Space Exploration

We've walked on the moon, sent rovers to Mars, and are continuously developing technologies to help us explore the farthest reaches of the universe. Learn more about space missions of the past, present, and future.

  • Official portrait Gregory Jarvis
    Biography of Gregory Jarvis, Challenger Astronaut
  • Ellison Onizuka
    Biography of Col. Ellison Onizuka, Challenger Astronaut
  • Michael J. Smith astronaut
    Biography of Michael J. Smith, Challenger Astronaut
  • Astronauts Scott Kelly And Mikhail Kornienko Give A Press Confence At UNESCO in Paris
    Biography of Scott Kelly, Astronaut Who Spent a Year in Space
  • Mountain Wilson Observatory
    Mount Wilson Observatory: Where Astronomy History Was Made
  • Dr. Robert H. Goddard at the blackboard at Clark University. Colorized image courtesy NASA and Clark University.
    Biography of Robert H. Goddard, American Rocket Scientist
  • Keck Observatory
    Keck Observatory: The Most Scientifically Productive Telescopes
  • Roger Chaffee at the console.
    A Biography of Roger B. Chaffee, NASA Astronaut
  • Hubble Space Telescope
    12 Iconic Images From Hubble Space Telescope
  • Gemini North Observatory
    Gemini Observatory Provides Complete Coverage of the Sky
  • Neil Armstrong on the Moon
    Biography of Neil Armstrong
  • The dome of the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory.
    Palomar Observatory, Home of the 200-Inch Hale Telescope
  • Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
    Griffith Observatory: Public Telescopes Turn Visitors Into Observers
  • Space Shuttle Mission STS-47
    16 Black Americans in Astronomy and Space
  • North America, day and night, satellite image of the Earth
    Apollo 13: A Mission in Trouble
  • Space shuttle toilet
    Personal Hygiene in Space: How it Works
  • space_+station_nasa.jpg
    What's it Like to Live in Space?
  • apollo 14
    Apollo 14 Mission: Return to the Moon after Apollo 13
  • Griffith Observatory and space shuttle Endeavour.
    Take a Space-Themed Vacation Here on Earth
  • Rocket launch
    Model Rockets: A Great Way to Learn about Spaceflight
  • Apollo 11 Image
    History of the Apollo 11 Mission, "One Giant Leap for Mankind"
  • launch of Pioneer 10
    The Pioneer Missions: Explorations of the Solar System
  • saturn
    The Best Astronomy Apps for Smartphones, Tablets, and Computers
  • China Launches Its First Space Laboratory Module Tiangong-1
    The History of the Chinese Space Program
  • ESA Ariane 5 Flight VA240 lifts off
    The History of the European Space Agency
  • space spinoffs
    Space Exploration Pays Off Here on Earth
  • Neil Armstrong training for the Apollo 11 mission
    Neil Armstrong Quotes
  • McAuliffe and space shuttle model.
    Christa McAuliffe: First NASA Teacher in Space Astronaut
  • Pictures of Mae Jemison - STS-47 Onboard Photo
    Dr. Mae C. Jemison: Astronaut and Visionary
  • 135859main_moon-concept-3.jpg
    The Future of Human Space Exploration
  • Sputnik satellite on earth orbit.
    The Story of Sputnik 1
  • Gemini North telescope, a twin to its counterpart in Chile.
    Visit an Observatory, See the Stars, Planets, and Galaxies
  • mercury 13
    They Never Became Astronauts: The Story of the Mercury 13
  • Saturn V block at the Johnson Space Center
    Visiting the Johnson Houston Space Center
  • Mercury 7 monument
    The History and Legacy of Project Mercury
  • Ham
    Space Chimps and their Flight Histories
  • Space Suit Prototypes
    The Evolution of the Space Suit
  • Soyuz 11: Disaster in Space
  • NASA Astronaut Guion Bluford, Jr.
    The Life of Guion "Guy" Bluford: NASA Astronaut
  • Ronald E. McNair
    The Life and Times of Dr. Ronald E. McNair
  • astronaut on gemini mission
    Project Gemini: NASA's Early Steps to Space
  • three Apollo 13 crew members with early navigation tools
    The Astrolabe: Using the Stars for Navigation and Timekeeping
  • JFK & LBJ Tour Cape Canaveral
    The Space Race of the 1960s
  • Image of the Week for Awaiting Orders
    Remembering NASA Astronaut Gus Grissom
  • Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr.
    Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr.
  • terrestrial planets
    Terrestrial Planets: Rocky Worlds Close to the Sun
  • MR-6 Redstone rocket, black and white photograph.
    Redstone Rockets Are a Piece of Space Exploration History
  • Yuri_Gagarin_node_full_image_2.jpg
    Who Was Yuri Gagarin?
  • Planet MERCURY
    Mercury MESSENGER's Final Plunge
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