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Explore NASA’s History

Eugene A. Cernan, Commander, Apollo 17 salutes the flag on the lunar surface during NASA's final lunar mission.

Discover Our Past

Whether just getting the basics or diving into your research, we invite you to connect with our ever-expanding collection of mission profiles, biographies, articles, e-books, chronologies, and source documents spanning the history of the NACA and NASA.

NACA Center and Facility History

North American XP-51B Airplane in 16-foot Wind Tunnel

Ames Research Center

Five NACA engineers, headed by Walt Williams, arrived at Muroc Army Airfield (now Edwards AFB) about this date from Langley Memo

Armstrong Flight Research Center

A black and white photo of a NASA employee inspecting the NACA 16 inch RAM jet.

Glenn Research Center

TIROS

Goddard Space Flight Center

Exterior view of building.

Electronics Research Center

S69-40022 (24 July 1969) --- Overall view of the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) in the Mission Control Center (MCC), Building 30, Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), showing the flight controllers celebrating the successful conclusion of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission.

Johnson Space Center

Gordon Cooper walks with his space suit on for his Faith 7 flight

Kennedy Space Center

operators in the Plum Brook reactor control room

Neil Armstrong Test Facility

Two men stand at the end of a large circular honeycombed screen

Langley Research Center

A Saturn V lies on its side as a group of men stand in front of it in this black and white photo. A label of S-IC Flight Stage - Huntsville is at the top.

Marshall Space Flight Center

This week in 1961, Michoud Assembly Facility was selected as the production site for Saturn rockets.

Michoud Assembly Facility

This week in 1966, the Mississippi Test Facility – today’s NASA Stennis Space Center – successfully captive-fired S-II-T.

Stennis Space Center

Black and white image of a rocket on a metal structure with people working around it.

Wallops Flight Facility

Aerial view of the Apollo Service Module Test Area began in 1963.

White Sands Test Facility

The NACA

NASA's precursor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was established by Congress in 1915 to advance the United States' standing in flight. Over its 40-some years in existence, it pushed the frontiers of air technology through groundbreaking aeronautics research, preparing the country for its venturing steps into space.

Learn More About the NACA about The NACA

Recent NASA History Stories

Stay up-to-date with the latest NASA history content as we revisit the discoveries and challenges of NASA's past.

25 Years Ago: STS-99, the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission

On Feb. 11, 2000, space shuttle Endeavour took to the skies on its 14th trip into space on the Shuttle…

15 Years Ago: STS-130 Delivers Tranquility and Cupola to Space Station

On Feb. 8, 2010, space shuttle Endeavour began its 24th trip into space, on the 20A assembly mission to the…

30 Years Ago: STS-63, First Shuttle and Mir Rendezvous Mission 

The first shuttle mission of 1995, STS-63 included several historic firsts. As part of Phase 1 of the International Space…

40 Years Ago: STS-51C, the First Dedicated Department of Defense Shuttle Mission

On Jan. 24, 1985, space shuttle Discovery took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on STS-51C, the…

60 Years Ago: Uncrewed Gemini 2 Paves the Way for the First Crewed Mission

On Jan. 19, 1965, Gemini 2 successfully completed the second of two uncrewed test flights of the spacecraft and its…

35 Years Ago: NASA Selects its 13th Group of Astronauts 

On Jan. 17, 1990, NASA announced the selection of its 13th group of astronaut candidates. The diverse group comprised 23…

Vignettes from NASA's History

Drawing from oral history interviews with the people who were there, read about the significant highlights and turning points of NASA missions and programs like Apollo, Opportunity, Hubble, and more.

This Month in NASA History about Vignettes from NASA's History
Capcom Charlie Duke at the console in Mission Control for the Apollo 11 landing

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