Historic Space Exploration Footage

Vintage footage depicting key moments in space exploration, showcasing astronauts, spacecraft, and testing procedures from the 1960s.

1960s - Capsules for Project Gemini undergo testing and a Saturn rocket is launched for a test flight (narrated in 1963).

S73-26773 (26 May 1973) --- The deployment of the parasol solar shield, a sunshade to help cool the overheated Orbital Workshop of the Skylab 1 space station cluster in Earth orbit, can be seen in the reproduction taken from a color television transmission made by a TV camera aboard the space station. The camera is in the Command Module; and the view is looking through the truss of the Apollo Telescope Mount. The sunshade is only partially deployed in this picture. The solar shield was pushed up through the OWS solar scientific airlock. The canopy of the parasol measures 24 feet by 22 feet.

S73-27262 (1 June 1973) --- The three Skylab 2 crewmen give a demonstration on the effects of weightlessness in the Orbital Workshop of the Skylab 1 and 2 space station cluster in Earth orbit, as seen in this reproduction taken from a color television transmission made by a TV camera aboard the space station. Astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., Joseph P. Kerwin and Paul J. Weitz are crouched in a fast-start stance to race around the dome area of the OWS forward compartment. The astronauts had ease of motion and good maneuverability in the zero-gravity of space.

S72-37001 (25 April 1972) --- Astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, performs an extravehicular activity (EVA) during the Apollo 16 trans-Earth coast. Mattingly is assisted by astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot. Mattingly inspected the SIM Bay or Service Module (SM), and retrieved film from the Mapping and Panoramic Cameras. Mattingly is wearing the helmet of astronaut John W. Young, commander. The helmet's lunar EVA visor assembly helped protect Mattingly's eyes from the bright sun. This view is a frame from motion picture film exposed by a 16mm Maurer camera.

S66-62939 (12 Nov. 1966) --- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., pilot of the Gemini-12 spaceflight, performs extravehicular activity (EVA) during the second day of the four-day mission in space. Aldrin is at the Agena work station. Astronaut James A. Lovell Jr. was the command pilot.

A800875 U12G LASER EXPERIMENT D R WAYMIRE JUN 18 80EG&G/NTS PHOTO LAB Publication Date: 6/18/1980 EDGERTON, GERMESHAUSEN & GRIER; EG&G; EQUIPMENT & INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS & EQUIPMENT; LASER EXPERIMENT; NEVADA; NEVADA TEST SITE; NTS; NUCLEAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY; NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS; NUCLEAR TESTING; NUCLEAR TESTS; TEST SITES; TUNNEL TEST; U12G; UGT; UNDERGROUND TESTING; WAYMIRE, DAVID R.; WEAPON EFFECTS; WEAPONS RELATED; WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY; WIRE & CABLES; U12G - LASER EXPERIMENT historical images. 1972 - 2012. Department of Energy. National Nuclear Security Administration. Photographs Related to Nuclear Weapons Testing at the Nevada Test Site.

A view of the now-defunct centrifuge at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), now the Johnson Space Center (JSC) formerly located in the Flight Acceleration Facility, bldg 29. The 50-foot arm can swing the three man gondola to create g-forces astronauts would experience during controlled flight and during reentry. The centrifuge was designed primarily for training Apollo astronauts.

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Apollo 13 onboard photo This view of the severely damaged Apollo 13 Service Module was photographed from the Lunar Module/Command Module following the jettison of the Service Module. As seen here, an entire panel of the Service Module was blown away by the apparent explosion of oxygen tank number two located in Sector 4 of the Service Module. Two of the three fuel cells are visible just forward (above) the heavily damaged area. Three fuel cells, two oxygen tanks, and two hydrogen tanks, are located in Sector 4. The damaged area is located above the S-band high gain anterna. Nearest the camera is the Service Propulsion System (SPS) engine and nozzle. The damage to the Service Module caused the Apollo 13 crewmen to use the Lunar Module as a lifeboat. The Lunar Module was jettisoned by the Command Module just prior to Earth re-entry.

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