NASA

NASA was formed in 1958 in response to the Soviet Union's launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, which sparked the space race between the two nations. Its creation was part of the United States' efforts to advance its space exploration capabilities and technology.

Yes, NASA stands for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It is a United States government agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research.

The official answer... way to long!

If you really want a mathematical answer lets give it a try...

speed of light is 3*10^8 m/s

60 secondes per minute, 60 minutes per hour, 24 hour per day and 365 days per year:

60*60*24*365 = 31 536 000 secondes/year.

300 000 km/s * 31 536 000 s/year = 9 460 800 000 000 km/year ---> this is the distance light travels in one year.

The Shuttle travels at an approximate speed of 28 000 km/h

28 000 km/h * 24 * 365 = 245 280 000 km/year

100 000 light years * 9 460 800 000 000 km = 946 080 000 000 000 000 km

946 080 000 000 000 000 / 245 280 000 = 3 857 142 857 years

I hope there is an inflight movie!

The first man in outer space was Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut who orbited Earth on April 12, 1961. The first woman in outer space was Valentina Tereshkova, also a Soviet cosmonaut, who orbited Earth on June 16, 1963.

NASA has expanded our understanding of the universe, developed innovative technologies that have benefited society (like scratch-resistant lenses and memory foam), and inspired generations through their space exploration missions. NASA's work has also paved the way for international collaborations in science and technology.

NASA has NOT ended and likely never will 'end' since its purpose is space exploration and planetary science studies.

No, NASA is not considered dumb. NASA is a well-respected organization that has been instrumental in space exploration and scientific research. Their work has led to numerous discoveries and advancements in our understanding of the universe.

The NASA craft currently orbiting Mercury is called the MESSENGER spacecraft. It was launched in 2004 and entered orbit around Mercury in 2011 to study the planet's composition, geology, and magnetic field.

'MESSENGER' is the Mercury Mission - See the related link listed below for more information:

The first large space telescope was the Hubble, and it's probably still the most famous one. But a LOT of the new and exciting work being done is using the Kepler Space Telescope, a device which was specially designed to search for planets around neighboring stars.

A spacecraft traveling to Mars would take about 6-9 months using current technology to complete the journey. The speed would depend on the trajectory chosen, but typically it would travel at an average speed of about 24,600 mph (39,600 km/h) during the trip. This speed is manageable and does not pose a risk to the astronauts on board.

Within your space station or spacecraft, the astronauts commonly wear a jumpsuit similar to a military flight suit. At times, they are shown in video wearing polo shirts or T-shirts.

To leave the spacecraft and work outside, astronauts wear a protective space suit. The suit provides pressure to keep your lungs from expanding too much, and air for them to breathe. Sun protection is important, too; you can get a sunburn in just a few minutes at noon on the beach beneath a 100-mile thick atmosphere; imagine how intense the sunlight could be in space!

Apollo 1 fire, killing all three astronauts.

Space Shuttle Challenger Explosion, killing all seven astronauts.

Space Shuttle Columbias Re-entry breakup, killing all seven astronauts.

The goal of the first manned space program started by NASA, Project Mercury, was to put an American astronaut into orbit around Earth and to gain experience in space travel. It aimed to test the feasibility of human spaceflight and pave the way for future missions to the Moon and beyond.

I'm pretty sure that has never happened before, therefore this is just a guess. I think that you would soon stop bleeding inside of your jacket, but the blood will just float inside your suit. I hope this helped!!

The Space Launch System (SLS) is currently NASA's tallest rocket. It is designed to be the most powerful rocket ever built and is intended to launch astronauts on missions to deep space, including Mars.

Both Orion's spacecraft and the space shuttle are designed for human spaceflight missions. They are reusable vehicles that can carry astronauts to and from space, perform various tasks in orbit, and then return to Earth. Additionally, both vehicles have advanced thermal protection systems to withstand the high temperatures of reentry into Earth's atmosphere.

As of this writing, NASA has only three (3) working SPACESHIPS (as opposed to total number of SPACECRAFT owned or operating), the space shuttle orbiter vehicles, OV-103 Discovery, OV-104 Atlantis and OV-105 Endeavor.

However, NASA has previously announced its plan to "mothball" the costly space shuttle fleet following the STS-133 shuttle mission to deliver supplies to the International Space Station. The shuttle Discovery is slated to blast off in September 2010 on the eight-day trek that - if NASA's current plan holds - will mark the end of the shuttle era after 29 years of spaceflight.

NASA's lower-cost replacement for the space shuttle fleet has been dubbed Project Constellation.

NASA started using the Linux operating system in the early 1990s for specific missions and projects due to its stability and flexibility. Since then, Linux has become a fundamental part of many NASA missions, including the Mars rover missions.

Yes, Neil Armstrong did not hit a golfball on the Moon. It was actually astronaut Alan Shepard, during the Apollo 14 mission, who famously swung a makeshift six-iron club and hit lunar golf balls.

They decided to launch a manned mission to the moon out of pride. It was during the cold war and the Russians were trying to put a man on the moon and so the U.S.A, not wanting to be second, redoubled their efforts and finally, in 1969, Neil Armstrong, American, was the first man on the moon.

Some Conspiracy theorists believe that the Russians were closer than the U.S. and so the U.S. decided to stage the whole thing in a filming studio in the desert.

Here are the most well known

Redstone

Mercury-Redstone

Gemini

Saturn V (Apollo missions)

Space Shuttle.

Partially to beat the Russians into space and to the moon. It was believed that if you controlled the space around the Earth, you could control the Earth as well.

NOTE: THIS ANSWER IS NOT VERY COMPLETE. SUGGEST IMPROVEMENT AND EXTERNAL RESEARCH.

NASA is working on the development of the Orion Spacecraft which will be the vehicle for the next phase in space exploration. The Orion will be able to travel to the moon and land, which is something the space shuttles were not capable of doing. Orion missions are planned for the Moon and Mars, and possibly some near Earth asteroids.
NASA will also continue using standard heavy lift rockets for unmanned missions.

It depends on the launch vehicle and method of boosting to get to the Moon (Earth gravity assist, etc.), but in general it takes about 3-4 days to make the trip.