NASA's 50th Anniversary  ipod icon

Apollo 13
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 
Before it was a major motion picture, Apollo 13 was a real-life drama that unfolded in 1970.

1st American Woman in Space
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 
In 1983, NASA astronaut, Sally K. Ride became the first American woman in space – changing the face, and gender of spaceflight!

1st Astronaut on Mir
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 
In 1995 the Russian and American space agencies decided to get together in the most inspiring international collaboration, in space!

1st Cosmonaut on Shuttle
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 
In 1994, two superpowers joined forces in space - and made international history above the clouds.

1958 Comeback
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 
On July 29, 1958 the US launched the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA as it is known.

1998 ISS
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

In 1998 officials from 15 countries met in Washington to sign the 1998 Intergovernmental Agreement on Space Station Cooperation.

Apollo 8
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

On Christmas Eve in 1968, the country and the world waited breathlessly, as the Apollo 8 spacecraft and her crew took mankind’s first trip to the moon.

Apollo 11
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 
At 10:56PM Eastern Standard Time on July 20, 1969 the world watched as the Eagle landed and Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the lunar surface.

Apollo 15 Rover
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 
In 1971 we had already walked on the moon, but with this NASA first we were driving on it!

Apollo Soyuz Test Program
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

The Apollo-Soyuz Test Program was a symbolic end to the nearly 20-year-long Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Cassini-Huygens
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

The Cassini-Huygens Probe is has changed the way we'll look at Saturn and her moons forever.

DeBakey and NASA Heart Pump
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Two decades of an innovative collaboration began when a NASA engineer, the late David Saucier, became a patient of famed heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey.

Deep Impact
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Deep Impact blew up the equivalent of 5 tons of TNT on a comet and snapped some really great pictures from it.

Eileen Collins
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

The first woman to command a space shuttle mission, Eileen Collins has spent quite a lot of time in space.

Endeavour
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Sixteen years ago, a NASA Space Shuttle, named after a legendary British exploring ship, left Earth on its dramatic maiden voyage.

Expedition 1 Crew
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

On November 2, 2000 the first human crew took up residence in space, turning science fiction into reality!

F-8 Supercritical Wing
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Aerodynamics research in the 1970's led to the design of the supercritical wing, increasing efficiency on airplanes.

First Flight Shuttle
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3

Twenty years after Russia launched the first human into space, NASA launched another first - the first space shuttle.

First Shuttle Spacewalk
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

In 1983, NASA astronauts Donald Peterson and F. Story Musgrave stepped out for the very first spacewalk of the Shuttle Program.

Friendship 7
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

On February 20, 1962, John Glenn, Jr. became the first American to orbit the Earth, and established the United States as a major competitor in the Space Race.

Galileo
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Named after the famed astronomer, NASA’s Galileo spacecraft was launched in 1989 on the first mission to Jupiter.

Hubble
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Having sent hundreds of thousands of images back to Earth, the Hubble Space Telescope is quite the piece of equipment.

Insulating Paint Powder
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

What if all paint were green? Well, there would be a lot more eco-friendly walls!

John Glenn Returns to Space
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 download mp3

Whoever said, “history repeats itself” must have known John Glenn. Thirty-six years after Glenn flew aboard Friendship 7, he returned to space, as the oldest human to fly in space.

Kennedy's Message
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

On May 25th 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending an American safely to the Moon.

LANDSAT
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Back in 1972, NASA decided to turn its sights from space to Earth and launched LANDSAT.

Last Apollo Mission
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

By December 14, 1972, the United States had successfully brought several men to the moon, ending that era of lunar exploration.

Launch of NASA
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

On July 29, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, establishing an agency to conduct all non-military activity in space.

LCVG Spinoff
podcast download mp3 

Innovative NASA technology made man’s trips to the moon a “cool” venture – and has continued to make history ever since!

Leland Melvin
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 download mp3

The end of Leland Melvin's football career marked the beginning of his career as an astronaut.

Magellan
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

The Magellan spacecraft was the first to orbit Venus, the spot of its eventual resting place.

Mariner
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

NASA's Mariner became the first spacecraft to actually orbit the planet of Mars.

MMU
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Wearing a manned maneuvering unit, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless performed the first untethered space walk on February 3, 1984.

NASA Parachute Saves Lives
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Five years ago, a pilot’s parachute-landing into a Texas Mesquite tree grove made aviation history and became a NASA success story!

NASA's Greatest Hits
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

For half a century, NASA has amassed an impressive collection of greatest hits - and it's that 'star' quality that has moved the space program to the top of the charts!

NEAR
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Did you know that NASA actually landed on an asteroid!?

Pioneer 5
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Pioneer 5 took to the skies with the mission of mapping the interplanetary magnetic field.

Project Mercury
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

On October 7, 1958, the newly formed NASA announced its plans for the groundbreaking Project Mercury.

Reagan and the ISS
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Twenty-four years ago a U.S. President green-lit a project that would forever alter the country's space program.

Skylab
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

20 years before the International Space Station, there was Skylab, the first space station.

Spirit and Opportunity
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

It’s been four years since NASA’s most famous twin geologists landed on the Martian surface – and they’ve been breaking ground ever since!

Stardust
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

When this NASA mission was launched, it had a roundtrip ticket back home, including souvenirs!

Terra
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Terra is the most comprehensive global monitoring program helping give us a heads up when bad weather is on the way.

The Space Suit Microclimate
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Forty years of NASA spacesuit technology has helped everyone from Multiple Sclerosis sufferers to sports stars.

TIROS
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

Back in 1962, NASA took an experimental step to determine if satellites could be useful to the study of our planet, using the Television Infrared Observation Satellite Program, or TIROS.

Twin Voyagers
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

The Twin Voyagers set out to explore just two planets... but they ended up telling us a lot more.

Viking 1 and 2
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

The Viking Missions gave the world its first up close and personal view of our galactic neighbor Mars.

Winglets
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

In 1987 the Winglet was introduced as a more efficient wing for airplanes. Today, nearly all jumbo jets use the technology.

X-15
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

A year after NASA's inception, the X-15 set both a speed and altitude record.

Surveyor 1
Learn more about this topic podcast download mp3 

In 1966, NASA's Surveyor I landed on the Moon's Ocean of Storms, and sent over 11 hundred photos back to Earth.