May 25 and 26, 1959, saw the first meeting of the Research Steering Committee on Manned Space Flight. The committee was also referred to as the Goett Committee, as it was chaired by Harry J. Goett. An engineering manager at Ames Research Center, Goett brought a wealth of knowledge of complex aerodynamics, and was widely respected and described as tough, practical, and a leader who could efficiently cut down the crux of an issue.
Goett and his committee were commissioned with establishing objectives for NASA’s manned spaceflight program. The committee agreed to focus on long-term recommendations, including determining the necessary research and vehicle development to support those goals. At their first meeting, the key recommendation was to establish a program that would immediately follow Project Mercury (this would become Project Gemini). Committee members discussed plans that now seem familiar: two-person capsules, environmental satellites, a future orbiting laboratory, and the possibility of landing on the Moon.
