Happy 60th birthday, Nasa

No comments

Nasa has come a long way - but its best may be yet to come

Our features editor hates the word ‘iconic’: it’s trite, overused and doesn’t really mean anything. But, for the past 60 years, one scientific organisation has captured the public’s imagination like few others: the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Nasa, for short.

Last month, the Earth’s premier space-botherers (with apologies to Elon Musk) celebrated their diamond anniversary, marking a storied history that has pushed the boundaries of human knowledge. It’s a tale that’s been writ large on the cinema screen numerous times, from The Right Stuff and Hidden Figures to Apollo 13 and the newly-released First Man, as well as inspiring countless more fanciful space-faring adventures (The Martian is great; avoid Space Cowboys).

Of course, this barely scratches the surface of what Nasa does – from radiotelescopes to cutting edge technologies, there’s a lot going on – but it’s hard to ignore Mars rovers and the small matter of landing on the Moon. These range of career options have captured the attention of countless scientists; even if they have no designs of going into space, the fact that we can send people into orbit excites fertile minds.

And our thoughts are the only limit. As astronaut Helen Sharman points out, half the jobs chemists will have in the future do not exist yet. Neil Armstrong never imagined going into space as a child; Katherine Johnson could not imagine her mathematical skill would put someone in orbit. As Nasa continues its mission for the next 60 years – asteroid mining, space telescopes and a planned landing on Mars by 2033 – jobs will arise in ways we cannot comprehend. It is groups like Nasa, whose blue sky (and beyond) thinking requires solutions to the impossible, that furthers science in ways that benefit everyone.

Science is, at its core, about exploration, and Nasa’s success is a reminder to never stop probing those boundaries of the unknown. Iconic or not, I can’t wait to see what the next 60 years bring.

Of course, this barely scratches the surface of what Nasa does – from radiotelescopes to cutting edge technologies, there’s a lot going on (see p59) – but it’s hard to ignore Mars rovers and the small matter of landing on the Moon. These range of career options have captured the attention of countless scientists; even if they have no designs of going into space, the fact that we can send people into orbit excites fertile minds.

And our thoughts are the only limit. As astronaut Helen Sharman points out (p68), half the jobs chemists will have in the future do not exist yet. Neil Armstrong never imagined going into space as a child; Katherine Johnson could not imagine her mathematical skill would put someone in orbit. As Nasa continues its mission for the next 60 years – asteroid mining, space telescopes and a planned landing on Mars by 2033 – jobs will arise in ways we cannot comprehend. It is groups like Nasa, whose blue sky (and beyond) thinking requires solutions to the impossible, that furthers science in ways that benefit everyone.