Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space

NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is the independent federal agency that evolved from an organization called the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the focus of which was expanding flight capabilities. Founded in 1915, the development of planes became increasingly important with the outbreak of World War II, positioning the United States to generate state-of-the-art aircraft. By the 1940s, its engineers were exploring rocket capabilities, though space exploration was not considered a goal. 

When the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into space in 1957, however, the race for human flight into space was born. Driven by Cold War tensions and fears that the Soviets would use space satellites for spying and expanding its military power, space exploration was considered a necessary advancement in the arms race. In April 1958, NACA was officially disbanded, and its members became the foundation of a new organization: NASA (Arrighi, Robert. “The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics: Overview.” NASA, 11 May 2023). The first seven astronauts (a term coined by combining “aeronauts” and “argonauts”) were introduced to the public one year later, dubbed the “Mercury 7.” In 1961, Alan Shepherd became the first American in space on a flight lasting just 15 minutes in a cone-shaped capsule designed to hold a single person.