Did you know that today is NASA’s 52nd birthday? On July 29, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to direct US space policy.
This birthday seems rather ironic though, due to the fact that the orbiter vehicles (commonly known as the space shuttles) retire next year. Although they were not designed to fly forever, the hole left by their departure leaves many, including those who work with the orbiters, wondering what is next as far as the future of the United States in outer space.
So when you are looking to be inspired and wondering what exactly goes on up there above the Earth’s atmosphere, and there aren’t the regularly occurring rocket and space shuttle missions to stir you, remember that you can still be encouraged by reading about NASA and outer space in books.
Here are a few suggestions…
Failure is Not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond by Gene Kranz
Lost in Space: The Fall of NASA and the Dream of a New Space Age by Greg Klerkx
NASA/Art : 50 Years of Exploration by James Dean and Bertram Ulrich
Scientific American Inventions from Outer Space: Everyday Uses for NASA Technology by David Baker
And a video or two…
Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon
-Melissa
Eleventh Stack 