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Items tagged with: NASAHistory


On her birthday, we remember Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols, one of the greats the world lost in 2022. 🖖

Learn more about Nichols' contributions to helping build a more diverse workforce at NASA: go.nasa.gov/3jsFcnr
#NASAhistory


Bringing a bright ending to a crummy year, Apollo 8 safely splashed down #OTD in 1968, ending the 1st crewed spaceflight to orbit the Moon. The Apollo 8 astronauts shown here on the deck of the USS Yorktown are (left to right) Frank Borman, Bill Anders, and Jim Lovell.
#NASAhistory


"We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth" –Bill Anders, Apollo 8 astronaut

"Earthrise," one of the most powerful photos in @nasa’s history, was taken by Anders #OTD in 1968 as the Apollo 8 crew orbited the Moon.
#NASAhistory


Watch the animated story about how this influential image came to be: go.nasa.gov/3UZEH0X
#NASAhistory


How do @NASA_Astronauts in space celebrate the holidays? The Apollo 8, Skylab 4, Space Shuttle, and @Space_Station crews have found plenty of ways to celebrate the season.

Find out more: go.nasa.gov/3j24N6g
#NASAhistory


What can you get for that hard-to-shop-for loved one? How about an aerospace history e-book? You can download any of our >200 titles for free!

Explore the collection: go.nasa.gov/3WbApF2
#NASAhistory


#OTD in 1964, NASA's SR-71 Blackbird made its 1st flight.

The SR-71 was designed to cruise at Mach 3.2 and at altitudes up to 85,000 ft, making it ideal for high-speed, high-altitude @NASAaero research.

Learn more about NASA's research with the SR-71: go.nasa.gov/3uRWTze
#NASAhistory


This 16-part series pushes all of our space history geek buttons. 🤖 Bring it on!

Explore previous episodes: jpl.nasa.gov/who-we-are/docume…
#NASAhistory


No quarantine for these guys. 50 years ago today, the #Apollo17 crew were back in Houston to reunite with their families and headed back to work the next day.
#NASAhistory


Cancel your holiday plans, we're going to the Moon!

With the urgency of the Space Race in full effect, Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Bill Anders, and Jim Lovell launched from @NASAKennedy #OTD in 1968.

More about the first crewed mission to the Moon: go.nasa.gov/3j6pVsc
#NASAhistory


#HappyBirthday to @NASAAmes! #OTD in 1939, construction of the second National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) laboratory (@NASALangley was the first) began at Moffett Field, California, now in the heart of Silicon Valley! More about its history: go.nasa.gov/3FTFqws
#NASAhistory


Like #Apollo17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt throwing his rock hammer before heading into the lunar module for the last time, we’re throwing this lunar panorama here. That’s all folks for #Apollo50th!

The hammer throw: apolloinrealtime.org/17/?t=170…
#NASAhistory


Splashdown!

After 12 days and 14 hours in space, the #Apollo17 astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 2:25 pm EST #OTD in 1972. It was the longest of all the Apollo missions with the most samples retrieved and photos taken. #Apollo50th
#NASAhistory


When #Apollo17 splashed down in the Pacific, a recovery team was waiting on the USS Ticonderoga just 6.4 km (4 mi) away to pick up the astronauts and the lunar samples inside the CM.

Read more about the mission’s return to Earth: go.nasa.gov/3V92HyF
#NASAhistory


Are we there yet?

Almost! 50 years ago today, in preparation for #Apollo17’s descent through Earth’s atmosphere, the Service Module, which powered the mission’s flight to the Moon and back, was separated from the Command Module. #Apollo50th
#NASAhistory


🎁 We have a holiday gift for you! It's the new edition of NASA History News & Notes, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 17!

Topics: The orange soil at Shorty Crater, engineering support of the Apollo missions, Apollo 17 science & more!

Download: go.nasa.gov/3G0xBFr
#NASAhistory


Wonder what it’s like to be on the Moon? #Apollo17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt said:

“Working on the Moon is a lot of fun. It’s like walking around on a giant trampoline all the time and you’re just as strong as you were here on Earth, but you don’t weigh as much.” #Apollo50th
#NASAhistory


#10YearsAgo today, the GRAIL mission ended as its twin spacecrafts, Ebb and Flow, deorbited to the lunar surface. The mission created a detailed gravitational map of the Moon, providing insight into its structure and composition.

Learn more about GRAIL: go.nasa.gov/3Hv4XNU
#NASAhistory


“Hey, this is great! Talk about being a spaceman, this is it!”

Watch as Ron Evans, the #Apollo17 command module pilot performed a deep space EVA to retrieve a film canister on the outside of the spacecraft: apolloinrealtime.org/17/?t=257…
#Apollo50th
#NASAhistory


50 years ago today, the #Apollo17 crew completed its time at the Moon and performed a Trans-Earth injection (TEI) burn to return home. #Apollo50th

Photo: View of the far side of the Moon taken just after TEI.
#NASAhistory


This collection of side-by-side photos of comparable Apollo and Artemis events at @NASAKennedy is phenomenal! Check it out: go.nasa.gov/3W2Bj6Q
#NASAhistory


That's teamwork 👨‍🚀 👨‍🚀

Astronauts Walter Schirra (right) and Thomas Stafford shake each other's hand as they arrive aboard the USS Wasp aircraft carrier, after their nearly 26-hour Gemini-VI-A spaceflight #OTD in 1965. It was the 1st recovery to be broadcast live on TV!
#NASAhistory


Apollo era legends on NASA TV today? Yes please!!
#NASAhistory


"We send our good morning on our last wakeup day from the Moon.”

Gene Cernan sent greetings from the #Apollo17 crew to everyone back on Earth #OTD in 1972. #Apollo50th

📷 Earthrise seen from lunar orbit
#NASAhistory


“Without a doubt the most interesting sample returned from the Moon!”

The oldest known unshocked rock retrieved from the Moon, called Troctolite 76535, was collected by #Apollo17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt. It’s at least 4.2 BILLION years old. @NASAMoon
#NASAhistory


Experience this sample and other #Apollo17 lunar samples in 3D with Astromaterials 3D:​​go.nasa.gov/3H9mydJ
#Apollo50th
#NASAhistory


🤝 Gemini VII, meet Gemini VI-A

The first-ever rendezvous of two spacecrafts with astronauts on board happened #OTD in 1965. This photo of the Gemini VII craft was taken by the crew of Gemini VI.

Learn more about this historic meetup in Earth's orbit: go.nasa.gov/3hhSWR7
#NASAhistory


Gene Cernan: “The pictures speak for themselves. We were pretty happy, pretty tired, and pretty dirty. Look at the faces and you can see the sense of satisfaction. And look at how dirty...look at how filthy we are! And hot. I guarantee you that underwear was soaked.” #Apollo50th
#NASAhistory


50 years ago today, Gene Cernan became the last person to stand on the Moon. Before his return to the #Apollo17 lunar module, he said: “We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17.” #Apollo50th
#NASAhistory


Farewell to the LRV 👋

Near the end of their last EVA, #Apollo17 astronauts Cernan and Schmitt parked the rover with its camera pointed at the LM to record its launch from the Moon. Over 3 days, they had completed 22 hours of EVAs—the most of all the Apollo missions. #Apollo50th
#NASAhistory


As part of the #Apollo17 Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment, Harrison Schmitt and Gene Cernan pulled the pins on 8 explosive charges (on the right in the 📷) left at 8 sites, activating timers that would allow them to be exploded roughly 90 hours later. #Apollo50th
#NASAhistory


Seismometers were deployed during each of the Apollo missions that reached the lunar surface and for decades have been used to investigate the internal structure of the Moon.

📷 The lunar mass spectrometer, one of the instruments of the ALSEP, is seen in the foreground.
#NASAhistory


One of the types of moonquakes detected, originating at moderately shallow depths of 20-30 km, can register up to a startling 5.5 on the Richter scale and can last for over 10 minutes!

More about moonquakes: go.nasa.gov/3Y0VNOQ
#NASAhistory


Four geophones connected by cables to the central station of the ALSEP were set up to record the seismic waves created by the launch of the LM, the detonation of the explosives, and any moonquakes or meteorite impacts. @NASAMoon
#NASAhistory


“May the spirit of peace in which we came be reflected in the lives of all mankind”

These words, signed by the #Apollo17 astronauts and President Nixon remain on the Moon’s surface affixed to one of the legs of the lunar lander. #Apollo50th
#NASAhistory


#Apollo17 astronaut Harisson Schmitt suffered from “lunar hay fever” in reaction to the lunar dust. Unlike Earth’s dust particles which are rounded, Moon dust is sharp and abrasive, irritating astronaut eyes, nasal passages, and lungs. #Apollo50th @NASAMoon
#NASAhistory


Curious about how Moon dust feels and smells? 🌔 👃

Find out ➡️ go.nasa.gov/3XUI5wQ

And check out how dirty Schmitt's suit is in this photo!
#NASAhistory


And there were issues, such as when the right rear fender extension was torn off, kicking up dust as Schmitt and Cernan drove and reducing visibility. The crew had to make a resourceful repair using duct tape and maps.
#NASAhistory


During #Apollo17, the Lunar Rover Vehicle logged the farthest distance from the LM of any Apollo mission, 4.7 miles (~7.5 km).

As a precaution, the LRV had a walk-back limit in the event of an LRV issue; astronauts had to have enough resources to walk back to the lunar module.
#NASAhistory

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