Decades of Achievements: NASA's Space Exploration

If you have ever visited Fondren Library, you most likely have seen a small section featuring NASA and President John F Kennedy's speech “We choose to go to the Moon”. (Fun fact: We also have a small piece of the moon!). If you have ever wanted to learn more about space, keep reading to find more information.

Timeline

1958-1963 Project Mercury:

This was the nation’s “first human spaceflight” program. Six days after the establishment of NASA, 7 men were chosen as astronauts (the first time that term was used). They completed 6 missions with the goals to explore space and gather information for future missions.

[Source of the Image: NASA, In the Beginning: Project Mercury]

1964-1966 Project Gemini:

Days after Alan Shepard flew into space, President John F. Kennedy announced in his speech the goal for an American to walk on the moon. With 12 missions, the goal of Project Gemini was to work on the technology and exploration to achieve Kennedy’s statement.

[Source of the Image: NASA, Gemini I]

1962-1972 Project Apollo:

In 1966 on Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on the moon. With 17 total missions, 6 of them were lunar landings to explore ways to prepare for future space exploration. The first lunar rover was also used in this project by Alfred M. Worden.

[Source of the Image: NASA, In the Beginning: Project Mercury]

1981-2011 Space Shuttle:

The first reusable spacecraft flew 135 missions. It behaved like a rocket, spacecraft, and airplane. It has managed satellites, conducted research, and built the largest structure in space. 

[Source of the Image: NASA, Space Shuttle]

1990 - Present Hubble Space Telescope:

Still being actively used, this telescope further space exploration by its high-resolution images of objects such as star constellations and dark matter. 

For America250, you can search up your birthday here to view a collection of pictures that were taken that day by the telescope.

[Source of the Image: NASA, Great Observatories: Hubble Space Telescope]

2022 - Present Artemis Program:

With a current plan of 5 missions, the main goal is to launch future missions at a quicker pace, determine what is needed for Mars landing, and further advance space exploration. The picture below features the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket configuration.

[Source of the Image: NASA, Moon to Mars | NASA's Artemis Program]

All the information above has been gathered from the NASA website. Feel free to check it out for further details on their missions. If you need assistance, just ask: email govhelp@rice.edu or visit Kelley Center information desk in the library basement.

🕵️ Continue Your Journey

• Visit our joint exhibit, "One Giant Leap: NASA Collections at the Woodson Research Center and Kelley Center," located in the Rice University Student Center. The exhibit highlights unique NASA-related collections preserved by both the Woodson Research Center and the Kelley Center, showcasing the history of space exploration, scientific discovery, and innovation.

• We also invite you to visit the Kelley Center for Government Information and Civic Engagement. Our staff can help you discover additional NASA and other government agencies' publications, educational materials, and multimedia collections to continue your exploration of space and beyond.

• Additionally, be sure to watch for upcoming programs and events that explore how space exploration has shaped America's legacy of discovery, innovation, and scientific achievement. You may be interested in attending the monthly NASA speaker series at the Ion to hear from NASA scientists, engineers, and industry experts about the latest developments in space exploration.

About the Author

Daira Posada is Kelley Center student staff, an undergraduate student in Computer Science at Rice University. This post was written as part of the 2026 America250@Fondren program.

Do You Have the Time?

Time stands still for no one.  Nor is it ever the same.  Because time varies so much on Earth, UTC, or Coordinated Universal Time, was defined as time at mean sea level.  UTC is only a theoretical ideal.  To realize it, International Atomic Time (TAI) weighs the average of hundreds of atomic clocks around the world.  UTC must periodically insert “leap seconds” to keep it aligned with Earth solar days since the rate of the Earth’s rotation changes, and solar days are not always the same. 

As if that isn’t complicated enough, measurement of Time in space differs depending on where you are.  The experience of time is slower where there is more gravity, so a second is longer on Earth than it is on the Moon.  It also is different from both these places if someone is moving through space at a high rate of speed. 

Since many governments, including the United States, and commercial entities are interested in returning to the Moon and establishing a presence there, as well as using it as a stopping point for going to Mars, there needs to be a standard measurement of time in space, specifically in cislunar space (i.e. the space lying between and the Earth and the Moon including the Moon’s orbit).  The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has released a directive for NASA and the Departments of Commerce, Defense, State, and Transportation to establish and be ready to implement a unified time standard -- Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) – by December 31, 2026.  NASA will also coordinate with the countries who have signed the ArtemisAccords. Time standardization is necessary for safety purposes, as well as economic development and international collaboration.  According to the OSTP policy memorandum:

“The approach to establish time standards consists of the definition, development, and implementation of a distinct reference time at each celestial body and its surrounding space environment. Each new time standard developed will include the following features:

1. Traceability to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC);

2. Accuracy sufficient to support precision navigation and science;

3. Resilience to loss of contact with Earth; and

4. Scalability to space environments beyond the Earth-Moon system

Federal agencies will develop celestial time standardization with an initial focus on the lunar surface and missions operating in Cislunar space, with sufficient traceability to support missions to other celestial bodies.”

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy was created by the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, andPriorities Act of 1976.  The OSTP heads the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and its Subcommittee on Cislunar Science & Technology.  The Subcommittee developed the National Cislunar Science and Technology Strategy on which the new policy memorandum builds. 

White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Releases Celestial Time Standardization Policy

Celebrate Earth Day, April 22, 2016

Record Rainfall in Southeast Texas, April 2016

Photo Credit: NASA Earth Observatory map by Jesse Allen, using IMERG data provided courtesy of the Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) Science Team's Precipitation Processing System (PPS). Caption by Kathryn Hansen.

To start your celebration of Earth Day, check the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Earth Day site which gives the history, projects, events and activities association with Earth Day since its inception in 1970. It also includes quotations about the environment such the following from former Wisconsin Governor Gaylor Nelson, the founder of Earth Day:

The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.

For fascinating views of the earth, check NASA's Visible Earth, the origin of the photo displayed above which has particular meaning to those in Houston currently impacted by floods.

Asteroid Visible from Earth on January 26, 2015

According to NASA, an asteroid about a third of a mile in size (0.5 kilometers), will be visible from Earth with binoculars on January 26, 2015 as it passes by about 745,0000 (1.2 kilometers) miles away.

For more information and to see a graphic and a video depiction, access NASA's new story, "Asteroid to Fly By Earth Safely on January 26."

NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (Wise) Images

A March 14, 2012 news release states, "NASA unveiled a new atlas and catalog of the entire infrared sky today showing more than a half billion stars, galaxies and other objects captured by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission." Many of the stars and galaxies captured in the more than 18,000 images have never been seen before.

More information about WISE is available from http://www.nasa.gov/wise . An introduction and quick guide is available from http://wise2.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/release/allsky/ . The collection of WISE images released to date is available from http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/gallery_images.html .

Priorities for NASA Space Technology

A new report from the National Academies, NASA Space Technology Roadmaps and Priorities: Restoring NASA's Technological Edge and Paving the Way for a New Era in Space, recommends that NASA's technology development efforts should focus on 16 high priority technologies during the next five years. The priorities "align with three main facets of NASA's overall mission: extending and sustaining human activities beyond low Earth orbit; exploring the evolution of the solar system and the potential for life elsewhere; and expanding our understanding of Earth and the universe."  See more information in the Feb. 1, 2012 news release.

NASA to Repair Hubble

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin announced this morning that NASA will send the space shuttle to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. The servicing mission will likely take place in 2008, when astronauts will take new instruments, batteries and gyros necessary to Hubble's success through 2013.