NASA History News & Notes

In the July issue of News & Notes, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of NASA’s first successful mission on the Martian surface with a look at the complex and daring Project Viking. The mission that gave our first ground-level glimpse at the Red Planet launched a legacy of planetary science innovation and inspired decades of exploration.

From planting Moon Trees to landing the first American spacecraft on Mars to rolling out of the first Space Shuttle, see what NASA was up to in 1976. Then keep the journey to the 1970s going by signing up for the next event in our NASA History Speaker Series, featuring NASA’s first all-woman crew.

A Vast Photo Collection Capturing 65+ Years of NASA’s History

In 2015, the NASA History Office was introduced to a massive collection of photos representing more than six decades of technical, scientific, and personnel history at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. Discover how a dedicated team is carefully cataloging and digitizing tens of thousands of negatives and prints, while tackling challenges like vinegar syndrome and aging adhesives, all to protect and make accessible this trove of NASA’s visual heritage.

In this edition of NASA History News and Notes, we celebrate 100 years of liquid-fueled rocketry with a look at Robert H. Goddard’s secluded work style, introduce a new member of our office, and invite you to the next meeting in our NASA History Speaker Series.

For decades, part of the work of the NASA History Office has included documenting the experiences of the agency’s experts through oral history interviews. These interviews allow deeper understanding of the programs, organization, and teamwork involved. In this issue, we discuss how oral histories are being used by personnel working on NASA’s Artemis program, and how we are working to capture their stories for future generations.

In this first edition of the newsletter for 2026, we introduce NASA History News & Notes’ new email format, reflect on the narratives around tragedies in NASA’s human spaceflight program, invite you to the next presentation in our lecture series, and fill you in on some updates to our website.