Exactly fourty years ago, on October 1 1958, the american "National Aeronautics and Space Administration" (NASA) started operations in accordance to the legislation from July same year.

Which other organization has generated so many dreams, visions and aspirations? As most other initiatives from that time, NASA was motivated by the cold war and the surprising success of the Soviet satelite Sputnik. In that respect, NASA was a political project. But it was also a scientific project, in which curious minds of all ages wondered about the sky, space and the universe. And a technological project, enhancing knowledge about aeroplanes, turbines, rockets and materials.

From the speech of J. F. Kennedy in 1961 about the decision of going to the moon and to high point when Armstrong and Aldrin landed in 1969 -- thats is as fascinating as projects of science and technology can get. Nothing less. Today NASA lives a less glamourous existence, but still worth celebrating: Congratulations with 40 years of operations!