Saturn V
Apollo's heavy-lift rocket
A multistage launch vehicle supplied the energy needed to send astronauts toward the Moon.
Explore the collection
Follow the launch vehicles, crewed missions, and robotic explorers that extended flight beyond the atmosphere. Choose from the four subjects below.
Choose a subject for its history, distinguishing features, sources, and links to related pages.
Apollo 11
First crewed lunar landing · July 1969
Three astronauts used separate spacecraft to reach the Moon, land, and return to Earth.
Space Shuttle
Orbital missions · 1981–2011
A winged orbiter carried crews and cargo into space and returned to a runway.
Voyager 1
Robotic exploration · Launched in 1977
A planetary flyby mission became an expedition into interstellar space.