Skylab 4: The Last Mission
On Nov. 16, 1973, Skylab 4 launched as the third, and final, crewed mission to America’s first space station, Skylab. Commander Gerald Carr, pilot William Pogue, and scientist Edward Gibson spent a total of 84 days on orbit, which became the record, at the time, for the longest crewed spaceflight.
Astronaut Friday: Walter “Wally” Schirra
It’s Friday and that means we’re highlighting an astronaut! Today’s featured space traveler is one of NASA’s “Original Seven” astronauts. To commemorate the anniversary of his Apollo 7 flight (Oct. 11), and the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Program, we’re remembering astronaut Walter “Wally” Schirra. In total, Schirra flew aboard
Do you remember Ares I-X?
Before NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), there was Ares. In 2004, the Vision of Space Exploration was put forth, committing NASA astronauts to return to the Moon and continue on to Mars. This meant that NASA needed to develop a new launch architecture system. On Oct. 28, 2009, nearly five
Apollo 7 Anniversary Infographic
On Oct. 11, 1968, the Apollo 7 mission launched from Cape Kennedy Air Force Base in Florida. The 10-day mission ended Oct. 22 when the capsule successfully splashed down into the Atlantic Ocean. Learn more about this extraordinary mission in this Apollo 7 mission infographic. It was a return to
Astronaut Friday: Walt Cunningham
Astronaut Friday is a way for us to explore the biographies of astronauts who you may not know much about. There may be a movie coming out about Neil Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin may have a Twitter feed, but do you know much about Apollo era astronaut Walt Cunningham? The
A reunion 57 years in the making
On Sept. 13, 1961, the Mercury Atlas 4 (MA-4) spacecraft launched into orbit. The automated (non-crewed) flight orbited the Earth just once, but it became America’s first capsule to orbit the planet, and it paved the way for American astronauts to venture into space. The mission demonstrated the capabilities of
Happy 100th Birthday Katherine Johnson!
NASA’s Langley Research Center is celebrating a big milestone of one of the key figures from its past. Katherine Johnson will celebrate her 100th birthday Sunday, Aug. 26. Let’s talk about this pioneering figure, what she means to NASA and what her contributions were to the space program. 1) Who
Apollo 50th: Timeline Infographic
In less than a year, we’ll celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. In anticipation of that momentous anniversary, we’re creating content around the Apollo Program. One of the things we will be doing is creating infographics about different topics, including Apollo astronaut bios, Apollo mission recaps
On anniversary, Curiosity rover still exploring Mars
On Mars, there is a roving science laboratory with lasers and cameras and active science experiments as we speak. On Aug. 5, 2012, Curiosity landed on Mars and has been making tracks (and history) ever since. Let’s run through some quick facts about the Mars Science Laboratory. What’s it’s real
Remembering Apollo 11’s historic Moon landing
On the 49th anniversary of Apollo 11’s Moon landing, let’s tell the story of how these three intrepid explorers got there. On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 blasted off atop a Saturn V rocket. The trip to the Moon took four days. After spending about 36 hours on the surface
Explorer Camps
Launch your kids on the STEM pathway with our Explorer Camps. Campers participate in innovative robotics challenges, take part in space-themed interactive experiences and explore all that Space Center Houston has to offer!
