The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

• The expansion of human knowledge of the Earth and of phenomena in the atmosphere and space;
• The improvement of the usefulness, performance, speed, safety, and efficiency of aeronautical and space vehicles;
• The development and operation of vehicles capable of carrying instruments, equipment, supplies, and living organisms through space;
• The establishment of long-range studies of the potential benefits to be gained from, the opportunities for, and the problems involved in the utilization of aeronautical and space activities for peaceful and scientific purposes;

• The preservation of the role of the United States as a leader in aeronautical and space science and technology and in the application thereof to the conduct of peaceful activities within and outside the atmosphere;
• The making available to agencies directly concerned with national defense of discoveries that have military value or significance, and the furnishing by such agencies, to the civilian agency established to direct and control nonmilitary aeronautical and space activities, of information as to discoveries which have value or significance to that agency;
• Cooperation by the United States with other nations and groups of nations in work done pursuant to this Act and in the peaceful application of the results thereof; and
• The most effective utilization of the scientific and engineering resources of the United States, with close cooperation among all interested agencies of the United States in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort, facilities, and equipment.

1960

First launching of a Meteorological Satellite

First launching of a Passive Reflector Communications Satellite.

First launching of a Scout vehicle.

First launching of a Thor-Delta vehicle.

First launching of an Altas-Agena-B vehicle (by the Department of Defense).

First suborbital flight of an astronaut.

1961

First launching of a lunar impact vehicle.

1961-1962

Attainment of manned space flight, Project Mercury.

1962

First launching to the vicinity of Venus and/or Mars.

1963

First launching of two stage Saturn vehicle.

1963-1964

First launching of unmanned vehicle for controlled landing on the moon.

First launching Orbiting Astronomical and Radio Astronomy Observatory.

1964

First launching of unmanned lunar circumnavigation and return to earth vehicle.

First reconnaissance of Mars and/or Venus by an unmanned vehicle.

1965-1967

First launching in a program leading to manned circumlunar flight and to permanent near- earth space station.

Beyond 1970

Manned flight to the moon. . . .

• The first major goal of the man-in-space program is to orbit a man about the earth. It will cost about 350 million dollars.
• The next goal, of an intermediate nature, is the manned circumnavigation of the moon. It will cost about 8 billion dollars.
• The second major goal, landing on the moon, can only be achieved about 1975 after an additional national expenditure in the vicinity of 26 to 38 billion dollars.
• The Saturn program is a necessary intermediate step toward manned lunar landing but must be followed by a much bigger development before manned lunar landing is possible.
• The unmanned program is a necessary prerequisite to a manned program. Even if there were no manned program, the unmanned program might yield as much scientific knowledge and on this basis would be justified in its own right.

• Even if there were no man-in-space program, Saturn C2 is still a minimum vehicle for closeup instrumented study of Venus and Mars, for unmanned trips to more distant planets, and for putting roving vehicles on the surface of the moon.
• Manned trips to the vicinity of Venus or Mars are not yet foreseeable. . . .

• Application of space technology to the direct benefit of mankind
• Operation of military space systems to enhance national defense
• Exploration of the solar system and beyond
• Development of new capabilities for operating in space
• International participation and cooperation