NASA History
Since its founding in 1958, NASA has pushed the boundaries of scientific and technical limits to explore the unknown for all the citizens of our planet. Discover the history of our human spaceflight, science, technology, and aeronautics programs.
Popular Topics
Hidden Figures
Meet the women who worked as human computers in NASA's early days.
Symbols of NASA
Get to know the meatball, the worm, the seal, and other logos and insignia used by NASA.
Remembering Our Fallen Heroes
NASA will never forget the tragic loss of the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia crews.
Animals in Space
Learn about the early history of animals in space flight.
66 Years of Aerospace Exploration
Forged in response to early Soviet space achievements, NASA was built on the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), as the locus of U.S. civil aerospace research and development. Since October 1, 1958, when NASA opened for business, it has accelerated work on human and robotic spaceflight, and is responsible for scientific and technological achievements that have had widespread impacts on our nation and the world.
Discover Our History about 66 Years of Aerospace Exploration
News and Events
Going Beyond
John M. Logsdon presents the history of George H. W. Bush's Space Exploration Initiative and his administration's efforts at organizational change at NASA in his new monograph Going Beyond.
Read the Latest NASA History Newsletter
The Fall 2024 issue of NASA History News and Notes focuses on NASA's archives program. Our archival collections help tell the story of NASA's work, its people, its triumphs and challenges. Get to know the history of our archives and how they're used.
Contributions of the DC-8 to Earth System Science at NASA: A Workshop
The contributions of the DC-8, a workhorse aircraft since 1985 for the Airborne Science Program of NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD), will be the topic of of an October workshop in Washington, DC.
A Wartime Necessity
A Wartime Necessity is a new edited volume looking at World War II aviation and how applied research at institutions like the NACA generated aeronautical advances critical to the war effort.
The NASA History Office
The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 not only created NASA but directed it “to provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning NASA activities and the results thereof.” The sharing of information, including our history, has always been, and continues to be, a priority. Historians in NASA’s History Office do historical research, provide context, answer questions for NASA leadership, and share NASA’s History with the public.
Learn More About Our Work
Dive Deeper
Explore interviews with aerospace legends, analyses of key events, aerospace chronologies, and more!
Since NASA’s founding, its History Office has developed history publications and conducted oral history interviews for the use of the general public. Connect with our resources to delve into your aerospace history research.
Explore our Publications
Preserving Our History
And making it accessible to future generations
The NASA Archives works to preserve and provide access to historically and culturally significant records and material created by NASA, including our work in the fields of engineering and science, ensuring that they will be discoverable for generations to come.
NASA Archives
Going Beyond
In the latest monograph in the NASA History Series, John M. Logsdon describes the steps George H.W. Bush’s administration took to try to reform NASA, the conflicts that arose, and the lasting impacts.
Get the E-Book about Going Beyond
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