On May 15th, 1973, NASA launched the first space station. The first three-person crew took up residence 11 days later. Over the course of roughly six months and three crews, Skylab served as a base for scientific research conducted in space. The astronauts’ schedule of experimentation and observation also included scientific demonstrations broadcast to Earth … Continue reading Skylab and NASA’s Space Classroom
February 11 is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a day set aside to recognize the role women and girls play in science and technology and promote full and equal access to participation in science. What better way to recognize the day than by highlighting a few NASA trailblazers? The NASA film Where … Continue reading Celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science with NASA Trailblazers
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) photographic records is one of the largest groups of records within the holdings of the Still Picture Branch. The photographs range in date between 1903 and 2011, and include subject matter such as daily operations, personnel, events, facilities, and come in the form of both analog and born-digital … Continue reading Space and Beyond: Locating NASA Photographs Using Online Indexes
As a girl growing up in the 1980s, Sally Ride was my hero. On forward flight deck of Challenger, Mission Specialist (MS) Ride reclines above pilot’s seat in front of pilot’s station control panels. Forward control panels and windows appear on her right and seat back with stowage bag and personal egress air pack (PEAP) … Continue reading Sally Ride and the Women of NASA
For more than half a century, the people at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have captured the hearts and minds of the American people. From man’s initial voyages through Earth’s atmosphere, to the recent exploration of Pluto, NASA has continued push the limits of scientific exploration. While NASA’s accomplishments are too numerous for … Continue reading Pushing the Limits: The NASA Space Shuttle (Photos)
This week I’m highlighting new digital images transferred from NASA that will soon be available in our research room and eventually uploaded into OPA. The four series, 255-AMP, ASTP, STS, and GRC, cover digital surrogates created from the original still film from the Apollo missions, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, and the Shuttle missions. In addition, … Continue reading Images of the Week: NASA Digital Images
Today we spotlight the historic launch of Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969, with two items from the National Archives and Record Administration’s (NARA) motion picture holdings of Record Group 255, Records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Series (NASA). The silent, unedited “pool” footage seen in these two 16mm film reels linked shows … Continue reading Spotlight: Apollo 11 Launch Footage-July 16, 1969
We’re pleased to announce that 256,444 photographs from NASA’s Glenn Research Center have recently been added to the National Archives Catalog. The photos document facilities, personnel, and aeronautic and space technology development at the Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio and at Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio. Also included are publicity photos, as … Continue reading New Addition to the Catalog: Photographs from the John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field (255-GRC)
Please Note: Primary source documents used in this post may contain harmful language. See NARA’s Statement on Potentially Harmful Language. The First Motion Picture Unit When America entered the war in Europe in 1941, the country’s greatest challenge was finding enough manpower to wage a two-front war. The country needed to quickly increase the number … Continue reading Wings for This Man: Celebrating the Tuskegee Airmen
The X-15 did not take off. It must have stuck out its thumb, because it hitched a ride into flight. On July 17, 1962, Air Force Maj. Robert White took to the air with his X-15 mounted under the wing of a modified B-52. After separating from the mothership, he ignited his plane’s rockets and … Continue reading X-15A Flight No. 3-7-14: To the Edge of Space
