Creation of NASA

The U.S. Congress, alarmed by the perceived threat to national security and technological leadership known as the "Sputnik crisis", urged immediate action, while President Eisenhower and his advisers counseled more deliberate measures.

This group was headed by Wernher von Braun,[3] a German scientist who during World War II had developed ballistic missiles such as the V-2 rocket for Nazi Germany before being brought to the US in Operation Paperclip.

It is accordingly proposed that the scientific research be the responsibility of a national civilian agency... NACA is capable, by rapid extension and expansion of its effort, of providing leadership in space technology.

"[4] In late March, a NACA report entitled "Suggestions for a Space Program" included recommendations for subsequently developing a hydrogen fluorine fueled rocket of 4,450,000 newtons (1,000,000 lbf) thrust designed with second and third stages.

[3] Only two days later von Braun's Working Group submitted a preliminary report severely criticizing the duplication of efforts and lack of coordination among various organizations assigned to the United States' space programs.

[3] Stever's Committee on Space Technology concurred with the criticisms of the von Braun Group (a final draft was published several months later, in October).

Short documentary on the origins of NASA
A security guard examines the new sign near the entrance to the Lewis Research Center one day after the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) was officially established. NASA came into being on October 1, 1958, and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics ( NACA ) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory became the NASA Lewis Research Center.
Explorer 1 installed in 1958