For achievements in civil space exploration, the 1950s certainly stand out. The Soviet Union and United States launched their first E
arth-orbiting satellites. The U.S. Congress created NASA
, whose leaders selected the first Mercury astronauts. NASA sent the first robotic spacecraft to the vicinity of the
Moon and produced the first Mercury space capsules, testing a few models in space in anticipation of human flights to follow. High school students (including myself) formed rocket clubs and launched modest contributions to the national space effort, often unauthorized by school authorities.
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