Message to the Congress Transmitting Second Annual Report on U .S. Aeronautics and Space Activities.

[Released February 24, 1960. Dated February 22, 1960]

To the Congress of the United States:

In accordance with Section 206(b) of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, I am transmitting herewith the second annual report on the Nation's activities in the fields of aeronautics and space.

During 1959, the Nation's space effort moved forward with purpose and its accomplishments were many, as this report recounts. In the short period of a single year, a program of great complexity and scope was aligned so that the scientists of many organizations in and out of Government could pool and coordinate their knowledge and skills. Much information of far-reaching significance was acquired on the frontiers of science and technology; substantial gains were made, ranging from advances in aircraft and space vehicle design to greatly improved understanding of the environment in which our planet exists and by which its natural forces and life are conditioned.

The year was also one of transition. The national space program grew in breadth and depth--benefiting greatly from the tremendous efforts of the American scientists, engineers, and technicians who, in the short space of the past five years, have performed miraculously in developing United States rocket technology.

This Report details the steps taken during 1959 to establish a firm foundation for a dynamic program of space exploration, and it summarizes the contributions of Federal agencies toward the paramount goal: the conquest of space for the benefit of all mankind.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER