NASA Archives

Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom climbs into "Liberty Bell 7" spacecraft the morning of July 21, 1961.

Deployed from the hovering helicopter, the U.S. Navy frogmen make contact with the astronaut waiting inside.

Astronaut John Glenn dresses in his silver Mercury pressure suit preparing for his first orbit around Earth.

Little Joe's launch vehicle was launched for the first time on Oct. 4, 1959.

Jerrie Cobb, who was part of the FLATs program, poses next to the Mercury space capsule.

The crew of the U.S.S. Kearsarge spell out the words "Mercury 9" on the deck.

An astronaut examines the protective material on his Mercury capsule.

Big Joe, a test rocket, had a successful yet failed test flight.

While it was never an official NASA program, FLATs helped pave the way for the first female Shuttle pilot.

In preparation for his Mercury Redstone-2 flight, Ham checks out his life support system and couch.

Astronaut John Glenn inspects artwork to be painted on his Mercury spacecraft.

A camera system is set up in the dynamic test chamber at Goddard Space Flight Center where thorough testing in a simulated space environment is the practice.

The flight crew for the X-15 which was developed to provide data on aerodynamics, structures, flight controls and the physiological aspects of high speed, high altitude flight.

The HL-20 was one of two concepts considered for the Personnel Launch System.

Astronaut Bruce McCandless II tests a Mobile Foot Restraint.

A NASA research pilot watches the NB-52B fly over after an HL-10 test flight.

An astronaut receives training on the Lunar Landing Simulator.

The X-38 research vehicle drops away from NASA's B-52 mothership.

The Gimbal Rig was designed to simulate the motions of a space capsule, training astronauts to control the craft.

Orville Wright flies his glider at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

An unofficial sustained American aviation altitude record for women was set on July 1, 1979.

During a July 1999 test flight, the X-38 descends under its steerable parachute.

A ramjet engine burns during a flight test for the P-61.

This machine simulates the vibration, G-forces and pressure spacecrafts encounter during launch and landing.

The M2-F3 is launched from the B-52 Mothership.