Space Exploration

Information about the United States’ space flight programs, including NASA missions and the astronauts who participate in the efforts to explore Earth's galaxy.

Contents:

SPACE EXPLORATION BIOGRAPHIES (In Alphabetical Order)

Astronaut Bruce McCandless.
(Courtesy of NASA JSC Digital Image Collection)

Astronaut Biographies
(Click on the Career Astronauts icon; then click on the icon for Active & Management Astronauts, Former Astronauts, or International Astronauts for the respective index. For information about payload specialists, click on that icon instead of Career Astronauts.)
Aldrin, Edwin Eugene "Buzz", 1930-present, became the second person to step on the moon as a member of the Apollo 11 crew.
- Buzz Aldrin Biographical Data
- Website of Buzz Aldrin
  Includes biographical information, space education, and a gallery.
- See also: "Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr., Dr." Encyclopedia of World Biography Supplement, Vol. 18. Gale Research, 1998.
Anders, Bill, 1933-present, lunar module pilot for Apollo 8, the first manned lunar orbit mission.
- William A. Anders Biographical Data
Anderson, Michael P., 1959-2003, died in the Columbia disaster.
- Michael Anderson
  NASA’s memorial for Anderson.
- Michael Anderson Biographical Data
- Preflight Interview: Michael Anderson
Armstrong, Neil Alden, 1930-present, became the first man to step on the moon as a member of the Apollo 11 crew on July 20, 1969.
- Armstrong
  Biography from Encyclopedia Astronautica.
- Neil Armstrong Biographical Data
- See also: "Neil Alden Armstrong." Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998.
  
  Astronauts Neil Armstrong and David Scott pose for Gemini VIII Mission.
  (Courtesy of NASA JSC Digital Image Collection)
Bluford, Guion Stewart "Guy," Jr., 1942-present, became the first African-American in space on August 30, 1983.
- Guion Bluford Biographical Data
- See also: "Guy Bluford." Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 35. Edited by Ashyia Henderson. Gale Group, 2002 and "Guion Stewart Bluford, Jr." Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998.
Borman, Frank, 1928-present, Commander of Apollo 8, the first manned lunar orbit mission.
- Frank Borman Biographical Data
Brown, David M., 1956-2003, died in the Columbia disaster.
- David Brown
  NASA’s memorial page for David Brown.
- David Brown Biographical Data
- Preflight Interview: Dave Brown
Carpenter, Malcom Scott, 1925-present, was one of the Mercury Project astronauts.
- M. Scott Carpenter
  Biography of Carpenter from NASA’s 40th Anniversary of the Mercury Project.
- Scott Carpenter Biographical Data
- Official Website of Scott Carpenter
  Includes biographical information, video and audio clips, and a gallery.
Chaffee, Roger Bruce, 1935-1967, died in the Apollo 1 accident.
- Roger Chaffee Biographical Data
Chawla, Kalpana, 1961-2003, died in the Columbia disaster.
- Kalpana Chawla
  NASA’s memorial for Chawla.
- Kalpana Chawla Biographical Data
- Preflight Interview: Kalpana Chawla
Clark, Laurel Blair Salton, 1961-2003, died in the Columbia disaster.
- Laurel Clark
  NASA’s memorial for Clark.
- Laurel Clark Biographical Data
- Preflight Interview: Laurel Clark
Collins, Eileen Marie, 1956-present, became the first female Shuttle Pilot in 1995 and the first female Shuttle Commander in 1999.
- Eileen Collins
  Profile of Collins from the NASA Quest site.
- Eileen Collins Biographical Data
- See also: "Eileen Collins." Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998 and "Eileen Collins." Newsmakers 1995, Issue 4. Gale Research, 1995.
Collins, Michael, 1930-present, pilot of the command module on the Apollo 11 flight.
- Michael Collins Biographical Data
Cooper, Leroy Gordon, Jr., 1927-2004, was one of the Mercury astronauts.
- L. Gordon Cooper, Jr.
  Biography of Cooper from NASA’s 40th Anniversary of the Mercury Project.
- Leroy Gordon Cooper Biographical Data
Glenn, John Herschel, Jr. 1921-present, became the first American to orbit the Earth as part of the Mercury Project in February 1962 and the oldest as part of the Space Shuttle Program in October 1998.
- John H. Glenn Jr.
  Biography from Ohio History Central.
- John H. Glenn, Jr.
  Biography from NASA’s 40th Anniversary of the Mercury Project.
- John Herschel Glenn, Jr. Biographical Data
- John and Annie Glenn Historic Site
  Uses Glenn’s restored boyhood home to teach the public about Glenn’s life, the Great Depression, and the home front during World War II.
- See also: "John Herschel Glenn, Jr." Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998.
Goddard, Robert H., 1882-1945, considered the father of modern rocketry.
- Dr. Robert H. Goddard: American Rocket Pioneer
  Information about Dr. Goddard’s contributions, as well as those of Goddard Space Flight Center.
- Dr. Robert H. Goddard Collection and the Robert Goddard Exhibition Room
  Contains the Papers of Robert H. Goddard, scans of documents by or about him, FAQs, and more.
Grissom, Virgil Ivan "Gus," 1926-1967, became the second American to enter space as a member of the Mercury Project. Grissom died in 1967 in the Apollo 1 accident.
- Detailed Biographies of Apollo 1 Crew - Gus Grissom
- Virgil I. Grissom Biographical Data
- See also: "Virgil Ivan Grissom." Dictionary of American Biography, Supplement 8: 1966-1970. American Council of Learned Societies, 1988.
Husband, Rick Douglas, 1957-2003, died in the Columbia disaster.
- Rick Husband
  Husband’s memorial on the NASA site.
- Rick Douglas Husband Biographical Data
- Preflight Interview: Rick Husband
Jarvis, Gregory Bruce, 1944-1986, died in the Challenger disaster.
- Gregory B. Jarvis Biographical Data
Jemison, Mae Carol, 1956-present, became the first African-American woman in space on September 12, 1992.
- Mae C. Jemison Biography
  Jemison biography from Biography.com.
- Mae C. Jemison Biographical Data
- Meet: Mae Jemison, First African-American Woman to Fly in Space
  Another biography of Jemison from the NASA Quest site. Links to an archived 1999 chat.
- See also: "Mae C. Jemison." Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 35. Edited by Ashyia Henderson. Gale Group, 2002.
  
  Crew of Shuttle Atlantis Mission STS-76.
  (Courtesy of NASA JSC Digital Image Collection)
Lovell, James Arthur, 1928-present, was the first man to travel to the moon twice and the commander of the Apollo 13 mission.
- James A. Lovell Biographical Data
Lucid, Shannon, 1943-present, holds the American single-mission endurance record for time on the Space Station Mir as a Shuttle-Mir Project participant.
- Shannon Lucid
  Biography from the NASA Quest site. Includes a link to question and answer session with Lucid.
- Shannon Lucid Biographical Data
- See also: "Shannon Lucid." Notable Women Scientists. Gale Group, 2000.
McAuliffe, Sharon Christa, 1948-1986, died in the Challenger disaster.
- McAuliffe, Christa
  McAuliffe biography from Biography.com.
- S. Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Biographical Data
- See also: "Christa McAuliffe." Encyclopedia of World Biography Supplement, Vol. 20. Gale Group, 2000.
McCool, William C., 1961-2003, died in the Columbia disaster.
- Preflight Interview: William McCool
- William McCool
  NASA’s memorial for McCool.
- William McCool Biographical Data
  
  Crew of the Apollo 7.
  (Courtesy of NASA JSC Digital Image Collection)
McNair, Ronald Erwin, 1950-1986, died in the Challenger disaster. On a previous mission, he became the second African-American in space.
- Ronald E. McNair Biographical Data
- See also: "Ronald E. McNair." Notable Black American Men. Gale Research, 1998.
Onizuka, Ellison Shoji, 1946-1986, died in the Challenger disaster. On a previous mission, he became the first Asian-American in space.
- Ellison Onizuka Biographical Data
- See also: "Ellison Onizuka." Notable Asian Americans. Gale Research, 1995.
Roman, Ilan, 1954-2003, died in the Columbia disaster.
- Ilan Roman
  NASA’s memorial for Roman.
- Preflight Interview: Ilan Roman
Resnik, Judith Arlene, 1949-1986, died in the Challenger disaster.
- Judith A. Resnik Biographical Data
- See also: "Judith Arlene Resnik." Encyclopedia of World Biography Supplement, Vol. 22. Gale Group, 2002.
Ride, Sally Kristen, 1951-present, became the first American woman in space in 1983.
- Female Frontiers QuestChat Archive Featuring: Sally Ride
- Sally K. Ride Biographical Data
- See also: "Sally Ride." Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998 and "Sally Ride." Notable Women Scientists. Gale Group, 2000.
Scobee, Francis Richard "Dick," 1936-1986, died in the Challenger disaster.
- Francis R. "Dick" Scobee Biographical Data
  
  Portrait of Mercury 7 astronauts.
  (Courtesy of NASA JSC Digital Image Collection)
Schirra, Walter Marty, Jr., 1923-2007, was one of the Mercury Project astronauts.
- Walter M. Schirra, Jr.
  Biography of Schirra from NASA’s 40th Anniversary of the Mercury Project.
- Walter Schirra Biographical Data
- WallySchirra.com
  A memorial web site that features biographical information, Schirra’s reminiscences about missions, and a video.
Shepard, Alan Bartlett, Jr., 1923-1998, became the first American to enter space on May 5, 1961 as a member of the Mercury Project.
- Alan B. Shepard, Jr.
  Biography of Shepard from NASA’s 40th Anniversary of the Mercury Project.
- Alan B. Shepard, Jr. Biographical Data
- Adm. Alan Shepard, Jr.: First American in Space
  Links to the transcript of a 1991 interview of Shepard and the designer of his Mercury space capsule, Maxime Faget.
Slayton, Donald Kent "Deke," 1924-1993, was the only Mercury Project member who did not reach space in the 1960s. A heart condition delayed his space flight until July 1975 when he was an Apollo-Soyuz Test Project astronaut.
- Donald K. "Deke" Slayton
  Biography of Slayton from NASA’s 40th Anniversary of the Mercury Project.
- Donald K. Slayton Biographical Data
Smith, Michael John, 1945-1986, died in the Challenger disaster.
- Michael J. Smith Biographical Data
Sullivan, Kathryn Dwyer, 1951-present, became the first American woman to walk in space in 1984.
- Kathryn D. Sullivan Biographical Data
- Meet Kathy Sullivan: First American Woman to Walk in Space
  Profile of Sullivan from the NASA Quest site.
Von Braun, Wernher, 1912–1977, pioneer of rocket engineering and proponent of space exploration.
- Dr. Wernher von Braun
  Biography of von Braun from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
- Dr. Wernher von Braun
  This page is part of the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the successful launch of the free world’s first satellite.
White, Edward Higgins, II, 1930-1967, died in the Apollo 1 accident.
- Edward H. White Biographical Data
Yeager, Charles Elwood "Chuck," 1923-present, first pilot to travel faster than the speed of sound in level flight and ascent.
- Chuck Yeager
  Biography of Chuck Yeager appearing on the Centennial of Flight web site.
- Official Website of Chuck Yeager
  Includes biographical information, a timeline, and special features.

WOMEN IN SPACE HISTORY

International Women’s Air and Space Museum
Information about women in aviation and space exploration.
Leaders Among Women in Space
Page from Space Today Online that gives a list of women’s firsts in space.
Women of NASA
Provides information about women working at NASA with the goal of encouraging young women to explore the fields of math, science, and technology.
Profiles
Provides links to profiles of NASA’s female employees.
Women's Achievements in Aviation and Space
Timeline of women's accomplishments in astrology, aviation, and space dating to 1847 when Maria Mitchell discovered a comet. Also features NASA’s female scientists and administrators.

Jerrie Cobb, first woman to undergo astronaut training.
(Courtesy of NASA Quest Site)

Mercury 13 (First Lady Astronaut Trainees) were thirteen women secretly selected to be America’s first female astronauts as part of the Mercury Project. No member of the Mercury 13 has yet fulfilled her dream of spaceflight.
- Meet: Jerrie Cobb, First Woman to Undergo the Testing Developed for the Selection of the Mercury Astronauts
  Profile of Cobb from the NASA Quest site.
- NASA Oral History: Wally Funk
  Transcript of a 1999 NASA interview of Mary Wallace "Wally" Funk, one of the Mercury 13.
- Mercury 13 - the Women of the Mercury Era
  Web site dedicated to telling the story of the women of the Mercury program.
- The Mercury 13 Story
  Brief description of the program by Wally Funk.