For All Mankind
Since its founding in 1958, NASA has pushed the boundaries of scientific and technical limits to explore the unknown for all the citizens of our planet. Discover the history of our human spaceflight, science, technology, and aeronautics programs.
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Hidden Figures
Meet the women who worked as human computers in NASA's early days.
Symbols of NASA
Get to know the meatball, the worm, the seal, and other logos and insignia used by NASA.
Remembering Our Fallen Heroes
NASA will never forget the tragic loss of the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia crews.
Animals in Space
Learn about the early history of animals in space flight.
News and Events
Read the Latest NASA History Newsletter
The Summer 2024 issue of NASA History News and Notes celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Chandra X-ray Observatory with a look back at the mission and NASA's history of high-energy astronomy.
A Wartime Necessity
The newest book in the NASA History Series is here! A Wartime Necessity looks at World War II aviation and how applied research at institutions like the NACA generated aeronautical advances critical to the war effort.
Celebrating 55 Years Since NASA's Historic Apollo 11 Mission
On July 16, 1969, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins launched to the Moon, making history four days later as Armstrong and Aldrin became the first two people to set foot on another world.
NASA and Archaeology from Space Symposium
A two-day symposium in honor of Dr. Thomas L. Sever will be held in September 18–19, 2024, in Huntsville, Alabama. Proposals for papers to be presented are due July 15!
Contributions of the DC-8 to Earth System Science at NASA: A Workshop
The contributions of the DC-8, a workhorse aircraft since 1985 for the Airborne Science Program of NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD), will be the topic of of an August workshop in Washington, DC.
NASA's Discovery Program
When it started in the early 1990s, NASA’s Discovery Program represented a breakthrough in how NASA explored space. In this book, Susan M Niebur takes an in-depth look at the management techniques used to design creative and cost-effective spacecraft that continue to yield ground-breaking scientific data, drive new technology innovations, and achieve what has never been done before.
A Wartime Necessity
In the newest publication in the NASA History Series, A Wartime Necessity: The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and Other National Aeronautical Research Organizations' Efforts at Innovation During World War II, we see how research and technology were critical to the war effort, how unique contexts shaped what was possible, and how institutions were adapting to a drastically changing world.
Get the E-book about A Wartime Necessity
Recent NASA History Stories
Stay up-to-date with our latest NASA history articles as we revisit the discoveries and challenges of NASA's past.
A few days before they left Skylab on Feb. 8, 1974, the final crew to occupy the station raised its altitude, hoping to keep it in orbit until a future space shuttle could revisit it. But higher than predicted solar…
On July 8, 1994, space shuttle Columbia took to the skies on its 17th trip into space, on the second International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2) mission. Six space agencies sponsored 82 life and microgravity science experiments. The seven-person crew consisted of…
It may seem remarkable that no American spent the Fourth of July holiday in space for the first 21 years of human spaceflight. Not until 1982 and the 35th U.S. human spaceflight did Americans awaken in space on Independence Day,…
In 1983, NASA received delivery of Discovery, the third space qualified vehicle in the agency’s space shuttle fleet. During the launch attempt for the STS-41D mission on June 26, 1984, Discovery’s onboard computers halted the countdown four seconds before liftoff,…
65 Years and Counting
Forged in response to early Soviet space achievements, NASA was built on the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), as the locus of U.S. civil aerospace research and development. Since October 1, 1958, when NASA opened for business, it has accelerated work on human and robotic spaceflight, and is responsible for scientific and technological achievements that have had widespread impacts on our nation and the world.
Discover Our History about 65 Years and Counting
The NASA History Office
The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 not only created NASA but directed it “to provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning NASA activities and the results thereof.” The sharing of information, including our history, has always been, and continues to be, a priority. Historians in NASA’s History Office do historical research, provide context, answer questions for NASA leadership, and share NASA’s History with the public.
Learn More About Our Work
Dive Deeper
Explore interviews with aerospace legends, analyses of key events, aerospace chronologies, and more!
Since NASA’s founding, its History Office has developed history publications and conducted oral history interviews for the use of the general public. Connect with our resources to delve into your aerospace history research.
Explore our Publications
Preserving Our History
And making it accessible to future generations
The NASA Archives works to preserve and provide access to historically and culturally significant records and material created by NASA, including our work in the fields of engineering and science, ensuring that they will be discoverable for generations to come.
NASA Archives
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National History Day Research Help
The NASA History and Archives Offices are strong supporters of National History Day, and have made a ton of material available. Check out our list of resources that will help you with your research.
Kick-start Your Research
