Space Exploration
Space exploration, one of the greatest technological achievements in human history, has included the Apollo missions, the launch of the Hubble Telescope and the Space Shuttle missions, among others. These endeavors have been carried out by determined and courageous men and women.
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Yes, there was rocket science. But there were also extraordinary amounts of low-tech weaving, stitching and caulking.
These ground-breaking female mathematicians, engineers and scientists produced calculations crucial to the success of NASA's early space missions.
Since the Apollo missions began, space programs have offered a unique perspective on our home planet.
On January 28, 1986, seven lives were lost when safety concerns were not communicated amid pressure to proceed with the launch.
NASA’s Early Years
NASA's Early Years
In 1958, NASA was founded and quickly took up the goal of sending a man into Earth's orbit -- and safely returning him home. Seven men were chosen for Project Mercury, embarking on years of training to prepare for a journey no one had made before.
3 Surprising Facts About the Moon Landing
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The three stranded astronauts caught a free ride to Earth using the moon's gravity.
On January 28, 1986, seven lives were lost when safety concerns were not communicated amid pressure to proceed with the launch.
In 1960, Joe Kittinger ascended more than 19 miles above Earth—then leapt.
The famous comet only passes by the Earth roughly once every 76 years, but its appearances have often influenced historical events.
Apollo 13 was the seventh manned mission in the Apollo Space program (1961-1975) and the third lunar landing mission, though the three astronauts aboard never reached the moon and scrambled to survive what became a hair-raising rescue mission.
Our fascination with alien life on the red planet began long ago.
From lava fields in Idaho to deserts of Chile, NASA sought out some of Earth’s most extreme landscapes to simulate surfaces of other planets.
The Apollo program’s sixth human landing on the moon ended an epic chapter in space exploration.
It was supposed to be the third-ever moon landing. It turned into a rescue mission.
What was supposed to be the third space mission to land on the moon ended in disaster. But NASA learned from its mistakes.
On August 20, 1975, Viking 1 was launched to Mars and approximately 10 month later, it relayed its first images from the Red Planet. Those images revealed a desert-like world—and hints of possible life.
The world celebrated, feared and commercialized the spectacular return of America's first space station.
For decades, humanity has searched for signs of alien life, but many have been disproven or remain inconclusive.
In 1969, Michael Collins was part of the historic Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Known as the "forgotten astronaut," Collins remained in the command module as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon.
