Aviation & Space Exploration Story Briefs

From ancient to modern times, people have studied "the heavens" and wondered "what's out there?" Technology helps us to take a closer look. Meet the pioneers of space and aviation in this collection of stories.

Jack Swigert, seen here at breakfast on launch-day morning - the 11th of April, 1970 - had replaced Ken Mattingly as Command Module Pilot three days b...

In January of 1915, James McConnell went to France to simply observe the war. However he soon became a war hero, driving ambulances, then as a pilot.

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy addressed a joint session of Congress. He proposed, in that speech, to send Americans to the Moon.

In his Friendship 7 space capsule, John Glenn is the first American to orbit Earth, becoming an instant hero in the process. His historic trip takes p...

John W. Young, an American astronaut, flew to the Moon (during Apollo 10), landed on the Moon (during Apollo 16) and flew the first-ever shuttle missi...

NASA's Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) had to be redesigned, after its design flaws caused the loss of Challenger and its seven astronauts.

Apollo 13 Command Module Pilot Thomas K. Mattingly never made the Apollo 13 Mission because he was exposed to German Measles. That actually turned out...

The Hubble Space Telescope took this stunning image of the Keyhole Nebula (which is located within the Carina Nebula [NGC 3372] and is about 8,000 lig...

In this clip, we see Germany's much-feared rockets - the V-2/A-4 - during launch.

Flying at 31,000 feet - above Lockerbie, Scotland - PanAm Flight 103 explodes in the night sky.

Allan Loughead was an American aviator pioneer. He, together with his brother Malcolm, developed plans and specs for one of the world's first sea-plan...

Lt. Gwynne Pierson was one of four Tuskegee Airmen who participated in a major attack on a German vessel during the summer of 1944.

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