Amy Shira Teitel

The mission that paved the way for the Apollo 11 moon landing came close to ending in disaster.

The 1969 mission was so ambitious it took three presidents to see it through.

Seven lives were lost as communications failed in the face of public pressure to proceed with the launch despite dangerously cold conditions.

NASA's InSight mission, which will dig into the planet's core, is the latest to explore for signs of life on the red planet.