NASA History Office
Established in 1959 (a year after NASA itself was formed) the NASA History Office has continuously documented and preserved the Agency’s remarkable history for nearly 65 years.
publications
200+ titles
chief historian
Brian C. Odom
Oral History Interviews
More than 1,500
Established
1959
The NASA History Office serves two key functions: fulfilling the mandate of the 1958 “Space Act” calling for NASA to disseminate aerospace information as widely as possible, and helping NASA managers understand and thus benefit from the study of past accomplishments and difficulties. In addition to serving NASA leadership, the NASA History Program also engages with scholars, journalists, and students, and strives to engage with the public about NASA’s past and how it relates to current projects.
The NASA History Office publishes a quarterly newsletter, as well as an array of books (in both print and digital formats), conducts oral history interviews, provides internships and fellowships, and assists the public in finding information on aeronautical and space history. In addition, the staff produces the Aeronautics and Space Report of the President, an annual report that includes a “comprehensive description of the programmed activities and the accomplishments of all agencies of the United States in the field of aeronautics and space activities” during the preceding year.
Meet the NASA history Staff
Brian Odom
Chief Historian; Science
James Anderson
Historian, Research and Technology
Robert Arrighi
Historian, Historical Facilities
Erik Conway
Historian, Planetary Science
Stephen Garber
Historian, Policy and Publications
Christian Gelzer
Historian, Aeronautics
Sandra Johnson
Oral History Lead
Michele Ostovar
Communications Lead
Jennifer Ross-Nazzal
Historian, Human Spaceflight
Student Internships
Join the History Team as an Intern
Student interns assist the History Division by supporting our social media accounts, writing features for our website, reviewing the historical manuscripts that we produce, researching historical questions, and performing other support tasks. In this paid position, interns have the opportunity to perform meaningful work with our NASA History professionals.
Apply to Become a NASA Intern
Aerospace History Fellowships
Support for Research and Writing Projects
In conjunction with three major professional societies, the Society for the History of Technology (SHOT), History of Science Society (HSS) and the American Historical Association (AHA), NASA History funds fellowships that support a range of research and writing projects to promote a better understanding of how aerospace history has shaped our world. The deadline for applications falls at the start of April each year.
Get Details on the Fellowships
Contact Us
The NASA History Office staff assists the public, media, researchers, NASA employees, and Congressional staff to find resources within and outside our Historical Reference Collection. Send us an email at hq-histinfo@nasa.gov or call 202-358-0384.
Subscribe to Our Mailing List
To get NASA History news and announcements in your inbox, subscribe to our mailing list by sending an email to history-join@lists.hq.nasa.gov. No need to add anything to to the subject line or body of the email.
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