29th, 1958, less than a year after Sputnik 1 was launched into orbit, President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act establishing NASA as a civilian space agency. The new agency absorbed the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, including its budget, resources and personnel. Prior to the formation of NASA, space exploration was considered to be largely a military enterprise. NASA would begin operations on October 1, 1958.

Celebrate NASA’s anniversary by telling Congress to increase NASA’s budget: http://www.penny4nasa.org/take-action/