The purpose of this conference is a scholarly analysis of NASA’s first 50 years.  Over two days at NASA Headquarters, historians will discuss NASA’s role in aeronautics,  human spaceflight, space science, life science and Earth science, as well as cross-cutting themes ranging from space access to international relations in space and NASA and the public.  What are the lessons learned from the first 50 years?   What is NASA’s role in American culture and in the history of exploration and discovery?   What if there had never been a NASA?   Based on the past, does NASA have a future?

Venue:  NASA HQ Auditorium (Washington, DC)

Audience:  NASA employees, scholars, and the general public in an auditorium that holds approximately 250 people.

Proceedings:  Selected papers will be included in a published proceedings book approximately one year after the conference.