NASA was created by Congress in 1958

Name: The origins of NASA
Uploaded: 2026-03-05T23:20:05.857Z
Duration: 5 min 46 s
Description: Created by Congress via the National Aeronautics and Space Act in 1958, NASA has led the world in efforts to explore sky and space for more than six decades. The agency traces its roots to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which itself was created in response to European advances in flight. From aviation to the Space Race to plans for Mars, learn about the history of NASA here.

Created by Congress under the National Aeronautics and Space Act, NASA officially began in 1958, building on earlier aviation research and positioning the US to compete in the Space Race and lead global space exploration.