Interactive Feature

50th Anniversary Flash Feature

50th Anniversary Flash Feature

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Featured Video

50 Years of Exploration Video

NASA: 50 Years of Exploration

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NASA Jobs

Click Here for NASA Jobs.

Celebrating 50 years of NASA history, . . . Come be a part of our next 50 years.

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Historical Timeline

NASA Historical Timeline

Interactive timeline documenting NASA's 50 year evolution.

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This Month

Lunar footprint.

This Month in Exploration features significant events in aviation and space exploration on a monthly basis.

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Phoenix Lander

Phoenix Mars Lander Multimedia

Phoenix Mars Lander Multimedia

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MyNASA

Astronaut during spacewalk.

Customize your view of the NASA Web. Create an account on myNASA and bookmark your favorite pages, stories and videos.

› Click Here

NASA Image Gallery

NASA Images.

What is your favorite NASA image?

› NASA Images

AARP 50th Anniversary

Celebrate NASA's Past And Promising Future!

Inspiration

Inspiration.

NASA powers inspiration that encourages future generations to explore, learn, and build a better future.

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Innovation

Innovation.

NASA powers innovation that creates new jobs, new markets, and new technologies.

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Discovery

Discovery.

NASA powers discovery that enables us to learn more about ourselves, our world, and how to manage and protect it.

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This Month's Featured Events

    NASA is proud to share our 50th anniversary with AARP.

    AARP Life @ 50+

    NASA is proud to share our 50th anniversary with AARP.
    Washington DC
    September 4-6

    AIAA Space 2008 AIAA Space 2008
    Three of the top issues in the upcoming election—economic competitiveness, the global war on terror, and the need for increased global climate change monitoring—are all dependent on our technological and operational achievements in space. The AIAA SPACE 2008 Conference & Exposition will reflect on these issues and more, while providing direction for future actions.
    San Diego CA
    September 9-11
    NASA Future Forum NASA Future Forum
    NASA leadership, astronauts, scientists, and engineers along with local business, technology and academic leaders and local, state and federal officials discuss the role of space exploration in advancing science, engineering, technology, education and the economy that benefits your community and the nation. The program features an exciting preview of NASA's Constellation Program: America's return to the Moon and beyond.
    Boston, MA
    September 18
    Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology Conference (HESTEC) Hispanic Engineering, Science & Technology Conference (HESTEC)
    NASA is proud to partner with HESTEC, the largest conference in the country that emphasizes science, trechnology, engineering and mathematics as careers.
    Edinburg, TX
    September 21-27
    Congressional Black Caucus Congressional Black Caucus
    NASA will showcase 50 years of accomplishments associated with the exploration of space.
    Washington, DC
    September 24-27
    NextFest NextFest
    NASA is pleased to participate in this festival that showcases the most innovative sciences, technology, art and design from around the world for the public and media to "experience".
    Chicago, IL
    September 25-October 12
    Exploration Experience: Minnesota State Tour Exploration Experience: Minnesota State Tour
    NASA’s Exploration Experience begins with a simulated visit to the moon where explorers build a lunar outpost and touch an actual moon rock. Visitors also explore a virtual model of the moon, interacting with the lunar surface to learn about NASA’s research and future plans for exploration. The second section of the exhibit features a hexagonal, interactive theater that introduces visitors to NASA’s plan of returning to the moon in new vehicles currently being developed to create a working environment that will help ensure safer, more effective future exploration into the solar system. Highlighted are NASA-inspired technologies that have led to the improvement of the quality of life on Earth.
    Minnesota
    September 28-October 11
    International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2008 International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2008
    The IAC is the most comprehensive, must attend space event of the year, providing an international focus for the global space industry, academic researchers and students worldwide through the presentation of the latest ideas, current activities and future ambitions across a diverse range of space-related topics.
    Glasgow, UK
    September 29-October 3
    NASA’s First 50 Years: An Historical Perspective at NASA HQ Auditorium NASA’s First 50 Years: An Historical Perspective at NASA HQ Auditorium
    Washington, DC
    October 28–29, 2008
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This Month's Featured Links

    Katherine Johnson-One of NASA's First Computers Katherine Johnson: One of NASA's First Computers
    Katherine Johnson turned 90 this year. She was a "computer" at NASA's Langley Research Center "when the computer wore a skirt," she said.
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    100 Years Ago This Month-Wright Flyer Test 100 Years Ago This Month: Wright Flyer Test
    NASA turns 50 this year and we are reaching for the stars. Hard to believe that just 50 years before NASA's inception, the Wright brothers were taking the first steps into powered flight.
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    Hubblesite.org NASA EDGE: Last Mission to Hubble
    NASA will be making its final planned Space Shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope in October. Join the NASA Edge team as they celebrate this historic mission with a new Hubble trivia quiz, an inside look at Hubble engineering challenges and pre-quarantine interviews with the Astronaut Crew.
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    › View PDF (452 kb)
    NASA Images NASA Images
    Search the most comprehensive compilation of NASA's stills, films and videos, created in partnership with Internet Archive. More content, enhanced searches, viewing capabilities and other features still to come.
    › View Site
    50th Anniversary Essay Competition Winners 50th Anniversary Essay Competition Winners
    NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program and the Office of Education are pleased to announce the winners of the NASA 50th Anniversary Essay Competition for middle school and junior high students.
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    Climate Time Machine Climate Time Machine
    Look at changes in global ice melt, sea level, CO2 emissions, and average temperature conditions over time.
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    NASA Spacecraft Shows Diverse, Wet Environments on Ancient Mars NASA Spacecraft Shows Diverse, Wet Environments on Ancient Mars
    Two studies based on data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed that the Red Planet once hosted vast lakes, flowing rivers and a variety of other wet environments that had the potential to support life.
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    NASA works to improve short-term weather forecasts NASA Works to Improve Short-term Weather Forecasts
    Sometimes seconds count. If a furious, tornado-spitting thunderstorm was bearing down on your home town, a few moments might make all the difference in the world. A graduate student is working with data from NASA's Aqua satellite to improve short-term weather predictions--the kind that could help you dodge that thunderstorm.
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    Fires and Smoke Fire and Smoke
    NASA satellites, aircraft, and research know-how have created a wealth of cutting-edge tools to help firefighters battle wildfires. These tools also have helped scientists understand the impact of fires and smoke on Earth's climate and ecosystems. Now, a new NASA Web site brings to the public and journalists the latest information about this ongoing effort.
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    THEMIS Satellites Discover What Triggers Eruptions of the Northern Lights Themis - Understanding Space Weather
    Researchers have discovered that an explosion of magnetic energy a third of the way to the moon powers substorms, sudden brightenings and rapid movements of the aurora borealis.
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    NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale's Blog NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale's Blog
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    Phoenix Mars Lander Multimedia The Woman Who Helped Create NASA
    Space Act Signed 50 Years Ago
    › Read More and Comment
    The Home Planet: NASA's View of Earth The Home Planet: NASA's View of Earth
    As humanity ventures farther into the solar system, the focus on our home planet is as sharp as ever.
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    Eyes on the Earth Eyes on the Earth
    Learn more about NASA spacecraft studying our home planet.
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    Interactive features. NASA Interactive Features
    › Visit NASA Interactive Features Site
    NASA Podcasts. This Week at NASA Audio and Video Podcasts
    › Visit NASA Podcast Site
    NASA Home & City interactive feature. NASA Home & City
    Discover how space exploration impacts your daily life.
    › Visit NASA Home & City Site
    NASA 101 interactive feature. NASA 101
    A summary of NASA's many programs and projects.
    › View NASA 101 Feature
    Aeronautics Interactive Gallery. Aeronautics Research Onboard
    Interactive Web site showcasing "Decades of Contributions to Aviation".
    › View Aeronautics Research Onboard Site
    › View Archive

50 Images, 50 Years

50th Photo Album

2008 Folklife Festival

Anniversary Logo

Related Multimedia

  • International Space Station

    International Space Station Calendar

    Find out when the U.S. launched its first satellite and other historical tidbits with photos that highlight 50 years of NASA milestones and a decade of space station assembly.

    › Download calendar (8.6 Mb PDF)

NASA's 50th

    Over the next year, NASA will celebrate 50 years of scientific and technological excellence. NASA has powered us into the 21st century through signature accomplishments that are enduring icons of human achievement. Among those accomplishments are technological innovations and scientific discoveries that have improved and shaped our lives on Earth in a myriad of ways. Please join us as we celebrate the past and look forward to a promising new era of inspiration, innovation, and discovery.