History of U.S. Space Flight

By: David Shedden

February 2, 2003

This page deals with the history of space flight, including links to resources about the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle, and other space flights.

Space Shuttle Missions (1981-Present)
Mars Program (January 2004)
Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster (February 1, 2003)
International Space Station (1998-Present)
Hubble Space Telescope (1990-Present)
Challenger Space Shuttle Explosion (January 28, 1986)
Skylab Flights (1973-1974)
Apollo Flights (1968-1972)
Apollo 11: First Moon Landing (July 20, 1969)
Apollo 1 Fire (January 27, 1967)
Gemini Flights (1965-1966)
Mercury Flights (1961-1963)
Additional Resources

Space Shuttle Missions (1981-Present)
NASA Space Shuttle Mission Archive
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/
shuttle/shuttlemissions/list_main.html

Space Shuttle (Wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_shuttle

Space Shuttle (NASA)
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/

NASA’s Orbiter Fleet (KSC)
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/
kscpao/nasafact/orbittoc.htm
The First Space Shuttle Launch: April 12, 1981 (NASA)
http://history.nasa.gov/sts1/
How Space Shuttles Work (How Stuff Works)
http://www.howstuffworks.com/space-shuttle.htm

Google News Search
http://news.google.com/
Space Shuttle STS-114 (July 2005)

NASA’s Return to Flight Page
http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/main/
Spaceflight Now STS-114 Shuttle Report
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts114/
Space.com Special Report
http://www.space.com/returntoflight/
STS-114 and Space Shuttle Program (Wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_shuttle)
PBS Online NewsHour
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/shuttle/
CBS News
http://cbsnews.cbs.com/
BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4674947.stm
NPR
http://www.npr.org/
Examples of Newspaper Front Pages (Newseum)
http://www.newseum.org

Al’s Morning Meeting: July 11, 2005 (Poynter Institute)
http://poynter.org/column.asp?id=2&aid=85121
Al’s Morning Meeting: July 12, 2005 (Poynter Institute)
http://poynter.org/column.asp?id=2&aid=85241

Mars Program (January 2004)

Mars Exploration Rover Mission (NASA)
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/
Mars Exploration Program (NASA)
http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/
Mars for Educators (NASA)
http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/classroom/
M2K4: Roaming the Red Planet (NASA)
http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/m2k4/frameset.html
Mars Lander Mission (Discovery Channel)
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/features/mars/mars.html
Mars Rover Special Report (Space.com)
http://www.space.com/marsrover/

Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster (February 1, 2003)

Space Shuttle Columbia and Her Crew (NASA)
http://www.nasa.gov/columbia/
Remembering Columbia STS-107 (NASA)
http://history.nasa.gov/columbia/
Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster Coverage (Poynter Online) http://poynteronline.org/content/content_view.asp?id=19214
Lost: Space Shuttle Columbia (CNN)
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/shuttle/
The Columbia Disaster (CBS)
http://cbsnews.com/sections/columbia/main500258.shtml
Online Space Shuttle Columbia Crash Coverage
(Cyberjournalist.net)
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/
Decoding Columbia: A Detective Story
(Los Angeles Times, six-part series, 2003/2004)
http://www.latimes.com/
Space.com Report
http://www.space.com/columbiatragedy/
Examples of Newspaper Front Pages (Newseum) http://www.newseum.org/frontpages/columbialost.htm

International Space Station (1998- )
International Space Station (NASA)
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main
Space Station — History (NASA)
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/station/index.html
Space.com Report (Mission 11)
http://space.com/missionlaunches/exp11_mission_page.html
Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/content/interactive/space/station/
CNN
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/space/station/
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/library/
national/science/station-index.html
Time Magazine
http://www.time.com/time/reports/space/station.html
Space.com Report (Mission 1)
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/
missions/exp1_mission_page.html

Hubble Space Telescope (1990- )

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Homepage
http://hubble.nasa.gov/
HubbleSite (Space Telescope Science Institute)
http://hubblesite.org/
HubbleSOURCE (Space Telescope Science Institute)
http://hubblesource.stsci.edu/
ESA Hubble Space Telescope Homepage
http://www.spacetelescope.org/
Hubble Servicing Mission (NASA, 2002)
http://sm3b.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Challenger Space Shuttle Explosion (January 28, 1986)

Shuttle Mission Archive (KSC)
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/
kscpao/shuttle/missions/51-l/mission-51-l.html
The Challenger Disaster: 10 Years Later (Life Magazine)
http://www.life.com/Life/space/challenger.html
Information on the STS-51L/Challenger Accident (NASA)
http://history.nasa.gov/sts51l.html
BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/
stories/january/28/newsid_2506000/2506161.stm
Time Magazine
http://www.time.com/time/reports/space/disaster1.html
The Challenger Accident (FAS)
http://www.fas.org/spp/51L.html
Presidential Commission Report
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/51-l/
docs/rogers-commission/table-of-contents.html
President Reagan’s Challenger Speech (Reagan Foundation)
http://www.reaganfoundation.org/
reagan/speeches/challenger.asp
NASA and the Spellbound Press (CJR, 1986)
http://www.cjr.org/archives.asp?url=/03/1/challenger.asp
20 Years Later: Remembering Challenger
St. Peterburg Times, January 28, 2006

Skylab Flights (1973-1974)

Skylab Program Overview (KSC)
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/
kscpao/history/skylab/skylab.htm
Skylab Flight Summary (KSC)
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/
kscpao/history/skylab/flight-summary.htm
The Skylab Program (NASA)
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/apollo/skylab.html

Skylab: Our First Space Station (NASA)
http://history.nasa.gov/SP-400/sp400.htm
Skylab: A Guidebook (NASA)
http://history.nasa.gov/EP-107/contents.htm
Apollo Flights (1968-1972)

Apollo Program Overview (KSC)
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/
kscpao/history/apollo/apollo.htm
The Apollo Spacecraft: A Chronology (KSC)
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/
office/pao/History/SP-4009/contents.htm
The Apollo Program (NASA)
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/apollo.html
A History of Apollo Lunar Exploration Missions (NASA)
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/
office/pao/History/SP-4214/contents.html
Human Space Flight: The Apollo Program (NASA)
http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/apollo/
The Apollo Program (National Air and Space Museum)
http://www.nasm.si.edu/apollo/
Apollo 13 Review Board (NASA)
http://history.nasa.gov/ap13rb/ap13index.htm
To the Moon (PBS, Nova)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tothemoon/
The Apollo Gallery (NASA)
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/apollo/
Dateline Moon (Newseum)
http://www.newseum.org/datelinemoon/
Apollo 11: First Moon Landing (July 20, 1969)

Apollo 11 (KSC)
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/
history/apollo/apollo-11/apollo-11.html
Apollo 11’s 30th Anniversary (NASA)
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/
office/pao/History/ap11ann/introduction.htm
A Giant Leap for Mankind (Life Magazine)
http://www.life.com/Life/space/giantleap/sec6/photo1.html
Biographies (Life Magazine)
http://www.life.com/Life/space/giantleap/sec6/bio1.html
Apollo 11 at 30 (CNN)
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/specials/apollo/
The Story of Apollo 11 (Space.com)
http://www.space.com/
news/spacehistory/apollo11_special_2000.html
New York Times
http://nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0720.html
Apollo 1 Fire (January 27, 1967)

Apollo 1 (KSC)
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/apollo/apollo-1/apollo-1.html
Apollo 1 (NASA)
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Apollo204/
Put Them High on the List of Men Who Count (Life Magazine)
http://www.life.com/Life/space/giantleap/sec5/sec5.html
The Search Begins In The Scorched Capsule (Life Magazine)
http://www.life.com/Life/space/giantleap/sec5/sec5_2.html
For the Heroes, Salute and Farewell (Life Magazine)
http://www.life.com/Life/space/giantleap/sec5/funeral1.html
Gemini Flights (1965-1966)

Gemini Program Overview (KSC)
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/
kscpao/history/gemini/gemini.htm
Gemini Missions (KSC)
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/
kscpao/history/gemini/gemini-manned.htm
A Glorious Walk in the Cosmos (Life Magazine)
http://www.life.com/Life/space/giantleap/sec4/sec4.html
A History of Project Gemini (NASA)
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/
office/pao/History/SP-4203/toc.htm
Mercury Flights (1961-1963)

Mercury Program Overview (KSC)
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/
kscpao/history/mercury/mercury.htm
A History of Project Mercury (NASA)
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4201/toc.htm
Suiting Up (Life Magazine)
http://www.life.com/Life/space/giantleap/sec3/intro.html
The Astronauts–Ready to Make History (Life Magazine)
http://www.life.com/Life/space/giantleap/sec3/intro2.html
Project Mercury (KSC)
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/mercury/
The Friendship 7 Mission (NASA)
http://history.nasa.gov/friendship7/
40th Anniversary of the Mercury Seven (NASA)
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/40thmerc7/intro.htm
Alan Shepard Was A Pretty Cool Customer (1998 CNN Report)
http://www.cnn.com/US/9807/22/obit.shepard.02/
Washington Post (1962 coverage of John Glenn’s Flight)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/
national/longterm/glenn/collectors/post1962.htm
President Kennedy’s May 21, 1961 Speech on Space (CNN)
http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/space/05/25/kennedy.moon/
Additional Resources

NASA
http://www.nasa.gov/
A Brief History of NASA
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/factsheet.htm
NASA’s History Office — Topical Index
http://history.nasa.gov/tindex.html
Missions – Highlights
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/
NASA Histories Online
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/on-line.html
First 100 Human Space Flights (KSC)
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/factoids/hundtoc.htm
Life Magazine (55 Covers)
http://www.life.com/Life/space/covers/coversspace.html
The Race to the Moon (Time Magazine)
http://www.time.com/time/reports/space/spacerace.html
The 45th Anniversary of Launch of Explorer 1 (Space.com)
http://www.space.com/
missionlaunches/explorer_anniversary_030131.html
Exploring the Universe (NASA)
http://www1.nasa.gov/vision/universe/features/
When We Left Earth (Discovery Channel, June 2008)
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/nasa/nasa.html

U.S. / Russia Space Flights
Apollo Soyuz Program Overview (KSC)
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/
kscpao/history/astp/astp.html
History of Shuttle-Mir (NASA)
http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/
Star City (Life Magazine)
http://www.life.com/Life/space/starcity/starcity01.html

Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin
Soviet Traveler Returns From Out of this World (Life Magazine)
http://www.life.com/Life/space/giantleap/sec1/sec1a.html
Yuri Gagarin: His Life in Pictures (PBS, Russian Archives Online)
http://www.pbs.org/redfiles/rao/gallery/gagarin/

Russia’s Sputnik Satellite (October 4, 1957)

Google News Search
http://news.google.com/
Technorati Weblog Search
http://www.technorati.com/

First Contact: Sputnik (NASA article, Oct. 2007)
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/explorer/sputnik-20071002.html
Multimedia Report for Sputnik 50th Anniversary
(St. Petersburg Times, Oct. 2007)
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/webspecials07/interactives/sputnik-anniv/
Sputnik and The Dawn of the Space Age (1997 NASA Report)
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/sputnik/
New York Times Special Report (1997)
http://www.nytimes.com/partners/aol/special/sputnik/
Soviet Satellite Sends U.S. Into a Tizzy (Life Magazine)
http://www.life.com/Life/space/giantleap/sec1/sec1.html

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David Shedden