From left to right: T. Keith Glennan, President Dwight Eisenhower, and Hugh Dryden, as Eisehower appoints Glennan as NASA's first administrator and Dryden its first deputy administrator. Credit: NASA
When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, the Space Race exploded as the U.S. and Soviet Union competed to show their dominance in the technology and military spheres. Sputnik 2 and then 3 followed, and real concerns about the U.S. falling behind were raised. Congressional hearings began in 1957, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower formed the President’s Scientific Advisory Committee (PSAC). In February 1958, PSAC recommended a civilian space agency be established; in April, Eisenhower asked Congress to pass legislation to that end. By July 16, the bill had passed, and on July 29, Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, establishing NASA.
