25 Alluring Facts about NASA that will feed your Curiosity

Do you know that some food items are banned in space? Are you familiar with the fact that the Hubble Telescope has the size of a school bus? Just like that, there are millions of things about space that we still are unaware of and NASA is one of the best platforms that unveils amazing things about the universe. Established in the late 50s, this government agency has seen ups and downs in its journey. In this blog, we have explored the space of the internet and collected wonderful facts about NASA.

Quick Facts:

1. The full form of NASA is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
2. NASA was started on October 1, 1958, as a part of the US government project.
3. NASA has its headquarters in Washington D.C. and has 10 centers across the United States.
4. Since its inception, NASA has been actively working to create human spaceflights.
5. Apollo 11, Mercury, Gemini, Space Shuttle, and International Space Station are some of the biggest achievements of NASA.

Fun Facts about NASA

1. Being a cartoon lover, NASA named its two satellites “Tom” and “Jerry”.
2. According to NBC, Apollo 11’s Aldrin used a ballpoint pen to fix a broken arming switch in the lunar model.
3.  In 1992, NASA sent the first African-American woman in space named Mae Johnson.
4. After NASA’s Apollo 11 mission, it quarantined three of its astronauts as it was concerned about ‘lunar germs’.
5. Neil Armstrong almost didn’t make it to NASA as his application was too late.

When it comes to achieving something impossible that no one could have ever imagined, NASA tops the list and over the years, it has been surprising the world with its innovations, spaceships, inventions, and discoveries. Following are some interesting facts about NASA that will blow your mind.

1. NACA: Before NASA, there was the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) for space operations. It was pronounced as individual letters instead of whole words. Moreover, it was described as “The Force Behind Our Air Supremacy” during World War 2. 
2. Mars Conspiracy: Three gentlemen from Yemen named Adam Ismail, Mustafa Khalil, and Abdullah al-Umari, filed a legal complaint against NASA for invading Mars. They claimed they own the red planet as their ancestors passed on the planet 3000 years ago. To prove this, they presented some documents and demanded immediate suspension of all activities on Mars.
3. Animal Space Travel: NASA has sent more than 2200 animals such as insects, pigs, monkeys, rats, rabbits, and spiders into space. Space Shuttle Mission STS-90 carried these animals to space in 1998.
4. Insurance Complexity: Apollo astronauts signed ‘insurance autographs’ before launch as insurance companies did not allow their life insurance. NASA even did not take responsibility for their insurance.
5. Lightening: On November 14, 1969, a bolt of lightning struck Apollo 12. This badly affected the command module. The second strike of lightning almost damaged the guidance system. Flight controller and engineer John Aaron saved it and its crew members via a power-up sequence.
6. Mission Apollo 11: As per President John F. Kennedy’s goal given to NASA, the first man walked on the moon on 20 July 1969. This was a part of the Apollo 11 mission. It also included exploration by the lunar model, deployment of a TV camera, seismic experiment package, a Laser Ranging Retroreflector, etc.
7. Blackbird: The SR-71 or Blackbird was the world’s fastest jet-propelled aircraft. It was a long-range, high-altitude secretive spy aircraft used by NASA for research. NASA designed it in the late 1950s and it first flew in 1964.
8. Movie and Inaccuracies: NASA showed a movie named Armageddon to its new staff and asked about inaccuracies in the film. They identified at least 168 mistakes.
9. The Learning Channel (TLC): In 1972, NASA and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare founded The Learning Channel.
10. Weird Condition: A person can’t be qualified as an astronaut by NASA until they have completed 1000 hours of flying time or 50 miles in space.
11. Mission Artemis: Artemis program covers the lunar exploration program. By 2024, NASA will land the first woman on the moon along with astronauts. It wishes to establish a long-term presence on the moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration to a new generation of explorers. 
12. It’s all about Food: Astonishing facts about NASA also include food-related information. A space shuttle astronaut can only eat 3.8 pounds of food per day. The meals are stored in locker layers and it is handled in such a way that it does not get spoiled. As the space shuttle does not have a refrigerator, astronauts must keep the food fresh at ambient temperatures. 
13. Waterworld: NASA discovered  “Waterworld” which is about 40 light years away from the earth.  Scientists say that it might contain some exotic materials like hot ice and superfluid water.
14. Asteroid 433: Gregory Nemitz’s firm Orbital Development issued NASA a $20 parking ticket. It also claimed that after asteroid 433 Eros belonged to them and NASA’s craft NEAR Shoemaker had landed without permission.
15. Name a Shuttle: To name a new space shuttle, NASA arranged a competition among school children. Then-president George H.W. Bush announced the winner and named the shuttle Endeavor in May 1989.

These fascinating facts about NASA are a sheer inspiration to science and space lovers and enthusiasts. Since its foundation, NASA has been prominently in the spotlight because of its inventions as well as conspiracies. People around the world are eager to understand astonishing facts about NASA and we hope that this blog will provide you with the best information about one of the greatest space agencies.

Prajakta Zurale

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