July 29, 1958

National Aeronautics and Space Act

Eisenhower signs the National Aeronautics and Space Act, creating NASA

Congress had finished the bill thirteen days earlier. The agency the signature created then existed only on paper for another two months.

One signature, 29 July 1958

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed Public Law 85-568, the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, into law on 29 July 1958. Congress had passed the final version on 16 July; the signature was the step that turned the bill into law.

The act established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and a National Aeronautics and Space Council.

Civilian by statute, with a boundary

The law declared that U.S. space activities should serve peaceful purposes, and assigned civilian aeronautical and space activities to the new agency.

It left weapons, military operations and primarily defense-related work with the Department of Defense. The act did not abolish military space programs; it expressly preserved that responsibility.

Two months on paper

NASA did not begin operations on 29 July. It officially opened on 1 October 1958.

Within ten days Eisenhower nominated T. Keith Glennan as administrator and Hugh L. Dryden, the NACA director, as deputy administrator; both were sworn in on 19 August. The NACA laboratories and about 8,000 employees transferred on 1 October.

Sources

Researched 23 Aug 2026 7 sources 2 audit passes

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