Help ComputerGear celebrate these accomplishments with fun NASA T-shirts and gifts here. President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) into existence July 29, 1958 as the space race was accelerating due to the Soviet Sputnik I launch. "We may find that the road to lasting peace truly lies through the stars," says Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson. By 2008, NASA has launched over 100 manned spaceflights and made discoveries that improve our lives including highway safety, medical technology, freeze-dried food and more.