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Space History Photo: Bill Fecych and Don Johnson in control room in 1959

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Two men sit in the control room of the Plum Brook Facility in 1969. (Image credit: NASA.)

In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, Bill Fecych (seated) and Don Johnson work in the reactor control room during its operating days in 1959. After an ad hoc committee study in 1977, NASA Headquarters decided that the reactor would never be put back into operation. Reactor equipment was then "cannibalized" for other programs.

For more information browse the Plum Brook Facility Page.

The National Advisory Committe on Aeronautics (NACA) was a precursor to NASA. NACA was created by Congress in 1915.

Each weekday, SPACE.com looks back at the history of spaceflight through photos (archive).

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U.S. Space Agency

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the U.S. government agency in charge of the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Founded in 1958, NASA is a civilian space agency aimed at exploring the universe with space telescopes,  satellites, robotic spacecraft, astronauts and more. The space agency has 10 major centers based across the U.S. and launches robotic and crewed missions from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral Florida. It's astronaut corps is based at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. To follow NASA's latest mission, follow the space agency on Twitter or any other social channel, of visit: nasa.gov.