NASA Introduces Mercury Astronauts
At a press conference in Washington, D.C., on April 9, 1959, NASA introduces the Mercury Seven to the public. The seven astronauts, selected from a pool of 508 military test pilots, were chosen for the newly formed Manned Space Program.
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NASA Introduces Mercury Astronauts
NASA Introduces Mercury AstronautsAudio Clip (0:55)
Audio Clip (0:55)
At a press conference in Washington, D.C., on April 9, 1959, NASA introduces the Mercury Seven to the public. The seven astronauts, selected from a pool of 508 military test pilots, were chosen for the newly formed Manned Space Program.
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Monkeys Travel to Space
Monkeys Travel to SpaceAudio Clip (2:00)
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On May 28, 1959, in an experiment that would lead the way to manned space flight, the United States launched two monkeys to an altitude of 300 miles. A Voice of America news report details the travels of the two primates who survived the space flight and were the first in history to return safely to Earth.
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Final Apollo Mission Leaves Moon
Final Apollo Mission Leaves MoonAudio Clip (1:26)
Audio Clip (1:26)
In December 1972, Apollo 17 communicates with Mission Control on the final trip to the moon, marking the end of the Apollo lunar landing program.
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Apollo 9 Completes Spacewalk
Apollo 9 Completes SpacewalkAudio Clip (0:46)
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After Apollo 9's launch on March 3, 1969, the crew communicates with Mission Control from space. The Apollo 9 mission was a crucial test run for the Apollo 11 moon landing three months later.
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JFK on First American to Orbit Earth
JFK on First American to Orbit EarthAudio Clip (0:29)
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On February 20, 1962, Lt. Col. John H. Glenn Jr. became the first American astronaut to orbit Earth. President John F. Kennedy tells the nation that America has reached a new ocean in its race to space.
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John Glenn Returns to Space
John Glenn Returns to SpaceAudio Clip (0:40)
Audio Clip (0:40)
On October 29, 1998, the NASA Mission Control countdown of the launch of space shuttle Discovery remarks on the historic return to space by crew member John Glenn. Four decades earlier, Glenn had been the first American to orbit Earth.
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Flight of Faith 7 Spacecraft
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Thirty minutes into the Faith 7 spaceflight, a NASA spokesperson recaps the trajectory of the craft after it was launched into orbit just after 8:00 a.m. on May 16, 1963. On board was Gordon Cooper, who became the first American astronaut to spend over 24 hours in space.
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U.S. and Soviets Link Up in Space
U.S. and Soviets Link Up in SpaceAudio Clip (1:35)
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U.N. Secretary General Kurt Waldheim congratulates the American and Soviet astronauts for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. On July 17, 1975, Commanders Thomas P. Safford and Aleksei Leonov shook hands in space.
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Christmas Eve Broadcast to Earth
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On December 24, 1968, astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders entered into lunar orbit aboard the Apollo 8 spacecraft. That evening, in a live radio and television transmission, Borman reads a passage from the Book of Genesis.
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Ford Phones Apollo Astronauts
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On July 17, 1975, President Gerald Ford speaks by telephone to the Apollo astronauts following their rendezvous and docking with the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. This was the first joint orbital mission between the two superpowers, and it helped pave the way for further cooperation in the exploration of space.
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Space Race: Cold War Front
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A brief look at the Space Race, set to "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf.
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History Rewind: Chimp In Space
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Rewind Breaking News The History Channel: This is the story of Ham, the first hominid to be launched into space. Ham the chimp is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida in a Project Mercury Redstone rocket.
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Ask Steve: The Space Program
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In this video clip from Ask Steve, the reason for Americans interest in the Space Program was explored. It is explained that competition, and the technological wonder of the space race were some of the reasons for the Americans interest.
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Atlantis Docking Mission, 1995
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In this History Uncut video clip, watch actual video footage of the Atlantis spacecraft's docking mission in June 1995. Listen and see the crew as they prepare to land and say goodbye to their spacecraft.
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Crew of Gemini VIII Trains in Zero Gravity
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In a History Uncut video, watch as the crew aboard the Gemini VIII have fun experiencing zero gravity in March of 1966.
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John Glenn Orbits the Earth
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Footage of John Glenn's historic orbit around the Earth on Friendship 7.
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Space Shuttle: The Last Mission
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In 2011, NASA sent a space shuttle into space for the last time. Get all the facts on the history of the U.S. space shuttle program.
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The First Space Shuttle Flight
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On April 12, 1981, NASA launched the first space shuttle into orbit.
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Buzz Aldrin on Approach to Moon
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In this Tech Effect video, brought to you by the History Channel, Buzz Aldrin talks about the landing of the lunar module during the Apollo 11 mission. He talks about how they only had fifteen seconds of fuel left when they actually landed.
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