NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States.

The organization charged with aviation and space development established by the United States in 1958 in response to the Soviet Union's launch of the first man-made satellite the previous year. The successor to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), it unified individual Army, Navy, and Air Force space development programs to focus its efforts on putting the first man in outer space. Following the Mercury and Gemini programs, NASA succeeded in landing the first man on the Moon with the Apollo program. With ongoing projects such as the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station, NASA continues to be synonymous with space exploration.