National Air and Space Museum Archives

Congressional Space Science Hearings Transcripts

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.XXXX.0205
Creators:
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Astronautics
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences
Dates:
1958-1964
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1.38 Cubic feet
4 document boxes
Repository:
Congress established committees on space exploration in 1958, in response to the Soviet Union's launching of Sputnik in October 1957. Both Senate and House committees held hearings on the creation of the new civilian space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its budgets. In addition, they held investigative hearings about the United States' launch failures and the Soviet Union's space program. By the late 1960s both committees were relegated to subcommittees status as part of groups which dealt with all aspects of science and technology. This collection consists of published transcripts of hearings before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science and Astronautics and the United States Senate Committee on Aeronautics and Space Science.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of published transcripts of hearings before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science and Astronautics and the United States Senate Committee on Aeronautics and Space Science. The hearings deal with a wide variety of topics including appropriations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, American and Soviet space programs, as well as other space-science-related topics.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is divided into two series: 1) House of Representatives Hearings and Reports and 2) Senate Hearings and Reports. Within each series, materials are mostly arranged chronologically.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Congress established committees on space exploration in 1958, in response to the Soviet Union's launching of Sputnik in October 1957. The House Committee was created as the Select Committee on Astronautics and Space Exploration (1958). In 1959, the Committee on Science and Astronautics became a permanent standing committee within the House of Representatives.
The Senate, encouraged by Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson, established a Special Committee on Space and Astronautics in February 1958. By 1959, the Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences was a permanent, as well as prestigious, Senate committee.
Both Senate and House committees held hearings on the creation of the new civilian space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its budgets. In addition, they held investigative hearings about the United States' launch failures and the Soviet Union's space program. By the late 1960s both committees were relegated to subcommittees status as part of groups which dealt with all aspects of science and technology.

Administration

Author
Denise Peeler (revision by Elizabeth Borja)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift, NASM.XXXX.0205.
Processing Information
Arranged and described by Denise Peeler, 1990. Revised and encoded by Elizabeth C. Borja, 2022.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Use
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Conditions Governing Use
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Astronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Outer space -- Exploration -- Soviet Union Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Outer space -- Exploration -- United States Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Transcripts Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Publications Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Astronautics Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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