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.

In March of 1945, pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group - some of the Tuskegee Airmen who'd received their flight training at Tuskegee Institute - escorte...

One of the 99th's first missions was to participate in action over the island of Pantelleria, in the Mediterranean, when they escorted bombers during ...

This image depicts the Reflection Nebula in the Pleiades - IC 349.  The Hubble Space Telescope took this image.What we actually see here is a sta...

Reflection Nebula, aptly named, looks much like a street lamp, surrounded by fog. What causes its reflection-like appearance?

Robert Goddard was given the title "Father of Modern Rocketry" by NASA for his impact on the science of rockets.

NASA provides the following biographical information about Robert Crippen, the pilot on Columbia's first mission:PERSONAL DATA: "Born in Beaumont, Tex...

This image depicts Sam, a monkey who traveled to space during an American space launch.

Thanks to the sophisticated technology of the Cassini orbiting space telescope, we are able to see things never-before possible. This image, for exam...

This drawing depicts a cross section of the Solid Rocket Motor which was in use at the time of the Challenger disaster.

Image of the lunar space suit developed for the Soviet cosmonauts for operations on the surface of the moon.

Since the start of the space age, countries sending objects into space have created a large amount of debris which continues to orbit the Earth.

Eroded O-rings caused the loss of the space shuttle Challenger. This image depicts how hot gasses were not kept away from the shuttle's fuel during la...

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