50 years of Nasa

First management team from NASA in 1958-60

The space.com http://www.space.com/news/080729-nasa-birth-anniv.html

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50 Years Ago: NASA Born in Sputnik's Wake
On July 29, 1958, Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, officially establishing NASA

NASA completes 50 years and it still is a vibrant entity. It wishes to conquer the nearby planets, achieve low cost solar transports and explore solar weather. 50 years is a small time in universe , however NASA has achieved astronomical progress and has set clear targets for China, European, Japanese and Indian space programs. The race to the moon will soon hot up by 2025 and world propert prices will soon get a competition from solar brothers.

Probably NASA needs a rename as NESA , e standing for enterprising.

The NASA website mentions http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/exploration/whyweexplore/Why_We_29.html

It is instructive to recall the objectives for NASA that emerged in section 102 of the final Space Act:
The expansion of human knowledge of phenomena in the atmosphere and space;
The improvement of the usefulness, performance, speed, safety, and efficiency of aeronautical and space vehicles;
The development and operation of vehicles capable of carrying instruments, equipment, supplies, and living organisms through space;
The establishment of long-range studies of the potential benefits to be gained from, the opportunities for, and the problems involved in the utilization of aeronautical and space activities for peaceful and scientific purposes;
The preservation of the role of the United States as a leader in aeronautical and space science and technology and in the application thereof to the conduct of peaceful activities within and outside the atmosphere;
The making available to agencies directly concerned with national defense of discoveries that have military value or significance, and the furnishing by such agencies, to the civilian agency established to direct and control nonmilitary aeronautical and space activities, of information as to discoveries which have value or significance to that agency;
Cooperation by the United States with other nations and groups of nations in work done pursuant to this Act and in the peaceful application of the results thereof;
The most effective utilization of the scientific and engineering resources of the United States, with close cooperation among all interested agencies of the United States in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort, facilities and equipment