Mars exploration: Opportunity and Curiosity rovers

NASA

This video shows an Apollo mission taking off from the Moon. The Lunar Module consisted of two parts. The lower half, or descent stage, contained the landing engine and gear and was left behind to save weight and fuel. The upper half, or ascent stage, carried the astronauts to a rendezvous with the orbiting Command and Service modules, which took them back to Earth. The liftoff was recorded with a camera on the mission's Lunar Roving Vehicle.

NASA

The Lunar Roving Vehicle, used on the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions. Built by Boeing largely of aluminum alloy, the vehicle was designed to carry two astronauts and their tools, instruments, and lunar samples up to a total payload of 490 kg (1,080 pounds), which was more than twice its own weight; nevertheless, it could be folded into a space 1.5 metres (5 feet) wide and 0.5 metre (20 inches) thick for stowage in the Lunar Module. Each steel-mesh wheel was driven by a small electric motor, which gave the rover a maximum speed of 12 km (8 miles) per hour on clear ground. Its large dish antenna transmitted a TV signal from a front-mounted colour camera directly to Earth.

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NASA/Dryden Research Aircraft Movie Collection

Footage of an X-15 rocket-powered aircraft being launched from a U.S. Air Force B-52 mother ship, c. 1960s. Several pilots were given astronaut's wings for their X-15 flights that went over an altitude of 80 km (50 miles).

NASA

This animation shows the paths of the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft, which were designed to explore the outer planets of the solar system. The twin probes, each carrying 10 instruments, provided a wealth of new information about interplanetary space and the four giant gas planets and their moons. The Voyagers were launched in late 1977. In 1979 they reached Jupiter. Passing through the planet's gravitational field, they gathered enough energy to “slingshot” around the planet and head for Saturn. Voyager 1 reached Saturn in November 1980 and then headed out of the solar system. Voyager 2 continued on to Uranus, reaching the planet in January 1986. Changing course again and heading for Neptune, the spacecraft arrived at the outermost gas giant in August 1989. It then continued out of the solar system. In the first years of the 21st century, each craft was still sending back information about the outer reaches of the solar system and had traveled well beyond the orbit of Pluto.

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What does outer space smell like? Learn about some reported smells of outer space and the chemical causes of these.

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Liftoff and landing of Columbia, the first space shuttle, April 12–14, 1981.

NASA

This video shows the space walk of Edward H. White II, a member of the Gemini 4 mission, launched on June 3, 1965. White was the first American to leave his capsule and perform an extravehicular activity (EVA) in space. He floated outside Gemini 4 for about 20 minutes, moving with the help of a maneuvering gun, which appears in his right hand. White was later one of three Apollo astronauts killed on January 27, 1967, during a training accident.