Partners in the Sky: 1965

The partnership between NASA and the FAA that facilitates that exchange of ideas and technology was forged soon after both agencies were for­mally created in 1958. With the growing acceptance of commercial jet air­liners and the ever-increasing number of passengers who wanted to get to their destinations as quickly as possible, the United States began explor­ing the possibility of fielding a Supersonic Transport (SST). By 1964, it was suggested that duplication of effort was underway by researchers at the FAA and NASA, especially in upgrading existing jet powerplants required to propel the speedy airliner. The resulting series of meetings during the next year led to the creation in May 1965 of the NASA-FAA Coordinating Board, which was designed to "strengthen the coordina­tion, planning, and exchange of information between the two agencies.”[187]