3..2..1..Blast Off: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1958 NASA

We, your execs, are really holding space for 1958, truly a year of all time. It saw the birth of the LEGO brick, the Brooklyn Dodgers’ move to Los Angeles, Brazil’s first World Cup victory, the birth of IHOP, and, most importantly, the birth of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). After the launch of the Soviet Union’s own space program and the first satellite, Sputnik, earlier in the year, the United States launched its own space program, NASA, continuing its competitive streak with the USSR in the contentious Cold War. NASA’s role in this “war” was to push scientific innovation pertaining to aviation, space, and human advancement, and outdo the Soviets in any way possible.

As a hybrid, delegates will begin by establishing NASA through two GA sessions where they will build the framework of the organization. They will be addressing NASA’s long-term goals and projects, acquiring funding for projects, and establishing resources for the organization. After formally establishing the governing body of NASA, delegates will be thrown into a crisis that will challenge them to reach for the stars and adapt to any issues that arise while accomplishing NASA’s goals. While being driven by the competition with the USSR, NASA can pursue many different avenues to achieve success in space and secure US interests in space. Will NASA launch satellites to compete with Sputnik? Will new forms of flight be invented? Will humans ever reach space? Can the Cold War be warmed through shared love of Sci-Fi? More importantly, will humans ever reach the moon? Perhaps Mars? The sky is the limit, or perhaps just the beginning. All of this and more can and will be addressed in this committee while NASA fights for prestige and for the future of space, Earth, and humanity.