Space race
The worm logo used from 1975 to 1992.
After the s launch of the world's first human-made) on October 4, 1957, the attention of the United States turned toward its own fledgling space efforts. The, alarmed by the perceived threat to U.S. security and technological leadership (known as the "), urged immediate and swift action; President and his advisors counseled more deliberate measures. Several months of debate produced an agreement that a new federal agency was needed to conduct all non-military activity in space. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) was also created at this time and many of DARPA's early space programs were soon transferred to NASA.
officially Satellite 1958 Alpha, was the first Earth artificial satellite of the United States, having been launched at 10:48 pm EST on January 31, 1958. On July 29, 1958, President Eisenhower signed the establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. When it began operations on October 1, 1958, NASA consisted mainly of the four laboratories and some 80 employees of the government's 46-year-old research agency, the (NACA). A significant contributor to NASA's entry into the Space race was the technology from the, led by who became a of the United States after He is today regarded as the father of the United States space program. Elements of the (of which von Braun's team was a part) and the were incorporated into NASA.
NASA's earliest programs involved research into and were conducted under the pressure of the competition between the U.S. and the (the) that existed during the, initiated in 1958, started NASA down the path of human space exploration with missions designed to discover simply if man could survive in Representatives from the U.S. Army (M.L. Raines, LTC, USA), Navy (P.L. Havenstein, CDR, USN) and Air Force (K.G. Lindell, COL, USAF) were selected/requested to provide assistance to the NASA Space Task Group through coordination with the existing U.S. defense research and defense contracting infrastructure, and technical assistance resulting from experimental aircraft (and the associated military test pilot pool) development in the 1950s. On May 5, 1961, astronaut—one of the seven astronauts selected as pilot for this mission—became the first American in space when he piloted on a 15-minute suborbital flight. became the first American to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962 during the 5 and a quarter-hour flight of After the Mercury project, was launched to conduct experiments and work out issues relating to a moon mission. The first Gemini flight with astronauts on board, was flown by and on March 23, 1965. Nine other missions followed, showing that long-duration human space flight was possible, proving that rendezvous and docking with another vehicle in space was possible, and gathering medical data on the effects of weightlessness on human beings.
During this time NASA also began to explore the solar system with unmanned probes. As with the manned program, the Soviets had the first successes, such as the first photographs of the lunar far side, but NASA's was the first space probe to visit another planet, Venus, in 1962.
Apollo program
The Apollo program was designed to land humans on the Moon and bring them safely back to Earth. ended tragically when all the astronauts inside died due to fire in the command module during an experimental simulation. Because of this incident, there were a few unmanned tests before men boarded the spacecraft. and tested various components while orbiting the Moon, and returned photographs. On July 20, 1969, landed the first men on the moon, did not land on the Moon due to a malfunction, but did return photographs. The six missions that landed on the Moon returned a wealth of scientific data and almost 400 kilograms of lunar samples. Experiments included, and solar wind experiments.
Skylab
Skylab was the first the United States launched into orbit. The 75 station was in Earth orbit from 1973 to 1979, and was visited by crews three times, in 1973 and 1974. Skylab was originally intended to study gravitational anomalies in other solar systems, but the assignment was curtailed due to lack of funding and interest. It included a laboratory for studying the effects of, and a. A Space Shuttle was planned to dock with and elevate Skylab to a higher safe altitude, but Skylab reentered the atmosphere and was destroyed in 1979, before the first shuttle could be launched, landing over parts of Western Australia and the Indian Ocean, with some fragments being recovered.
Apollo-Soyuz
The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (or ASTP) was the first joint flight of the U.S. and. The mission took place in July 1975. For the United States of America, it was the last flight, as well as the last manned space launch until the flight of the first in April 1981.
Shuttle era
The became the major focus of NASA in the late 1970s and the 1980s. Planned to be a frequently launchable and mostly reusable vehicle, four space shuttles were built by 1985. The first to launch, , did so on April 12, 1981The shuttle was not all good news for NASA – flights were much more expensive than initially projected, and the public again lost interest as missions appeared to become mundane until the 1986 again highlighted the risks of space flight. Work began on as a focus for the manned space program, but within NASA there was argument that these projects came at the expense of more inspiring unmanned missions such as the probes.
Nonetheless, the shuttle launched milestone projects like the (HST). The HST is a joint project between NASA and the (ESA), and its success has paved the way for greater collaboration between the agencies. The HST was created with a relatively small budget of $2 billion but has continued operation since 1990, delighting both scientists and the public. Some of its images, such as the groundbreaking, have become famous.
In 1995 Russian-American interaction resumed with the missions. Once more an American vehicle docked with a Russian craft, this time a full-fledged space station. This cooperation continues to today, with Russia and America the two biggest partners in the largest space station ever built – the (ISS). The strength of their cooperation on this project was even more evident when NASA began relying on Russian launch vehicles to service the ISS during the two year grounding of the shuttle fleet following the 2003, which killed the crew of six Americans and one Israeli, caused a 29-month hiatus in space shuttle flights and triggered a serious re-examination of NASA's priorities. The U.S. government, various scientists, and the public all reconsidered the future of the space program.
Costing over $100 billion, it has been difficult at times for NASA to justify the ISS The population at large has historically been hard to impress with details of scientific experiments in low earth orbit, preferring news of grand projects to exotic locations such as During much of the 1990s, NASA was faced with shrinking annual budgets due to Congressional belt-tightening in Washington, D.C. In response, NASA's ninth administrator, , pioneered the "faster, better, cheaper" approach that enabled NASA to cut costs while still delivering a wide variety of aerospace programs That method was criticized and re-evaluated following the twin losses of in 1999. Yet, NASA's shuttle program had made 116 successful launches as of December 2006.
NASA's future
It is the current that NASA, "execute a sustained and affordable human and robotic program of space exploration and develop, acquire, and use civil space systems to advance fundamental scientific knowledge of our Earth system, solar system, and universe NASA's ongoing investigations include in-depth surveys of and studies of the and the Other NASA spacecraft are presently en route to and. With missions to in planning stages, NASA's itinerary covers over half the solar system.
An improved and larger planetary, is under construction and slated to launch in 2011, after a slight delay caused by hardware challenges, which has bumped it back from the October 2009 scheduled launch. The mission to Pluto was launched in 2006 and will fly by in 2015. The probe received a from in February 2007, examining some of Jupiter's inner moons and testing on-board instruments during the fly-by. On the horizon of NASA's plans is the as part of the to study the.
Vision for space exploration
On January 14, 2004, ten days after the landing of the Mars Exploration Rover, US announced a new plan for NASA's future, dubbed the. According to this plan, will return to the by 2018, and set up outposts as a testbed and potential resource for future missions. The will be retired in 2010 and will replace it by 2015, capable of both docking with the (ISS) and leaving the Earth's orbit. The future of the ISS is somewhat uncertain – construction will be completed, but beyond that is less clear. Although the plan initially met with skepticism from Congress, in late 2004 Congress agreed to provide start-up funds for the first year's worth of the new space vision.
Hoping to spur innovation from the private sector, NASA established a series of, technology prizes for non-government teams, in 2004. The Challenges include tasks that will be useful for implementing the Vision for Space Exploration, such as building more efficient astronaut gloves.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
American Bank
History
The first official engraver of the young, began the company that would eventually grow into the nation’s premier high security and printing firm, the American Bank Note Company.
Founded in 1795 as Murray, Draper, Fairham & Company (after Scot's three partners), the company prospered as the young United States population expanded and financial institutions blossomed. Its products included superior quality and certificates, paper currency for the nation’s thousands of state-chartered banks, postage stamps (from 1847 to 1894), and a wide variety of other engraved and printed items.
Following the, seven of the nation’s most prominent security printers merged to form the American Bank Note Company on April 29, 1858. The new company made its headquarters. Less than two years later, a handful of the remaining independent bank note printers merged to form the National Bank Note Company.
To be close to the stock exchanges, brokerage firms, and banks in lower Manhattan, the American Bank Note Company established its New York City headquarters in the Merchants Exchange Building at 55 Wall Street. The company moved its office and plant to 142 Broadway (at the corner of Liberty Street) in 1867, to another new facility at 78-86 Trinity Place in 1882, and again to in 1908.
The first paper currency was circulated by the following the outbreak of the Congress passed authorizing legislation for $60 million worth of these “Demand Notes” on July 17 and August 5, 1861. Under contract with the government, the novel paper money, called “greenbacks” by the public, was produced by the American Bank Note Co. and the National Bank Note Co. A total of 7.25 million notes were produced in denominations of $5, $10, and $20. In an interesting historical sidelight, American and National were also producing paper money for the Confederacy at the same time.
Following the initial production of U.S. currency by the government’s in 1862, ABNCo sought a new source of demand for its services. They found it in foreign lands. By the latter part of the 19th century the company was engraving and printing currency and other high-security items for 48 countries.
In 1879, the security printing industry’s second major consolidation took place. American absorbed the National Bank Note and Continental Bank Note companies.
In 1887, ABNCo won the second four-year contract to engrave and print Postal Notes for the U.S. post office. (New York’s produced these notes during the first contract period.) American assigned Thomas F. Morris, its Chief Designer, the task of re-designing this early money order. The paper for this contract (as for all Postal Notes and a massive number of official U.S. high security documents) was produced by Crane and Co. of Dalton, Massachusetts.
In 1891 the American Bank Note Company began producing a new form of money for a longtime customer: the American Express "Travelers Cheque." In its first year, American Express sold $9,120. worth of its new invention. During 2000, sales of totaled $24.6 billion.
In 1894, ABNCo completed the final contract for the private printing of American stamps. Perhaps their most popular stamps were the one cent to $5 issues commemorating the 1892-93 in Chicago. On July 1, 1894 American delivered its entire stamp-producing operation to the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing in, where U.S. stamps are still printed.
In 1943-1944 American Bank Note Company was contracted by the United States Government's to produce the stamps.
American Bank Note
The history of American Bank Note Company can be traced to the earliest days of our nation. The year was 1795. In the wake of her newfound independence, America was experiencing rapid growth. The adoption of the Constitution, the regulation of interstate commerce, and the rise in international trade all increased the demand for banks and bank note currency.Enter Robert Scot. As the first engraver to the federal mint, he brought experience, artistry, and innovation to the new government and the bank note industry. He also established one of the first bank note businesses, which, over the course of many decades, would become American Bank Note Company. American Bank Note Company’s success reflects the dynamic economic history of the country. As America expanded its borders and broadened its influence, American Bank Note Company did the same. We were among the first to print currency, postage stamps, war bonds, and stock certificates. We were pioneers in the production of our own secure papers, inks, and presses.During the past 200 years, our leaders have served as advisers to governments both local and foreign, thwarted counterfeiters with stringent security measures, and developed technology to support innovative ideas. Today, American Bank Note Company continues its tradition of excellence, craftsmanship, and leadership in the field of secure document printing. With an outstanding record of service to this country and the industry as a whole, we have earned the confidence of corporations, governments, and financial institutions around the globe. We believe in creating the most secure document possible, while preserving the artistic heritage of the craft. As a result, we have assembled the expertise, experience, and resources necessary to meet the challenges of printing secure documents in the 21st century.
The first official engraver of the young, began the company that would eventually grow into the nation’s premier high security and printing firm, the American Bank Note Company.
Founded in 1795 as Murray, Draper, Fairham & Company (after Scot's three partners), the company prospered as the young United States population expanded and financial institutions blossomed. Its products included superior quality and certificates, paper currency for the nation’s thousands of state-chartered banks, postage stamps (from 1847 to 1894), and a wide variety of other engraved and printed items.
Following the, seven of the nation’s most prominent security printers merged to form the American Bank Note Company on April 29, 1858. The new company made its headquarters. Less than two years later, a handful of the remaining independent bank note printers merged to form the National Bank Note Company.
To be close to the stock exchanges, brokerage firms, and banks in lower Manhattan, the American Bank Note Company established its New York City headquarters in the Merchants Exchange Building at 55 Wall Street. The company moved its office and plant to 142 Broadway (at the corner of Liberty Street) in 1867, to another new facility at 78-86 Trinity Place in 1882, and again to in 1908.
The first paper currency was circulated by the following the outbreak of the Congress passed authorizing legislation for $60 million worth of these “Demand Notes” on July 17 and August 5, 1861. Under contract with the government, the novel paper money, called “greenbacks” by the public, was produced by the American Bank Note Co. and the National Bank Note Co. A total of 7.25 million notes were produced in denominations of $5, $10, and $20. In an interesting historical sidelight, American and National were also producing paper money for the Confederacy at the same time.
Following the initial production of U.S. currency by the government’s in 1862, ABNCo sought a new source of demand for its services. They found it in foreign lands. By the latter part of the 19th century the company was engraving and printing currency and other high-security items for 48 countries.
In 1879, the security printing industry’s second major consolidation took place. American absorbed the National Bank Note and Continental Bank Note companies.
In 1887, ABNCo won the second four-year contract to engrave and print Postal Notes for the U.S. post office. (New York’s produced these notes during the first contract period.) American assigned Thomas F. Morris, its Chief Designer, the task of re-designing this early money order. The paper for this contract (as for all Postal Notes and a massive number of official U.S. high security documents) was produced by Crane and Co. of Dalton, Massachusetts.
In 1891 the American Bank Note Company began producing a new form of money for a longtime customer: the American Express "Travelers Cheque." In its first year, American Express sold $9,120. worth of its new invention. During 2000, sales of totaled $24.6 billion.
In 1894, ABNCo completed the final contract for the private printing of American stamps. Perhaps their most popular stamps were the one cent to $5 issues commemorating the 1892-93 in Chicago. On July 1, 1894 American delivered its entire stamp-producing operation to the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing in, where U.S. stamps are still printed.
In 1943-1944 American Bank Note Company was contracted by the United States Government's to produce the stamps.
American Bank Note
The history of American Bank Note Company can be traced to the earliest days of our nation. The year was 1795. In the wake of her newfound independence, America was experiencing rapid growth. The adoption of the Constitution, the regulation of interstate commerce, and the rise in international trade all increased the demand for banks and bank note currency.Enter Robert Scot. As the first engraver to the federal mint, he brought experience, artistry, and innovation to the new government and the bank note industry. He also established one of the first bank note businesses, which, over the course of many decades, would become American Bank Note Company. American Bank Note Company’s success reflects the dynamic economic history of the country. As America expanded its borders and broadened its influence, American Bank Note Company did the same. We were among the first to print currency, postage stamps, war bonds, and stock certificates. We were pioneers in the production of our own secure papers, inks, and presses.During the past 200 years, our leaders have served as advisers to governments both local and foreign, thwarted counterfeiters with stringent security measures, and developed technology to support innovative ideas. Today, American Bank Note Company continues its tradition of excellence, craftsmanship, and leadership in the field of secure document printing. With an outstanding record of service to this country and the industry as a whole, we have earned the confidence of corporations, governments, and financial institutions around the globe. We believe in creating the most secure document possible, while preserving the artistic heritage of the craft. As a result, we have assembled the expertise, experience, and resources necessary to meet the challenges of printing secure documents in the 21st century.
American Life Insurance
The American General Life And Accident Insurance Company, now commonly termed American General, was named so because they offer many different services to millions of Americans. They offer a host of different 'general' life insurance policies, which offer a range of policies to choose, by customers who want to buy a term life insurance policy. Today, more than 4 million people in America actually use American General for an insurance policy or cheap insurance quote, and this includes both personal and business policy holders. The individual cover held by these two parties differs immensely and not just between the two groups. Business terms are much different to personal terms held by the organization.
Is AG stable?
There are indeed many different life insurance companies throughout the US that can offer a life insurance policy such as those offered. Many of these companies also offer great rates and incentives to potential policy holders; however, this doesn't mean to say that these companies are going to be around for ever - such as the recent injection of capital by the US government into AIG. This did help stabilize the company as a whole, but you should be cautious when looking to 'invest' your money for yourself and your family. You should make a decision on a company that you choose on reputation, but you should also look at their financial rating and status, which will provide you with a current picture of how the market view the company (AIG in this case) and its assets within the larger economy. There are many different independent financial rating watchdogs out there that act as a source for consumers on the financial world.
Some of these top rated companies include Standard & Poors, Fitch Ratings and Moody's Investors Service; all of these provide ratings on a number of companies which are freely available to the general public. There is also a general system to grade any company that is trading, which has been compared to the American school grading system; A is considered very, very good, whilst F means that the company is in a bad position and it could default 'fail' in the near future - the latter company wouldn't get my investment, period. The American General Life and Accident Insurance Company has in the past received A++'s and a gold rating, which means that the company is stable; however, the recent intervention by the US government to some companies in this broad insurance market will give some people a hesitant reaction to entering into a 'deal' with such companies.
How did they form?
American General was formed at the start of the last century in 1900, first trading in Tennessee. The original name of the organization was "The National Sick And Accident Association of Nashville," and for some time many shortened this to the NLT Corporation. Later on, the company decided that in order to grow and establish itself in the market, it would need to partner with another similar firm in the market, and so it decided to establish a joint venture with a Texas-based company called the American General Corporation, in 1982. Since then, the organization has adopted a whole host of different names, whilst acquiring some smaller insurance firms. This has enabled the company to build a growing client based all over the country, with a progression over the last 30 years.
The company is focused on the insurance needs of individuals in the market, and although they do offer services to their workforce, some do consider these 'offers' to not be overly forthcoming. The main direction that the firm has gone in is to establish within the "middle market" (in insurance lingo), by offering term insurance, universal coverage and their trade-marked "Quality of Life Insurance".
The latter policy above, is a new type of insurance that is offered to the public. This process involves giving money to your family and close ones before you actually die and has become a hit with many Americans across the country. This money paid but will help pay any bills should you come down with an illness, whether this be serious or life threatening. This money would also help should you become disabled during your retirement, or even retire early because of it, and can pay for any assistance that you may need.
Ray Devine is an online life insurance policy specialist, reviewing explaining and advises what is term life insurance - visit his blog to read more.
American Life Insurance
American life insurance policy is regarded as a contract between the insurer and the policy owner, whereby the insurer guarantees to pay death benefit to the owner vis-à-vis the payment of policy premiums.
Life insurance in US is a popular resource of financial investment. Two basic types of American life insurance schemes are temporary policy and permanent policy.
Types of American Life Insurance
A temporary or term life insurance policy provides financial cover for a specified period of years against a fixed amount of premium. This kind of insurance policy is beneficial only upon a policy holder’s death. The obvious disadvantage is that it does not earn any cash value and repays principal amount with minimal interest by the end of the policy tenure.
Factors to consider include the death benefit amount, premium to be paid and the term of the policy before you go ahead and buy a term life insurance. Different US insurance companies provide term life insurance varying on the basis of above factors.
A permanent American life insurance refers to an insurance scheme that continues over the years until the policy has paid back the total amount. These policies earn cash value and the policyholder is entitled to the cash value generated by the policy. There are three different types of permanent life insurance policies:
Whole-life insurance: This policy covers the policyholder’s entire life span and ensures fixed death benefits. Definite premium amount and guaranteed cash value make this American life insurance policy a good choice.
Universal life insurance: A universal American life insurance policy offers greater flexibility vis-à-vis a whole-life insurance policy. In this policy, you determine both the insurance amount and the premium. A variable policy is a type of universal life insurance policy which offers no guaranteed benefits. So, a policy owner decides where the amount will be invested. If investment does well, cash benefits will be extended otherwise policy can lapse due to insufficient funds.
Most premiums that are paid for an American life insurance policy are not considered for tax deductions. However, the cash value generated by the policy is free from tax.
To capitalize on savings amount without tax deductions, check the tax deduction clause with care before you purchase a policy.
First United American Life Insurance Company is a New York subsidiary of United American Insurance Company. Since its inception more than 20 years ago, it has maintained its financial stability, while experiencing tremendous growth and it offers quality writing quality products in the areas of individual Medicare Supplements and Flexible Premium Annuities. Apart from the various insurance products, the firm also offers eservices which are essential insurance related services offered through the internet such as verify coverage, check claim status or reaching the customer service.
Is AG stable?
There are indeed many different life insurance companies throughout the US that can offer a life insurance policy such as those offered. Many of these companies also offer great rates and incentives to potential policy holders; however, this doesn't mean to say that these companies are going to be around for ever - such as the recent injection of capital by the US government into AIG. This did help stabilize the company as a whole, but you should be cautious when looking to 'invest' your money for yourself and your family. You should make a decision on a company that you choose on reputation, but you should also look at their financial rating and status, which will provide you with a current picture of how the market view the company (AIG in this case) and its assets within the larger economy. There are many different independent financial rating watchdogs out there that act as a source for consumers on the financial world.
Some of these top rated companies include Standard & Poors, Fitch Ratings and Moody's Investors Service; all of these provide ratings on a number of companies which are freely available to the general public. There is also a general system to grade any company that is trading, which has been compared to the American school grading system; A is considered very, very good, whilst F means that the company is in a bad position and it could default 'fail' in the near future - the latter company wouldn't get my investment, period. The American General Life and Accident Insurance Company has in the past received A++'s and a gold rating, which means that the company is stable; however, the recent intervention by the US government to some companies in this broad insurance market will give some people a hesitant reaction to entering into a 'deal' with such companies.
How did they form?
American General was formed at the start of the last century in 1900, first trading in Tennessee. The original name of the organization was "The National Sick And Accident Association of Nashville," and for some time many shortened this to the NLT Corporation. Later on, the company decided that in order to grow and establish itself in the market, it would need to partner with another similar firm in the market, and so it decided to establish a joint venture with a Texas-based company called the American General Corporation, in 1982. Since then, the organization has adopted a whole host of different names, whilst acquiring some smaller insurance firms. This has enabled the company to build a growing client based all over the country, with a progression over the last 30 years.
The company is focused on the insurance needs of individuals in the market, and although they do offer services to their workforce, some do consider these 'offers' to not be overly forthcoming. The main direction that the firm has gone in is to establish within the "middle market" (in insurance lingo), by offering term insurance, universal coverage and their trade-marked "Quality of Life Insurance".
The latter policy above, is a new type of insurance that is offered to the public. This process involves giving money to your family and close ones before you actually die and has become a hit with many Americans across the country. This money paid but will help pay any bills should you come down with an illness, whether this be serious or life threatening. This money would also help should you become disabled during your retirement, or even retire early because of it, and can pay for any assistance that you may need.
Ray Devine is an online life insurance policy specialist, reviewing explaining and advises what is term life insurance - visit his blog to read more.
American Life Insurance
American life insurance policy is regarded as a contract between the insurer and the policy owner, whereby the insurer guarantees to pay death benefit to the owner vis-à-vis the payment of policy premiums.
Life insurance in US is a popular resource of financial investment. Two basic types of American life insurance schemes are temporary policy and permanent policy.
Types of American Life Insurance
A temporary or term life insurance policy provides financial cover for a specified period of years against a fixed amount of premium. This kind of insurance policy is beneficial only upon a policy holder’s death. The obvious disadvantage is that it does not earn any cash value and repays principal amount with minimal interest by the end of the policy tenure.
Factors to consider include the death benefit amount, premium to be paid and the term of the policy before you go ahead and buy a term life insurance. Different US insurance companies provide term life insurance varying on the basis of above factors.
A permanent American life insurance refers to an insurance scheme that continues over the years until the policy has paid back the total amount. These policies earn cash value and the policyholder is entitled to the cash value generated by the policy. There are three different types of permanent life insurance policies:
Whole-life insurance: This policy covers the policyholder’s entire life span and ensures fixed death benefits. Definite premium amount and guaranteed cash value make this American life insurance policy a good choice.
Universal life insurance: A universal American life insurance policy offers greater flexibility vis-à-vis a whole-life insurance policy. In this policy, you determine both the insurance amount and the premium. A variable policy is a type of universal life insurance policy which offers no guaranteed benefits. So, a policy owner decides where the amount will be invested. If investment does well, cash benefits will be extended otherwise policy can lapse due to insufficient funds.
Most premiums that are paid for an American life insurance policy are not considered for tax deductions. However, the cash value generated by the policy is free from tax.
To capitalize on savings amount without tax deductions, check the tax deduction clause with care before you purchase a policy.
First United American Life Insurance Company is a New York subsidiary of United American Insurance Company. Since its inception more than 20 years ago, it has maintained its financial stability, while experiencing tremendous growth and it offers quality writing quality products in the areas of individual Medicare Supplements and Flexible Premium Annuities. Apart from the various insurance products, the firm also offers eservices which are essential insurance related services offered through the internet such as verify coverage, check claim status or reaching the customer service.
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