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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.

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Contents:

• NARA Resources
  • Finding Aids for Records on Space Exploration
  • Presidential Libraries
• General Space Resources
  • CRS Reports
• Timeline
• NASA's Space Centers
• NASA's Space Programs
• Hubble Space Telescope
• Astronaut Biographies
• Women in Space History
  • Mercury 13

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ASTRONAUT 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
    
    
  • See also: "Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr., Dr." Encyclopedia of World Biography Supplement, Vol. 18. Gale Research, 1998.
    
    
• 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, Neil Alden
    Biography from Biography.com.
    
    
  • 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)

• 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
    
    
• Bluford, Guion Stewart "Guy," Jr., 1942-present, became the first African-American in spaces 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.
    
    
• 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
    
    
• 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, was one of the three crewmembers of Apollo 11.
  
  
  • Michael Collins Biographical Data
    
    
• Cooper, Leroy Gordon, Jr., 1927-present, 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.
  
  
  • Glenn, John (Herschel), Jr.
    Biography from Biography.com.
    
    
  • John H. Glenn, Jr.
    Biography from NASA's 40th Anniversary of the Mercury Project.
    
    
  • John Herschel Glenn, Jr. Biographical Data
    
    
  • See also: "John Herschel Glenn, Jr." Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998.
    
    
• 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.
  
  
  • Jemison, Mae C.
    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.
    
    
  • Official Dr. Mae C. Jemison Web Site
    
    
  • 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.
  
  
  • Living on Mir: An Interview with Shannon Lucid
    
    
  • Shannon Lucid
    Biography from the NASA Quest site. Includes a link to question and answer session with Lucid.
    
    
  • Shannon Lucid
    Links to a June 1998 interview of Lucid.
    
    
  • 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-present, was on 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
    
    
• 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
    
    
  • 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.
    
    
• White, Edward Higgins, II, 1930-1967, died in the Apollo 1 accident.
  
  
  • Edward H. White Biographical Data
    
    

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WOMEN IN SPACE HISTORY

• International Women's Air and Space Museum
  
  
• Leaders Among Women in Space
  Page from Space Today Online that gives a list of women's firsts in space.
  
  
• NASA Quest's Biography and Journal Locator
  Used to look up information on known female and male NASA employees.
  
  
• Profiles Provides extensive links to profiles of NASA's female employees.
  
  
• Women of NASA Langley
  
  
• 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.
  
  

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 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 The Mercury 13 Story

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

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