NASA turns 50

On July 29, 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Act (PL 85-568) was passed by Congress, creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ten months after the successful launch by the Soviet Union of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957. The act, signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, was drafted by the United States House Select Committee on Astronautics and Space Exploration. NASA replaced the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), established in 1915 to conduct aeronautics research and development.

37th COSPAR Conference

This week Secure World Foundation Executive Director Ray Williamson and consultant Agnieszka Lukaszczyk are presenting a paper at the COSPAR conference in Montreal entitled: The Role of Space-related Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Capacity Building. Other papers in the session entitled Capacity Building: Strategies for Success include The role of Government in Capacity Building [Peter Martinez], The Role of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in Building Capacity [Hans Haubold], and The role of regional organisations in building capacity [Adigun Ade Abiodun]. Photo (from left to right): Pedro Mier, Ray Williamson and Francis Chizea.