The story of NASA

Presented by William Markham

German Rocket Developments – WW2

Comet ME 262

V1 flying bomb V2 Rocket Wernher Von Braun

Early history

“An Act to provide for research into the problems of flight within

and outside the Earth's atmosphere, and for other purposes”

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) October 1958

Cold War defense measures against Soviets

Spurred on by launch of Sputnik in 1957

Von Braun's team engaged in development of large rockets

First US satellite launch in 1958 – Explorer 1.

Alan Shepard

John Glenn

Edward H White JR

Projects Mercury (1961-63), Gemini (1965-66)

Project Apollo (flights during 1968-1972) to explore the Moon

Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Edwin Aldrin

Apollo a NASA priority on May 25 1961,

with President John F. Kennedy announcement.

Some failures - January 27, 1967 fire in Apollo capsule – Chaffee, Grissom, White.

The Apollo 8 orbited the Moon December 24-25, 1968

July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the Moon

Apollo 13 problems, changed vehicles for re entry

Apollo 17 December 1972 - last mission

Apollo-Soyuz Test Project - 1975

The first international human spaceflight

Joint rendezvous and docking for US and Soviet spacecraft

Exploration of Mars

The first successful fly-by of Mars in 1965, Mariner 4

Viking landings in 1976 - first colour panoramas of landscape

Failure of 2 thirds of craft sent to Mars eg Mars Observer in 92, Mars 96,

Mars Pathfinder lands in 1997, returning many images

Phoenix landed on the north polar region 2008

Mars Exploration Rovers land in 2004 – past evidence of water

Mars Science Laboratory with Rovers - 2012

Pathfinder Project

Mars Exploration Project

Mars

Images

Cassini to Saturn

Launched 1997

7 years to Saturn

Orbited for 13 years

Flyby of Saturn’s moons - Enceladus

Evidence of atmosphere

Collides with surface in 2017

Transmits photos till impact

Cassini ImagesSaturn

Venus

Earth

Jupiter

Space Transportation System (STS)

Enterprise testing in 1977

The Shuttle's first mission, STS-1, took off on April 12, 1981

Take off vertically and glide to landing site

Sally Ride- first American woman to fly in space on June 18, 1983

On January 28, 1986 Challenger orbiter explodes - killing 7

Back on track 28 September 1988

February 1, 2003, the Columbia orbiter explodes on re entry - killing 7

Added segments to the International Space Station

Collected satellites

Last flight in July 2011 - Atlantis

Space Shuttle Program

Space Shuttle Disasters

February 1, 2003, Columbia explodes on re entry – 15 mins before planned landing

January 28, 1986 Challenger explodes 73 seconds after launch

Some facets of the Space Shuttle

Space Shuttle Vehicles

My photo - January 1981

The Hubble Space Telescope

Program delayed by Challenger Disaster 1986

Named after Astronomer Edwin Hubble

Serviced by Astronauts

Launched in 1990 by STS-31

Problem with Lens – fixed in 1993

2003 Columbia Disaster

2009 new camera installed

Could last until 2030–2040

James Webb Space Telescope for launch in 2018.

Images from the Hubble Telescope

Crab NebulaJupiter

Sombrero Galaxy

Eagle Nebula

Deep field View - Galaxies

Voyager 1 and 2 Journeys

Alignment of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Happens every 175 years

Use of gravity assist propels craft between planets

Travel time to Neptune from 30 to 12 years.

Launched in 1977

Close up images back to earth

Both now in interstellar space

Pioneer Craft also sent

Voyager Photos

Jupiter

Neptune

International Space Station

First Module launched 1998

Launched delayed due to Shuttle Disaster 2003

USA Europe, Japan, Canada

Designed for Low Earth Orbit – 400 kms

Conduct Experiments

Serviced by Space Shuttle, Soyuz and Proton

Now only by Soyuz and Dragon vehicles

Divided into 2 sections, US and Russian

US funding till 2024

Skylab another NASA program – ceased 1978

Inside

Soviet Space Milestones

First man in space 1961 - Yuri Gegarin

First Man to walk in space 1965 - Alexei Leonov

First Satellite 1957 - Sputnik

First woman in space 1963 – Valentina Treshlakova

Mir Space Station

Soviet Space Shuttle - Buran

Soyuz supplies International Space Station

More information on NASA

Website: www.nasa.gov

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Documentaries

Books

Films about NASA

Any other comments or questions?