space history
We Are About to Enter a New Era of Space Stations
Motherboard talks to Robert Pearlman about his new book Space Stations, and how NASA, China, and space companies are building the next phase of human life off Earth.
The First Primate in Space Was Drugged and Strapped into a Nazi-Designed Rocket
On June 14, 1949, Albert II became the first primate to visit outer space, paving the way for human spaceflight.
America’s First Female Rocket Scientist Ran Away From Home to Become a Chemist
Today would have been Mary Morgan’s 95th birthday.
Happy Anniversary Giotto, the Probe That Flew By Halley’s Comet 30 Years Ago
Giotto's legacy paved the way for ESA's current Rosetta mission.
Pilot the Apollo 11 Moon Landing in This Detailed VR Recreation
Experience Armstrong’s “giant leap” for yourself.
The Mir Space Station Was a Marvel, a Clusterfuck, and an Underdog Hero
Fires, collisions, and mutant alien bacteria were all in a day’s work for Mir astronauts.
How an Alabama Scrap Dealer Became the Owner of NASA's Lunar Rover Prototype
One of the earliest lunar rover prototypes was lost for more than 50 years until it surfaced earlier this fall.
How This Unlucky, Irritable, Disorganized Astronomer Was Thwarted by Uranus
Let’s celebrate Pierre Charles Le Monnier’s 300th birthday by highlighting his biggest blunder.
NASA's Quest to Reclaim Lost Spacesuits Before They Were Auctioned
There's an incredible amount of bureaucracy that goes into proving you didn't steal NASA's stuff.
Heroic Junkyard Owner Says He Saved Priceless Moon Rover From Scrap Heap
An Alabaman junkyard owner says he has preserved a lunar rover that NASA thought was destroyed.
Someone in Alabama Sold a Priceless Lunar Rover for Scrap Metal
According to NASA documents, an early lunar rover prototype was left to rot in someone's backyard, then sold to a junkyard.
How Viking 1 Won the Martian Space Race
The lander that forced the Soviet space program to finally give up on Mars.