WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2015 — On March 3, 2015 NASA will celebrate the centennial of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the precursor to NASA – the original government entity that gave it birth.
In 1915 the U.S. Congress established the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). The committee was set up under the intense pressures of World War 1, predominantly to develop flight technology. Once established, the NACA immediately began creating world class research and testing facilities and recruiting the best and the brightest scientists in the world. Famously, in 1920 President Wilson appointed Orville Wright to the board of the NACA. Before long the formation of the NACA led to revolutionary research, the design and construction of the most advanced wind tunnels in the world, improvements in flight characteristics through the refinement of airfoil shapes for wings and propellers, new flight testing procedures, the first aircraft to break the sound barrier, and much more. Eventually the NACA would provide the perfect launchpad from which the U.S. would begin its journey into space, through the NACA’s transformation in 1958 to NASA – the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
A very special commemorative magazine titled NACA/NASA: Celebrating a Century of Innovation, Exploration, and Discovery in Flight & Space, is set to be released March 3, 2015, just in time for the commencement of the anniversary celebrations. The publication will contain messages and interviews from dignitaries including NASA’s current and past leadership, scientists, astronauts, and aviation notables. It will also examine, through feature articles and photographs, the history and impact of the NACA; the current status and future of NASA, including, missions, programs, and projects that are ensuring the United States will remain the world’s leader in aviation, space exploration, and scientific discovery for years to come; and the critical advances being made in aeronautics, astronautics, and aerospace technology. The perfect-bound glossy edition will be released to coincide with the anniversary on March 3, 2015.