Historic Space Missions

Images depicting astronauts in training and missions, showcasing space suits, mock-ups, and equipment. The scenes capture the spirit of exploration and engineering in the space program.

S65-24623 (May 1962) --- Astronaut M. Scott Carpenter, prime pilot for the Mercury-Atlas 7 (MA-7) flight, is seen in Hanger S crew quarters during a suiting exercise. Carpenter is seated in a mock-up of his pilot's seat while fully suited.

S65-28746 (21 Aug. 1965) --- Astronauts L. Gordon Cooper Jr. (foreground) and Charles Conrad Jr. arrive in the white room at Pad 19 during the Gemini-5 countdown at Cape Kennedy, Florida.

S65-24623 (May 1962) --- Astronaut M. Scott Carpenter, prime pilot for the Mercury-Atlas 7 (MA-7) flight, is seen in Hanger S crew quarters during a suiting exercise. Carpenter is seated in a mock-up of his pilot's seat while fully suited.

AS13-62-8929 (11-17 April 1970) --- Interior view of the Apollo 13 Lunar Module (LM) showing the mail box, a jury-rigged arrangement which the Apollo 13 astronauts built to use the Command Module (CM) lithium hydroxide canisters to purge carbon dioxide from the LM. Lithium hydroxide is used to scrub CO2 from the spacecraft's atmosphere. Since there was a limited amount of lithium hydroxide in the LM, this arrangement was rigged up to utilize the canisters from the CM. The mail box was designed and tested on the ground at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) before it was suggested to the problem-plagued Apollo 13 crew men. Because of the explosion of one of the oxygen tanks in the Service Module (SM), the three crew men had to use the LM as a lifeboat .

S62-01033 (1961) --- Project Mercury astronaut M. Scott Carpenter, prime pilot for the United States second manned orbital flight, undergoes a simulated mission in the procedures trainer at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, headquarters for the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations Manned Spacecraft Center.

Apollo 11 crew member Michael Collins appears calm after suiting up activities for his participation in the countdown demonstration test aboard the Apollo 11 space craft along with astronauts Aldrin and Armstrong. The Apollo 11 mission, the first lunar landing mission, launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, Columbia”, piloted by Collins, remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface ma

S65-56196 (25 Oct. 1965) --- Astronauts Walter M. Schirra Jr., command pilot; and Thomas P. Stafford, pilot, stand in the white room atop Pad 19 awaiting insertion into their Gemini-6 spacecraft during the prelaunch countdown of the Gemini-Titan-Agena 6 space mission. However, the Gemini-6 liftoff scheduled for Oct. 25 never occurred. The Agena, intended as a rendezvous target vehicle in the mission, failed to achieve orbit.

S62-01381 (1962) --- Astronaut M. Scott Carpenter practices top egress from neck of the spacecraft prior to the launch of the Mercury-Atlas 7 (MA-7) spaceflight.

S64-14868 (1963) --- Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper Jr., pilot of the Mercury-Atlas 9 (MA-9) Earth-orbital space mission, participates in preflight simulation training inside his Mercury capsule at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

S68-38051 (29 June 1968) --- Astronaut Russell L. Schweickart suits up to participate in an altitude verification test of the Apollo Portable Life Support System flight unit in Crew Systems Division's 8-ft altitude chamber in Building 7.

S71-16638 (31 Jan. 1971) --- Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, undergoes suiting up operations at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) during the Apollo 14 prelaunch countdown. Apollo 14, with astronauts Shepard; Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot; and Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot; aboard was launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39 at 4 03 02 p.m. (EST), Jan. 31, 1971.

S69-19983 (17 Feb. 1969) --- The Apollo 9 crew is shown suited up for a simulated flight in the Apollo Mission Simulator at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Left to right are astronauts James A. McDivitt, commander; David R. Scott, command module pilot; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot.

Photograph of Albert Scott Crossfield (1921-2006) an American naval officer and test pilot. In 1953, he became the first pilot to fly at twice the speed of sound. Dated 20th century

Elsevier photo collection. American astronauts Virgil Grissom, Robert Chaffee Edwart White HuBuin Space Suits preparations flight Apollo 1. They cabin Apollo 1 27 January 1967 flew fire test NASAs Launch platform 34 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. January 27, 1967. Cape Canaveral

S62-01021 (1962) --- Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. during training procedures in a trainer at the McDonnell Douglas training facility in St. Louis, Missouri.

S69-38677 (19 June 1969) --- Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, Apollo 11 commander, participates in simulation training in preparation for the scheduled lunar landing mission. He is in the Apollo Lunar Module Mission Simulator in the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Flight Crew Training Building. The other two crewmen of the historic flight are astronauts Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot.

S69-55362 (6 Oct. 1969) --- The two assigned moon-walking crew members for the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission participate in lunar surface extravehicular activity simulations in the Kennedy Space Center's Flight Crew Training Building. Here, astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, simulates driving core tube into lunar surface to obtain a sample. Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander, looks on. A Lunar Module mock-up is in the center background.

S66-58023 (1966) --- NASA suit technicians assist astronaut Virgil I. Grissom during suiting operations prior to tests at the Kennedy Space Center.

Close-up of an astronaut with food developed for space flight

Seen in this view left to right Astronauts Virgil I. Grissom and John Young stand in front of Gemini trainer prior to test, MCC. MSC, HOUSTON, TX CN

S65-22666 (8 March 1965) --- Astronaut Walter M. Schirra Jr., the command pilot of the GT-3 backup crew, is shown suited up for prelaunch tests. He is shown with his helmet visor up and a thermometer in his mouth.

S65-66744 (15 Dec. 1965) --- Insertion of astronauts Walter M. Schirra Jr. (foreground) and Thomas P. Stafford into Gemini-6 spacecraft prior to launch.

S71-29952 (26 March 1971) --- The three Apollo 15 prime crew members can be seen inside the Apollo 15 Command Module (CM) during simulation training at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Astronaut David R. Scott, commander, is in the background to the left. Astronaut Alfred M. Worden, center foreground, is the command module pilot. Out of view, to the right background, is astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot.

Astronauts L. Gordon Cooper Jr. (foreground) and Charles Conrad Jr. leave suiting trailer at Pad 16 during Gemini-5 countdown at Cape Kennedy, Florida.

S69-32240 (22 April 1969) --- Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, wearing an Extravehicular Mobility Unit, participates in a simulation of deploying and using lunar tools on the surface of the moon during a training exercise in Building 9 on April 22, 1969. Armstrong is the commander of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. In the background is a Lunar Module mock-up.

Photograph taken during the testing of a space suit. The engineer at the Republic Aviation Corporation's research laboratory, New York, testing suits under development for use in the U.S. Apollo mission. Dated 20th century

S73-36908 (8 Nov. 1973) --- Astronaut Gerald P. Carr, commander of the Skylab 4 mission, undergoes spacesuit pressure and fit checks at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. This shoulder and head shot of Carr was taken a few days before the scheduled Skylab 4 launch. This third and last visit to the Skylab space station in Earth orbit will return additional information on the Earth and sun, as well as provide a favorable location from which to observe the recently discovered Comet Kohoutek. The other two members of the Skylab 4 crew will be astronaut William R. Pogue, pilot; and scientist-astronaut Edward G. Gibson, science pilot.

S73-31323 (30 June 1973) --- Astronaut Jack R. Lousma, Skylab 3 pilot, practices procedures for extravehicular activity (EVA) in his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit during Skylab 3 prelaunch training at Johnson Space Center. He is working with a mock-up of a trunion plug plate which is on the space station's deployment assembly.

Once the United States' space program had progressed from Earth's orbit into outerspace, theprospect of building and maintaining a permanent presence in space was realized. To accomplish this feat, NASA launched a temporary workstation, Skylab, to discover the effects of low gravity and weightlessness on the human body, and also to develop tools and equipment that would be needed in the future to build and maintain a more permanent space station. The structures, techniques, and work schedules had to be carefully designed to fit this unique construction site. The components had to be lightweight for transport into orbit, yet durable. The station also had to be made with removable parts for easy servicing and repairs by astronauts. All of the tools necessary for service and repairs had to be designed for easy manipulation by a suited astronaut. Construction methods had to be efficient due to the limited time the astronauts could remain outside their controlled environment. In lieu of all

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Apollo 11 Commander Neil A. Armstrong leads astronauts Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. from the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building to the transfer van for the eight-mile trip to Pad 39A. Liftoff of Apollo 11 is scheduled at 9 32 a.m. EDT, which will begin man's first lunar landing mission.

S66-50179 (10 Aug. 1966) --- Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., prime crew pilot for the Gemini-11 spaceflight, practices attaching to a Gemini boilerplate a camera which will film his extravehicular activity (EVA) outside the spacecraft. The training exercise is being conducted in the Astronaut Training Building, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

S69-32247 (22 April 1969) --- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., wearing an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), simulates deploying the Solar Wind Composition (SWC) experiment, on the surface of the moon, during a training exercise in Building 9 on April 22, 1969. The SWC is a component of the Early Apollo Scientific Experiment Package (EASEP). Aldrin is the lunar module pilot of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission.

S65-41886 (22 July 1965) --- Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper Jr. makes adjustments to his helmet during suiting up exercise at Pad 16, Cape Kennedy, Florida. He is preparing for the Gemini-5 spaceflight.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom, suited up and ready to climb into Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft, talks with backup astronaut John Glenn prior to insertion. The Mercury-Redstone 4 mission was scrubbed a few hours later due to unfavorable weather over the launch area. (NASA Photo)

Astronaut John Glenn in earth orbit. Glenn orbited the earth three times. Feb. 20, 1962.

Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., Apollo 14 commander, pulling modular equipment transporter under weightless conditions during training exercise aboard Air Force KC-135, with Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, in background, Patrick Air Force Base, Brevard County, Florida, USA, NASA, November 4, 1970

STS-85 Commander Curtis L. Brown, Jr. smiles as he is assisted with his ascent/reentry flight suit by a suit technician in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building. He is a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force and is on his fourth space flight. Brown has served as the pilot of STS-47, STS-66 and STS-77. A test pilot, he has more than 5,000 hours of flight time in jet aircraft. Brown will have responsibility for the overall success of this space flight and will operate and maintain Discovery throughout the mission. This will include the performance of station-keeping with the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) free-flyer payload and many different maneuvers required by different payloads. The primary payload aboard the Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery is the CRISTA-SPAS-2. Other payloads on the 11-day mission include the Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD), and Technology Applications and Science-1 (TAS-1) and

JSC2000-05370 (7 June 2000) --- With the aid of technicians, astronaut William Shepherd is about to complete the donning his Orlan space suit in order to participate in an underwater spacewalk simulation in the Hydrolab facility at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. Shepherd is mission commander for ISS Expedition One.

S70-34687 (11 April 1970) --- Astronaut John L. Swigert Jr., command module pilot for the Apollo 13 mission, has just suited up in the Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Manned Spacecraft Operations Building during the Apollo 13 prelaunch countdown. Minutes later, astronauts Swigert, James A. Lovell Jr. and Fred W. Haise Jr. rode a special transport van over to Pad A, Launch Complex 39, where their spacecraft awaited liftoff. Launch occurred at 2:13 p.m. (EST), April 11, 1970.

S69-39269 (10 July 1969) --- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission, undergoes zero-gravity training aboard a U.S. Air Force KC-135 jet aircraft from nearby Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. Aldrin is wearing an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), the type of equipment which he will wear on the lunar surface.

S61-02881 (1961) --- Astronaut Virgil I. (Gus) Grissom, suited up in a newly designed pressure suit, is assisted as he climbs into Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft. Behind him backup pilot John Glenn watches the insertion. The Mercury-Redstone 4 (MR-4) mission was scrubbed a few hours later due to unfavorable weather over the launch pad.

S65-32924 (3 June 1965) --- Astronaut Edward H. White II, pilot of the Gemini IV four-day Earth-orbital mission, floats in the zero gravity of space outside the Gemini IV spacecraft. White wears a specially designed spacesuit; and the visor of the helmet is gold plated to protect him against the unfiltered rays of the sun. He wears an emergency oxygen pack, also. He is secured to the spacecraft by a 25-feet umbilical line and a 23-feet tether line, both wrapped in gold tape to form one cord. In his right hand is a Hand-Held Self-Maneuvering Unit (HHSMU) with which he controls his movements in space. Astronaut James A. McDivitt, command pilot of the mission, remained inside the spacecraft. (This image is black and white)

S68-54520 (13 Nov. 1968) --- The Apollo 8 prime crew is seen inside a simulator at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) during training preparations for their forthcoming lunar orbit mission. Left to right, are astronauts William A. Anders, lunar module pilot; James A. Lovell Jr., command module pilot; and Frank Borman, commander.

Astronaut in space

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Technicians assist prime crew astronauts John Young (right) and Bob Crippen (left) in suit-up operations in KSC's Operations and Checkout Building on the morning of Columbia's successful liftoff on the Space Shuttle's first orbital flight.

51I-11-027 (1 Sept 1985) --- The extravehicular activity (EVA) of astronauts William F. Fisher (left) and James D. van Hoften succeeded in the capture, repair and re-release of the troubled Syncom IV-3 satellite. Here, the two take a break from the serious side of their EVA to look into the Discovery's cabin. The 51-I crewmembers showed this scene at their Sept. 11 post-flight press conference.

SL3-113-1587 (July-September 1973) --- This photograph is an illustration of the humorous side of the Skylab 3 crew. This dummy was left behind in the Skylab space station by the Skylab 3 crew to be found by the Skylab 4 crew. The dummy is dressed in a flight suit and propped upon the bicycle ergometer. The name tag indicated that it represents William R. Pogue, Skylab pilot. The dummy for Gerald P. Carr, Skylab 4 commander, was placed in the Lower Body Negative Pressure Device. The dummy representing Edward G. Gibson was left in the waste compartment. Astronauts Alan L. Bean, Owen K. Garriott and Jack R. Lousma were the Skylab 3 crewmen. Gibson is the Skylab 4 science pilot.

S69-26149 (6 March 1969) --- Astronaut James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander, is seen inside the Lunar Module "Spider" drinking from a hand water dispenser in this photograph from the second live television transmission from Apollo 9. Astronaut Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot, is in the left background. The telecast was made early Thursday afternoon on the fourth day in space. At this moment Apollo 9 was orbiting Earth with the Command and Service Modules docked nose-to-nose with the Lunar Module. Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the Command Module "Gumdrop" while the other two astronauts checked out the Lunar Module. McDivitt and Schweickart moved into the Lunar Module from the Command Module by way of the docking tunnel.

Astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr. awaits liftoff in the Freedom 7 Mercury spacecraft on May 5, 1961. This third flight of the Mercury-Redstone (MR-3) vehicle, developed by D. Wernher von Braun and the rocket team in Huntsville, Alabama, was the first marned space mission for the United States. During the 15-minute suborbital flight, Shepard reached an altitude of 115 miles and traveled 302 miles downrange.

Astronaut John Glenn Undergoes Simulated Orbital Flight Training

S65-56283 (4 Dec. 1965) --- Astronauts James Lovell Jr. (left) and Frank Borman are pictured just before final countdown of the Gemini-7 launch. The spacecraft has been sealed and is ready for launch. The two astronauts are scheduled for a long-duration mission up to 14 days, including space rendezvous with Gemini-6 spacecraft which will be launched no earlier than December 13.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Chris Jaskolka, of Boeing SPACEHAB, and STS-95 Mission Specialists Pedro Duque of Spain, who represents the European Space Agency (ESA), and Stephen Robinson, Ph.D., test equipment inside the SPACEHAB in the SPACEHAB Payload Processing Facility (SPPF). STS-95 crew members have been participating in SPACEHAB familiarization in the SPPF. Scheduled to launch Oct. 29, the mission includes research payloads such as the Spartan solar-observing deployable spacecraft, the Hubble Space Telescope Orbital Systems Test Platform, the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker, as well as the SPACEHAB single module with experiments on space flight and the aging process

S69-32787 (3 April 1969) --- Two members of the Apollo 10 prime crew participate in simulation activity at the Kennedy Space Center during preparations for their scheduled lunar orbit mission. Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, commander, is in the background; and in the foreground is astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot. The two crewmen are in the Lunar Module Mission Simulator.

S64-25295 (March 1964) --- Astronauts Virgil I. (Gus) Grissom (right) and John W. Young, prime crew for the first manned Gemini mission (GT-3), are shown inside a Gemini mission simulator at McDonnell Aircraft Corp., St. Louis, MO. The simulator will provide Gemini astronauts and ground crews with realistic mission simulation during intensive training prior to actual launch.

The crew for the Apollo 8 spacecraft L-R: James A. Lovell Jr., William A. Anders, Frank Borman, 1968.

S66-17153 (15 Jan. 1966) --- Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong. Gemini-8 command pilot, climbs into a boilerplate model of the Gemini spacecraft during water egress training on the Gulf of Mexico.

Once the United States' space program had progressed from Earth's orbit into outerspace, the prospect of building and maintaining a permanent presence in space was realized. To accomplish this feat, NASA launched a temporary workstation, Skylab, to discover the effects of low gravity and weightlessness on the human body, and also to develop tools and equipment that would be needed in the future to build and maintain a more permanent space station. The structures, techniques, and work schedules had to be carefully designed to fit this unique construction site. The components had to be lightweight for transport into orbit, yet durable. The station also had to be made with removable parts for easy servicing and repairs by astronauts. All of the tools necessary for service and repairs had to be designed for easy manipulation by a suited astronaut. Construction methods had to be efficient due to the limited time the astronauts could remain outside their controlled environment. In lieu of al

S69-34882 (24 May 1969) --- The prime crew of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission relaxes on the deck of the NASA Motor Vessel Retriever prior to participating in water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico. Left to right, are astronauts Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot; Neil A. Armstrong, commander; and Michael Collins, command module pilot. In the background is Apollo Boilerplate 1102 which was used in the training exercise.

tuta pressurizzata per test spaziali, 1959

Pictured left to right, in the Apollo 7 Crew Portrait, are astronauts R. Walter Cunningham, Lunar Module pilot; Walter M. Schirra, Jr., commander; and Donn F. Eisele, Command Module Pilot. The Apollo 7 mission, boosted by a Saturn IB launch vehicle on October 11, 1968, was the first manned flight of the Apollo spacecraft.

S70-29672 (28 Jan. 1970) --- Astronaut James A. Lovell Jr., commander of the Apollo 13 lunar landing mission, participates in a walk-through of the extravehicular activity timeline at the Kennedy Space Center. Here, Lovell, using mock-ups, traverses with the two subpackages of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP). Astronaut Fred W. Haise Jr., lunar module pilot, is standing in the left background.

S69-54148 (October 1969) --- Two members of the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission participates in lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) simulations in the Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Flight Crew Training Building. Here, astronauts Charles Conrad Jr. (on left), commander, and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, simulate the photographic documentation of lunar rock samples. The simulations were part of a run-through of the Apollo 12 lunar surface timeline .

Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., Apollo 12 command module pilot, suits up in the Kennedy Space Center's Manned Spacecraft Operations Building during the Apollo 12 prelaunch countdown.

S65-23486 (23 March 1965) --- Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom, command pilot of the Gemini-Titan 3 space flight, is shown in the suiting trailer at Pad 16 going over a checklist with suit technician Joe Schmitt.

S65-21864 (19 March 1965) --- Astronauts Virgil I. Grissom (left), command pilot; and John W. Young, pilot, prepare to run Gemini-Titan 3 simulations in the Gemini mission simulator at Cape Kennedy, Florida. The NASA GT-3 flight was scheduled for March 23, 1965.

S69-34329 (13 May 1969) --- The prime crew of the Apollo 10 lunar orbit mission sits for photograph while at the Kennedy Space Center for preflight training. Left to right are astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot; John W. Young, command module pilot; and Thomas P. Stafford, commander. In the left background is the Apollo 10 space vehicle on Pad B, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center. The three crewmen had just completed a Countdown Demonstration Test exercise.

High angle view of mechanics working on aft bay of Apollo 1 Spacecraft 012 Command Module, looking toward -Z axis, during preparation for installation of the crew compartment heat shield, North American Aviation, California, USA, NASA, April 18, 1966

July 7, 1959Project Mercury astronauts shown floating upside down during a NASA "weightless" experimental flight.

Apollo 11 crew members (rear to front) Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins, wearing space suits, ride the van to the launch pad to participate in the countdown demonstration test for the upcoming Apollo 11 mission. The Apollo 11 mission, the first lunar landing mission, launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, Columbia”, piloted by Collins, remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of l

S69-32613 (April 1969) --- The prime crew of the Apollo 10 lunar orbit mission sits for photograph while at the Kennedy Space Center for preflight training. Left to right are astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot; Thomas P. Stafford, commander; and John W. Young, command module pilot.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Apollo 15 Commander David R. Scott operates the battery-powered Lunar Surface Drill during a training exercise at a man-made replica of the Moon's Hadley-Apennine region at the Kennedy Space Center. During his upcoming mission, scheduled to begin no earlier than July 26, 1971, Scott will drill to a depth of about 10 feet to obtain lunar surface core samples and conduct the Heat Flow Experiment. This experiment is designed to measure the rate of heat loss from the interior of the Moon. Lunar Module Pilot James B. Irwin will accompany Scott on the surface while Astronaut Alfred M. Worden will pilot the Command Module while in lunar orbit.

S65-20605 (23 March 1965) --- Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom, the command pilot of the Gemini-Titan 3 mission, is shown through the window of the open hatch on the Gemini spacecraft in the white room on the morning of the launch.

Three astronauts (later to be named the Apollo 9 prime crew) in Apollo spacecraft 101 Command module during Apollo crew compartment fit and function test. Left to right are Astronauts James A. McDivitt, David R. Scott, and Russell L. Schweickart

The Apollo 7 prime crew goes through suiting up operations in the Kennedy Space Center's Manned Spacecraft Operations Building during the Apollo 7 prelaunch countdown. From front to rear, are Astronauts Walter M. Schirra Jr., commander; Donn F. Eisele, command module pilot; and Walter Cunningham, lunar module pilot.

S92-42681 (28 July 1992) --- STS-53 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, Mission Specialist (MS) Michael R.U. Clifford, wearing extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) and communications carrier assembly (CCA), dons gloves with assistance from two technicians. Clifford is preparing for an underwater contingency extravehicular activity (EVA) simulation in JSC's Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg 29 pool.

Artist's concept of crew members manning their consoles aboard the space shuttle orbiter in space. Country: Unknown

(21-27 Dec. 1968) --- Astronaut William A. Anders, lunar module pilot, is shown during intravehicular activity (IVA) on the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission. This still print was made from movie film taken by an onboard 16mm motion picture camera.

S73-32848 (10 Sept. 1973) --- Scientist-astronaut Edward G. Gibson, science pilot for the third manned Skylab mission (Skylab 4), reads the markings on a magazine of 400 feet of film for the 16mm Data Acquisition Camera (DAC), during a training exercise in the Orbital Workshop (OWS) trainer at Johnson Space Center.

(29 Sept. 1979) --- Astronaut John W. Young, commander of STS-1, goes through a simulation exercises in the shuttle mission simulator (SMS) in the mission simulation and training facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). Young and astronaut Robert L. Crippen, prime crew pilot, are in training for the first of series of orbital test missions aboard the Columbia.

S63-19148 (1963) --- Neil A. Armstrong, a civilian, was a member of the second group of astronauts selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Armstrong was one of the nine picked in September, 1962. He was an aeronautical research pilot before becoming an astronaut.

S69-58880 (14 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean, Apollo 12 lunar module pilot, suits up in the Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Manned Spacecraft Operations Building during the Apollo 12 prelaunch countdown. Minutes later astronauts Bean; Charles Conrad Jr., commander; and Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, rode a special transport van over to Pad A, Launch Complex 39, where their spacecraft awaited. The Apollo 12 liftoff occurred at 11 22 a.m. (EST), Nov. 14, 1969. Apollo 12 is the United States' second lunar landing mission.

The crew of Apollo 8 in front of a simulator, 1968.Artist: NASA

Apollo 11 Spacecraft Commander Neil Armstrong (front) and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. Aldrin (rear) practice lunar surface mobility in pressurized space suits, Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas, USA, NASA, April 1969

KSC-66C-1845Gemini-8 Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Command Pilot, and David R. Scott, Pilot, during a Photo Session for the Press outside Mission Control Center, Cape Kennedy. (jrs)

S66-23592 (8 Feb. 1966) --- Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, command pilot of the Gemini-9 prime crew, undergoes familiarization training with the Gemini-9 spacecraft at the McDonnell plant in St. Louis.

Engineer Bill Peterson fits test pilot Bob Smyth in spacesuit A-3H-024 with the LEM Astronaut restraint harness during suit evaluation study.

S66-42777 (21 July 1966) --- The crew of the Gemini-10 spaceflight, astronaut John W. Young (left), command pilot, and Michael Collins, pilot, aboard the recovery ship USS Guadalcanal. The astronauts were picked up from the ocean, following a successful splashdown, by a recovery helicopter and flown to the Guadalcanal to begin postflight medical and technical debriefings.

B59-00570 (August 1959) --- Astronaut Scott Carpenter trains at the centrifuge procedures trainer at Wright Field, Johnsville, Pennsylvania, for project Mercury.

The Apollo 11 mission, the first manned lunar mission, launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida via the Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard were Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, named Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, landed on the Moon. Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. The recovery operation took place in the Pacific Ocean where Navy para-rescue men recovered the capsule housing the 3-man Apollo 11 crew.

JSC2000-02523 (21 March 2000) --- Astronaut Richard A. Mastracchio, STS-106 mission specialist, depends on his "Mae West" preserver to keep him afloat as he deploys his life raft during an emergency bailout exercise in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL).Mastracchio, an alumnus of NASA 1996 class of astronaut candidates, will join four other astronauts and two cosmonauts, representing the Russian Aviation and Space Agency, for a late summer visit to the International Space Station.

S69-25881 (3 March 1969) --- The Apollo 9 crew leaves the Kennedy Space Center's Manned Spacecraft Operations Building during the Apollo 9 prelaunch countdown. The crewman entered the special transfer van which transported them to their waiting spacecraft at Pad A, Launch Complex 39. Astronaut James A. McDivitt (back to camera) is the commander. McDivitt appears to be inviting astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, to step first into van. In background is astronaut Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. Walking along almost behind Schweickart is astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., chief, Astronaut Office, Manned Spacecraft Center. Apollo 9 was launched at 11 a.m. (EST), March 3, 1969, on a 10-day Earth-orbital mission.

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