Legislative Origins Of The National Aeronautics And Space Act Of 1958

In retrospect, it appears that the Soviet launch of Sputniks 1 and 2 in the autumn of 1957 took place at exactly the right time to inspire the U.S. entrance into the space age. The ingredients were in place to begin space exploration already, but the Sputnik crisis prompted important legislation that brought many of these elements together into a single organization. By striking a blow at U.S. prestige, the Sputnik crisis had the effect of unifying groups that had been working separately on space missions, national defense, arms control, and within national and international organizations. The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 was a tangible result of that national unification and accomplished one fundamental objective: it ensured that outer space would be a dependable, orderly place for beneficial pursuits. There have been many detailed historical studies of the process of crafting and passing the the legislation that created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Signed into law by president Dwight D. Eisenhower on July 29, 1958, the "Space Act," as it came to be called, set forth a broad mission for NASA to "plan, direct, and conduct aeronautical and space activities"; to involve the nation's scientific community in these activities; and to disseminate widely information about these activities. The Act remains the core statement governing United States civil space exploration activities, launching as it did an organization that preempted outer space for peaceful exploration and uses that Americans have now enjoyed for forty years. At the time of the fortieth anniversary of NASA, it seems appropriate to revisit the origins of the Space Act. Consequently, the NASA History Office chose to publish a monograph containing the recollections of key participants in the legislative process. The collective oral history presented here originated in 1992 and included the following participants: * Paul G. Dembling was the general counsel of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) during the critical 1957-1958 period and played a principal role in drafting the bill which ultimately became the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958. He later served as the NASA general counsel. * Eilene Galloway served as Senior Specialist in International Relations (National Security) for the Congressional Research Service. Following the launching of Sputnik 1, she was Special Consultant to Senator Lyndon B. Johnson and to Representative John W. McCormack during congressional hearings on the "Space Act." * George E. Reedy was the senior advisor to Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, Senate Majority Leader, in 1957 and 1958 during the Sputnik crisis and the consideration of legislation that eventually became the "Space Act." * Gerald W. Siegel served during the 1950s in various staff positions with the Senate, including those of counsel to the Democratic Policy Committee and the pre p a redness investigating subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also served de facto as staff director of the Senate Special Committee on Space and Aeronautics during 1958 when it considered the "Space Act." * Willis H. Shapley was a member of the Bureau of the Budget during 1957-1958, where he eventually became director for space program coordination. In 1965 he moved to NASA as associate deputy administrator, with his duties including supervision of the public affairs, congressional affairs, interagency affairs, and international affairs offices. * H. Guyford Stever was on the faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the Sputnik crisis and during the creation of NASA in 1957-1958. He became directly involved in the "Space Act" as a member of the Air Force scientific advisory board. He also served in a number of other science policy capacities with the National Research Council and the National Science Foundation, as well as science advisor to President Gerald Ford. *