Apollo: A Unique Project, Time, and Period in US Culture

	Sputnik Audio: Sputnik telemetry October 4, 1957	History changed when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a basketball, weighed only 183 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. That launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race. NASA History Office http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/sputnik/
	Explorer 1 January 31, 1958 P8485	At left is Dr. William H. Pickering, former director of JPL, which built and operated the satellite. Dr. James A. van Allen, center, of the State University of Iowa, designed and built the instrument on Explorer that discovered the radiation belts which circle the Earth. At right is Dr. Wernher von Braun, leader of the Army's Redstone Arsenal team which built the first stage Redstone rocket that launched Explorer 1. (med_res high_res)
	First Reconnaissance Payload Launched June 25, 1959	Discoverer IV was the first rocket to carry a reconnaissance payload, CORONA Mission 9001. That mission failed when the Agena upper stage malfunctioned. There were 12 failures before the first mission success in August 1960 when the reentry vehicle was recovered, returning more images of the USSR than the previous 24 U-2 missions combined. The program comprised 145 launches and lasted until May, 1972. The first American President to officially discuss satellite reconnaissance was Jimmy Carter in 1978. Lyndon B. Johnson mentioned them off the record in 1967. Resolution of the early images was 35-40 feet. CORONA photography quickly assumed the decisive role that the Enigma intercepts had played in World War II. When the Amierican government eventually reveals the full range of reconnaissance systems developed by this nation, the public will learn of space achievements every bit as impressive as the Apollo moon landings. One program proceeded in utmost secrecy, the other on national television. One stadied the resolve of the American public; the other steadied the resolve of American presidents. Ref: Eye In The Sky, D. Day, J. Logsdon, and B. Latell. First Imagery Taken By CORONA - Mys Shmidta Air Field, USSR 18 Aug 1960.
med_res high_res	Francis Gary Powers Shot Down May 1, 1960 Ames E-5442 6 May 1960 More info (FAS)	United States Note to the U.S.S.R., May 6, 1960 The Embassy of the United States of America by instruction of its Government has the honor to state the following: The United States Government has noted the statement of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, N. S. Khrushchev, in his speech before the Supreme Soviet on May 5 that a foreign aircraft crossed the border of the Soviet Union on May 1 and that on orders of the Soviet Government, this aircraft was shoot down. In this same statement it was said that investigation showed that it was a United States plane. As already announced on May 3, a United States National Aeronautical Space Agency unarmed weather research plane based at Adana, Turkey, and piloted by a civilian American has been missing since May 1. The name of the American civilian pilot is Francis Gary Powers, born on August 17, 1929, at Jenkins, Kentucky. In the light of the above the United States Government requests the Soviet Government to provide it with full facts of the Soviet investigation of this incident and to inform it of the fate of the pilot. (FAS) After Francis Gary Powers was shot down, NASA issued a press release with a cover story about a U-2 conducting weather research that may have strayed off course after the pilot "reported difficulties with his oxygen equipment." To bolster the cover-up, a U-2 was quickly painted in NASA markings, with a fictitious NASA serial number, and put on display for the news media at the NASA Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base on 6 May 1960. The next day, Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev exposed the cover-up by revealing that the pilot had been captured, and espionage equipment had been recovered from the wreckage. (Ames Research Center)
	Watching Alan Shephard May 5, 1961 ST116161	Watching flight of Astronaut Shepard on television. Attorney General Kennedy, McGeorge Bundy, Vice President Johnson, Arthur Schlesinger, Admiral Arleigh Burke, President Kennedy, Mrs. Kennedy. White House, Office of the President's Secretary. ⁵
(audio) "We choose to go to the moon...." "...space is there, and we're going to climb it."	Special Message to the Congress on Urgent National Needs May 25, 1961	First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish. (Full Text) (Kennedy Library)
	Attempted Recovery 07/27/61 S61-02826	Attempted recovery of Mercury spacecraft at end of the Mercury-Redstone 4 (MR-4) mission. View shows the Marine helicopter has attached a line to the capsule and is attempting to pull it up. (JSC)
	Attempted Recovery 07/27/61 S61-02821	Attempted recovery of Mercury spacecraft at end of the Mercury-Redstone 4 (MR-4) mission. View shows the Marine helicopter dropping a recovery line to the capsule. In the upper left corner of the view, the recovery ship and another helicopter can be seen. (JSC)
	Bond, James Bond 1962	The first James Bond film, Dr. No, is released in 1962. Bond travels to Jamaica, where energy waves are interfering with US missile launches. A moon launch is planned in just a few days. Bond theme (External Link)
	LOR L-1962-05848 07/24/1962	John C. Houbolt at blackboard, showing his space rendezvous concept for lunar landings. Lunar Orbital Rendezvous (LOR) would be used in the Apollo program. Although Houbolt did not invent the idea of LOR, he was the person most responsible for pushing it at NASA. (med_res high_res)
(med_res high_res)	JFK at Rice University September 21, 1962 69-HC-1245 Audio (mp3) Audio (wav) Video Part 1 Video Part 2 Video Part 3 Video Part 4 Text	President Kennedy speaks before a crowd of 35,000 people at Rice University in the football field. " ...We set sail on his new sea because there is a new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. ...Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. But I do say space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made with extending his writ around this globe of ours. ...There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again. But why, some say the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why - 35 years ago - why fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the Moon, we choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one in which we intend to win, and the others too."
	Cuban Missile Crisis STA262262 10/29/1962	Meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Security Council- Cuba Crisis. President Kennedy, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. White House, Cabinet Room. (Kennedy Library)
	Integrated Circuits December 6, 1962	Request from MIT to NASA for use of integrated circuits in the Apollo Guidance Computer was approved. The picture at left shows the dual 3-input NOR function in 10-pin flat packs that were used in the Block II computers which went to the Moon. Block I computers used a single 3-input NOR circuit packaged in a TO-47 metal can.
	Apollo Launch Escape System in Wind Tunnel A-30338 01/01/1963	A technician mounts a model of the Apollo Launch Escape System (LES) in the Unitary Wind Tunnel at the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California. (med_res high_res) The LES was a tower like structure consisting of four solid propellant motors mounted atop the Apollo Command Module. In the event of a contingency, (booster failure or some other imminent failure) the LES would be commanded to ignite, subsequently removing the Command Module from the Saturn launch vehicle.
	I have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr. Delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial August 28, 1963	I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
	JFK Assassinated Top: November 22, 1963 Bottom: November 24, 1963	Top: Presidential limo, before turning onto Main Street. Bottom: Kennedy's coffin lies in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington JFK Assassination Photo Gallery
	Beatles on Sullivan February, 1964
	Mustang Introduced April 17, 1964	This Ford car was pushed into reality in 1962 by then general manager Lee Iacocca. This was followed by the Camaro and the Firebird. The Camaro. which debuted September 21, 1966, was almost called Gemini. The Firebird debuted February 23, 1967. The head of the Pontiac Division of General Motors was John Delorean.
	Gemini 6 and Gemini 7 Rendezvous S65-63189 12/15/1965	This photograph taken on December 15, 1965 shows the Gemini 7 spacecraft as it was observed from the hatch window of the Gemini 6 spacecraft during rendezvous maneuvers and station keeping at a distance of approximately 9 feet apart. (med_res high_res)
	The First Docking in Space March 16, 1966 S66-25781	The Agena Target Vehicle as seen from the Gemini 8 spacecraft during rendezvous. This was the first time two spacecraft successfully docked, which was a critical milestone if a mission to the Moon was to become a reality. (med_res high_res)
	Apollo Saturn V Test Vehicle 66PC-0072 6/17/1966	An aerial view of the Apollo Saturn V Facilities Test vehicle rolling out of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and heading to Launch Complex 39A. This test vehicle, designated the Apollo Saturn 500F, will never make the journey to the moon. However, it is being used to verify launch facilities, train launch crews, and develop test and checkout procedures. (med_res high_res)
	Apollo 1 Prime Crew S66-30236	Portrait of the Apollo 1 prime crew for first manned Apollo space flight. From left to right are: Edward H. White II, Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, and Robert B. Chaffee. (med_res high_res) On January 27, 1967 at 5:31 p.m. CST (6:31 local time) during a routine simulated launch test onboard the Apollo Saturn V Moon rocket, an electrical short circuit inside the Apollo Command Module ignited the pure oxygen environment and within a matter of seconds all three Apollo 1 crewmembers perished.
	Apollo 1 Fire January 27, 1967 S-67-21294	Officially designated Apollo/Saturn 204, but more commonly known as Apollo 1, this close-up view of the interior of the Command Module shows the effects of the intense heat of the flash fire which killed the prime crew during a routine training exercise. (med_res high_res) While strapped into their seats inside the Command Module atop the giant Saturn V Moon rocket, a faulty electrical switch created a spark which ignited the pure oxygen environment. The speed and intensity of the fire quickly exhausted the oxygen supply inside the crew cabin. Unable to deploy the hatch due to its cumbersome design and lack of breathable oxygen, the crew lost consciousness and perished. They were: astronauts Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, (the second American to fly into space) Edward H. White II, (the first American to "walk" in space) and Roger B. Chaffee, (a "rookie" on his first space mission).
	Six Day War June 5, 1967	War broke out following three weeks of tension which began on May 15, 1967 when it became known that Egypt had concentrated large-scale forces in the Sinai peninsula. Egypt's force buildup in the Sinai was accompanied by other serious steps: the United Nations Emergency Force stationed on the border between Egypt and Israel and Sharm el-Sheikh in 1957 and which had provided an actual separation between the countries was evacuated on May 19 upon the demands of the Egyptian president at the time, Gamal Abdel-Nasser; the Egyptian navy blocked the Straits of Tiran, located at the end of the Gulf of Eilat, on the night of May 22-23, 1967, preventing the passage of any Israeli vessels; and on May 30, 1967, Jordan joined the Egyptian-Syrian military alliance of 1966 and placed its army on both sides of the Jordan river under Egyptian command. Iraq followed suit. It agreed to send reinforcement and issued a warning order to two brigades: Contingents arrived from other Arab countries including Algeria and Kuwait. Israel was confronted by an Arab force of some 465,000 troops, over 2,880 tanks and 810 aircraft.⁴
	RG123S-Vietnam Photos Misc. Inf.-1st Bn, 50 Inf. U.S. Army Military History Institute 29-30 Oct 1967	Troops of Co C, 1st Bn, 50th Inf (Mech), 1st Cav Div (Airmobile) unload from CH-47 helicopter at Landing Zone Quick to begin a search and destroy mission in the Cay Giep Mountains http://www.carlisle.army.mil/cgi-bin/usamhi/pixdata/presentpix.pl?pic=/Low-Resolution/scenes/vietnam/coc50inf.jpg
	Apollo 4 Launch 6760629 11/9/1967	On November 9, 1967, Apollo 4, the first test flight of the Apollo/Saturn V space vehicle, was launched from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39. This was an unmanned test flight intended to prove that the complex Saturn V rocket could perform its requirements. All three stages separated successfully and their engines performed as planned. The third stage also restarted in orbit, which was a requirement for lunar missions. At the end of the flight, the unmanned Apollo spacecraft reentered and proved that it could survive the intense heat generated during a high-speed return from the moon. (med_res high_res)
	Wernher von Braun and Saturn IB on Launch Pad 6863092 1/22/1968	Dr. Wernher von Braun stands in front of a Saturn IB launch vehicle at Kennedy Space Flight Center. Dr. von Braun led a team of German rocket scientists, called the Rocket Team, to the United States, first to Fort Bliss/White Sands, later being transferred to the Army Ballistic Missile Agency at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. They were further transferred to the newly established NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama in 1960, and Dr. von Braun became the first Center Director. (med_res high_res) Under von Braun's direction, MSFC developed the Mercury-Redstone, which put the first American in space; and later the Saturn rockets, Saturn I, Saturn IB, and Saturn V. The Saturn V launch vehicle put the first human on the surface of the Moon, and a modified Saturn V vehicle placed Skylab, the first United States' experimental space station, into Earth orbit. Dr. von Braun was MSFC Director from July 1960 to February 1970.
	Apollo 5 S68-18733 January 22, 1968	Dr. Gilruth and Dr. Kraft in Mission Control Center during Apollo 5 launch (JSC libraary). Mission Objective: Verify operation of Lunar Module (LM-1) ascent and descent propulsion systems. Evaluate Lunar Module staging. Evaluate S-IVB instrument unit performance. All mission objects achieved (KSC)
	Tet Offensive January 31, 1968	Two American Marines battle Communist troops inside the walls of the Citadel at Hue. The former imperial capital was overrun by the enemy, then retaken by Marines during the Tet offensive of 1968. Vets With A Mission Vietnam Photo Journal of the Tet Offensive
	Tet Offensive January 31, 1968	American MPs close in on the last enemy sappers trapped inside the U.S. Embassy compound during the VC raid on January 31. Beside them lie two American soldiers killed earlier in the fighting Photo Journal of the Tet Offensive
	2001: A Space Odyssey April 3, 1968
	Senator Kennedy Assassinated June 5, 1968	Senator Robert F. Kennedy, age 42, was shot and killed shortly after midnight at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. He had just claimed victory in California's Democratic primary. Photo: Senator Robert F. Kennedy announces his candidacy for the presidency in the historic Senate Caucus Room, 1968. (Photo by George Tames, from the RFK Memorial)
	Prague Spring August 20, 1968²	When dawn fell on the 20th of August 1968 everything started. It was around midnight, when several thousands of Czechoslovak citizens awoke to the sound of heavy iron colossuses. At the first glance the only thing they saw was the big fire bright star painted on the colossuses. They just rolled past - what was happening? Nobody knew. People began to panic and they ran out on the streets only to be approached by heavy armored vehicles and tanks. Nobody knew what was going on -not even the Soviet soldiers had the faintest idea. It was only a small group of high-ranking Soviet officers and officials who knew that this was only the beginning of a full-scale invasion of Czechoslovakia.¹
	Apollo 7 - Saturn V Third Stage LM Adapter AS7-4-1569 10/11/1968	Attached to the Saturn IV-B stage, the Lunar Module Adapter's four panels are retracted to the fully open position. This is where the Lunar Module (LM) is stored during launch. On missions requiring the use of a LM, the four panels would be retracted and jettisoned before rendezvous and docking. This photo was taken during the Apollo 7 mission, when no Lunar Module was carried. The SIV-B stage flew as the second stage on a Saturn IB rocket. It is also used as the third stage on the Saturn V. The Apollo 7 mission was designed to test the Apollo Command and Service Module spacecraft systems specifically. Apollo 9 was the first mission to fly the Lunar Module. (med_res high_res)
	Apollo 7 - Schirra Reflects AS7-4-1596 10/20/1968	A heavy beard covers the face of astronaut Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Apollo 7 Commander, as he looks out the rendezvous window in front of the Commander's station on the ninth day of the Apollo 7 Earth orbital mission. (med_res high_res)
	Apollo 8 - Earthrise 68-HC-870 12/29/1968	This view of the rising Earth greeted the Apollo 8 astronauts as they came from behind the Moon after the lunar orbit insertion burn. Earth is about five degrees above the horizon in the photo. The unnamed surface features in the foreground are near the eastern limb of the Moon as viewed from Earth. The lunar horizon is approximately 780 kilometers from the spacecraft. Width of the photographed area at the horizon is about 175 kilometers. On the Earth 240,000 miles away, the sunset terminator bisects Africa. Audio: Genesis, December 24, 1968. (NASA History Office). (med_res high_res)
	Apollo 7 and 8 Crew in the White House 68-H-1300 12/03/1968	Apollo 7 and 8 flight crews sign a commemorative document to be hung in the Treaty Room of the White House honoring the occasion. (med_res high_res) Those signing are from left to right: Apollo 7 Astronauts: Walter Cunningham, Donn F. Eisele, and Walter M. Schirra. Apollo 8 Astronauts: William A. Anders, James A. Lovell, Jr., and Frank Borman. Standing are: Charles A. Lindbergh (also a signer), Lady Bird Johnson, President Lyndon B. Johnson, NASA Administrator James E. Webb, Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey
	New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7 January 12, 1969	In the Orange Bowl (Miami, FL) after boldly guaranteeing victory, QB Joe Namath led the underdog NY Jets to victory over the Baltimore Colts and was named MVP of Super Bowl III.
	Apollo 9 "Spider" Over The Ocean AS09-21-3181 03/07/1969	View of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module "Spider," in a lunar landing configuration, as photographed form the Command/Service Module on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 earth-orbital mission. The landing gear on the Lunar Module has been deployed. Note Lunar Module's upper hatch and docking tunnel. The EVA foot restraints known as the "Golden Slippers" are visible on the porch of the Lunar Module (LM). They allowed Lunar Module pilot Russell "Rusty" Schweickart to securely stand on the porch during his EVA thus allowing him free use of his hands. (med_res high_res)
	Apollo 9 "Spider" in Earth Orbit AS9-21-3212 03/07/1969	View of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module "Spider" in a lunar landing configuration photographed by Command Module pilot David Scott inside the Command/Service Module "Gumdrop" on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 earth-orbital mission. The landing gear on "Spider" has been deployed. Lunar surface probes (sensors) extend out from the landing gear foot pads. Inside the "Spider" were astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 Commander; and Russell L. Schweickart, Lunar Module pilot. (med_res high_res)
	Apollo 10 Terraced Wall Crater on the Lunar Limb AS10-32-4823 05/01/1969	This oblique view featuring International Astronomical Union (IAU) Crater 302 on the Moon surface was photographed by the Apollo 10 astronauts in May of 1969. Note the terraced walls of the crater and central cone. Center point coordinates are located at 162 degrees, 2 minutes east longitude and 10 degrees, 1 minute south latitude. One of the Apollo 10 astronauts aimed a handheld 70mm camera at the surface from lunar orbit for a series of pictures in this area. (med_res high_res)
	Apollo 11 Preparation 69P-0247 4/11/1969	The Apollo 11 Command/Service Module (CSM) are being mated to the Saturn V Lunar Module Adapter. (med_res high_res)
	Apollo 11 Launch Click on thumb nail for video of staging.
	Man's First Step On The Moon July 20, 1969	Audio: Apollo 11 Landing. (NASA History Office) Audio: Apollo 11 First Step On the Moon
	Apollo 11 - Aldrin Looks Back at Tranquility Base AS11-40-5948 07/20/1969	Astronaut Edwin E."Buzz" Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module pilot, is photographed during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity on the Moon. He has just deployed the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package (EASEP). In the foreground is the Passive Seismic Experiment Package (PSEP); beyond it is the Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector (LR-3); in the center background is the United States flag; in the left background is the black and white lunar surface television camera; in the far right background is the Lunar Module "Eagle". Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this photograph with a 70mm lunar surface camera. (med_res high_res)
	Apollo 11 - Bootprint AS11-40-5877 7/20/1969	One of the first steps taken on the Moon, this is an image of Buzz Aldrin's bootprint from the Apollo 11 mission. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon on July 20, 1969. (med_res high_res)
	Apollo 11 Celebration at Mission Control S69-40302 07/24/1969	NASA and Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) officials join the flight controllers in celebrating the conclusion of the Apollo 11 mission. From left foreground Dr. Maxime A. Faget, MSC Director of Engineering and Development; George S. Trimble, MSC Deputy Director; Dr. Christopher C. Kraft Jr., MSC Director fo Flight Operations; Julian Scheer (in back), Assistant Adminstrator, Office of Public Affairs, NASA HQ.; George M. Low, Manager, Apollo Spacecraft Program, MSC; Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, MSC Director; and Charles W. Mathews, Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Manned Space Flight, NASA HQ. (med_res high_res)
No Image Available	Woodstock August 15-17, 1969	Unfortunately, I have yet to find a public domain image or one where I can obtain rights to use an image for this pictorial essay, as photographers protect their "intellectual property." As Bob Dylan said, "The Times They Are A-Changin'" - a key point of this essay.
	Apollo 12: Firing Room #2 During CDDT 69PC-0570 10/29/1969	Overall view of the Firing Room #2 in the Launch Control Center during the Countdown Demonstration Test for the Apollo 12 mission.
	Bean Samples The Ocean of Storms AS12-49-7278 11/20/1969	Astronaut Alan L. Bean, Lunar Module pilot for the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission, holds a Special Environmental Sample Container filled with lunar soil collected during the extravehicular activity (EVA) in which Astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Bean participated. Conrad, who took this picture, is reflected in the helmet visor of the Lunar Module pilot.
	Two Spacecraft on the Moon 11/20/69 AS12-48-7133	View of two U.S. spacecraft on the surface of the moon, taken during the second Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA-2). The Apollo 12 Lunar Module is in the background. The unmanned Surveyor III spacecraft is in the foreground. (JSC)
	Beatles Break Up April 10, 1970	Paul announces he is no longer a member of the Beatles and they wouldn't play together again. On December 31, 1970 McCartney filed suit against Klein to break up the Beatles, which upset the other three, who had considered periodically recording as a group while continuing their solo careers -- now any chance of a reunion was gone, at least for quite a while. Apple Records became a financial and legal mess. ³
	Apollo 13 Explosive Evidence S70-35703 April 11-17, 1970 Movie (JSC)	This view of the damaged Apollo 13 Service Module (SM) was photographed from the Lunar Module/Command Module following SM jettisoning. As seen here, an entire SM panel was blown away by the apparent explosion of oxygen tank number two located in Sector 4 of the SM. 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 antenna. Nearest the camera is the Service Propulsion System (SPS) engine and nozzle. The damage to the SM caused the Apollo 13 crewmen to use the Lunar Module (LM) as a "lifeboat." The Lunar Module "Aquarius" was jettisoned just prior to Earth reentry by the Command Module "Odyssey".
	Apollo 13 Mission Control Celebrates S70-35144 April 11-17, 1970	Three of the four Apollo 13 Flight Directors applaud the successful splashdown of the Command Module "Odyssey" while Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, Director, Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), and Dr. Christopher C. Kraft Jr., MSC Deputy Director, light up cigars (upper left). The Flight Directors are from left to right: Gerald D. Griffin, Eugene F. Kranz and Glynn S. Lunney. Apollo 13 crew members, astronauts James A. Lovell Jr., Commander; John L. Swigert Jr., Command Module pilot, and Fred W. Haise Jr., Lunar Module pilot, splashed down at 12:07:44 (CST) in the South Pacific Ocean, approximately four miles from the Apollo 13 prime recovery ship, the U.S.S. Iwo Jima. (med_res high_res)
	Kent State Shootings May 4, 1970	Bitter Passage: Kent State and the Fall of Saigon - The Digital Journalist
	Apollo 14 - "Antares" on the Frau Mauro Highlands AS14-66-9306 02/05/1971	A front view of the Apollo 14 Lunar Module "Antares", which reflects a circular flare caused by the brilliant sun. The unusual ball of light was said by the astronauts to have a jewel-like appearance. At extreme left, the lower slope of Cone Crater can be seen. Audio: Alan Shepard's First Step
	Shepard Next to Modular Equipment Transporter AS14-68-9405 02/05/1971	Apollo 14 Commander Alan Shepard stands by the Modular Equipment Transporter (MET). The MET, which the astronauts nicknamed the "rickshaw," was a cart for carrying around tools, cameras and sample cases on the lunar surface. Shepard can be identified by the vertical stripe on his helmet. After Apollo 13, the commander's spacesuit had red stripes on the helmet, arms, and one leg, to help identify them in photographs.
	Apollo 15 Scott Gives Salute AS15-88-11863	Astronaut David R. Scott, commander, gives a military salute while standing beside the deployed U.S. flag during the Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. The flag was deployed toward the end of EVA-2. The Lunar Module "Falcon" is partially visible on the right. Hadley Delta in the background rises approximately 4,000 meters (about 13,124 feet) above the plain. The base of the mountain is approximately 5 kilometers (about 3 statute miles) away. This photograph was taken by Astronaut James B. Irwin, Lunar Module pilot.
	Apollo 15 - Genesis Rock
	Apollo 16 Landing	Audio and video of the Apollo 16 landing, as seen from the lunar module. (Click the thumbnail to start a movie of the landing).
	Apollo 16 John Young AS16-113-18339 04/20/1971	Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, jumps up from the lunar surface as he salutes the U.S. Flag at the Descartes landing site during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-1). Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, took this picture. The Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" is on the left. The Lunar Roving Vehicle is parked beside the LM. The object behind Young in the shade of the LM is the Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph. Stone Mountain dominates the background in this lunar scene. (med_res high_res) Audio/Video: Salute (NASA History Office)
	Movie
	Apollo 16 Recovery S72-36287 04/27/1972	The Apollo 16 command module, with astronauts John W. Young, Thomas K. Mattingly II and Charles M. Duke Jr. aboard, nears splashdown in the central Pacific Ocean to successfully conclude a lunar landing mission. This overhead picture was taken from a recovery aircraft seconds before the spacecraft hit the water. The splashdown occurred at 290:37:06 ground elapsed time at 1:45:06 a.m. (CST), April 27, 1972, at coordinates of 00:43.2 degrees south latitude and 156:11.4 degrees west longitude, a point approximately 215 miles southeast of Christmas Island. (med_res high_res)
Audio: Launch	Apollo 17 Night Launch S72-55070 12/07/1972	Liftoff of the Apollo 17 Saturn V Moon Rocket from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 12:33 a.m., December 17, 1972. Apollo 17, the final lunar landing mission, was the first night launch of a Saturn V rocket. (med_res high_res)
Video: "Spill" Video: "Reflection"	Apollo 17 Schmitt Covered with Lunar Dirt AS17-145-22157 12/12/1972	Geologist-Astronaut Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 lunar module pilot, uses an adjustable sampling scoop to retrieve lunar samples during the second extravehicular activity (EVA-2), at Station 5 at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The cohesive nature of the lunar soil is born out by the "dirty" appearance of Schmitt's space suit. A gnomon is atop the large rock in the foreground. The gnomon is a stadia rod mounted on a tripod, and serves as an indicator of the gravitational vector and provides accurate vertical reference and calibrated length for determining size and position of objects in near-field photographs. The color scale of blue, orange and green is used to accurately determine color for photography. The rod of it is 18 inches long. (med_res high_res) The scoop Dr. Schmitt is using is 11 3/4 inches long and is attached to a tool extension which adds a potential 30 inches of length to the scoop. The pan portion, blocked in this view, has a flat bottom, flanged on both sides with a partial cover on the top. It is used to retrieve sand, dust and lunar samples too small for the tongs. The pan and the adjusting mechanism are made of stainless steel and the handle is made of aluminum.
	Apollo 17 "Lunarama" AS17-137-21011 12/12/1972	An extraordinary lunar panorama at Station 4 (Shorty Crater) showing Geologist-Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt working at the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA-2) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. (med_res high_res) This is the area where Schmitt first spotted the orange soil. Shorty Crater is to the right. The peak in the center background is Family Mountain. A portion of South Massif is on the horizon at the left edge.
	Packed Up for the Last Time as17-134-20524.jpg	Suits and LEVVAs stowed away, the last of their kind to venture out onto the surface. The end of man's exploration of the moon. (Justin Wigg)
	Apollo 17 The last men to leave the Moon.	This video clip starts about 3 seconds before ignition and then follows the LM for the first 13 seconds of the ascent. The TV camera was mounted on the Rover, which Gene parked about 100 m east of the LM. (from the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal) Longer Video: Ascent from Taurus-Litrow (NASA History Office)
	Fletcher Explains Methods to Repair Skylab I 73-H-398 05/23/1973	On May 23, 1973, Dr. James Fletcher Administrator for NASA, appeared before the United States Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences. Dr. Fletcher explained to the committee what methods would be attempted to repair the damaged Skylab I. He stated that if the planned repairs were successful, that it would be possible to accomplish most of the activities scheduled for the two subsequent Skylab missions, each lasting 56 days. (med_res high_res)
	Yom Kippur War October 6, 1973	War breaks out between Israel, Egypt, and Syria, backed by Iraq, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The war lasted until October 26 on the Egyptian front. An Arab oil embargo started against western nations that supported Israel lasts until March 1974.
	Skylab and Earth Limb SL4-143-4706 02/08/1974	An overhead view of the Skylab Orbital Workshop in Earth orbit as photographed from the Skylab 4 Command and Service Modules (CSM) during the final fly-around by the CSM before returning home. The space station is contrasted against the pale blue Earth. During launch on May 14, 1973, some 63 seconds into flight, the micrometeor shield on the Orbital Workshop (OWS) experienced a failure that caused it to be caught up in the supersonic air flow during ascent. This ripped the shield from the OWS and damaged the tie downs that secured one of the solar array systems. Complete loss of one of the solar arrays happened at 593 seconds when the exhaust plume from the S-II's separation rockets impacted the partially deployed solar array system. Without the micrometeoroid shield that was to protect against solar heating as well, temperatures inside the OWS rose to 126 degrees fahrenheit. The gold "parasol" clearly visible in the photo, was designed to replace the missing micrometeoroid shield, protecting the workshop against solar heating. The replacement solar shield was deployed by the Skylab I crew. This enabled the Skylab Orbital Workshop to fulfill all its mission objects serving as home to additional crews before being deorbited in 1978.
	Nixon given Apollo Command Module Briefing 74-H-236 04/01/1974	President Richard M. Nixon is given a briefing on the Apollo Command Module similar to the one that will be flown on the upcoming joint U.S./U.S.S.R. Apollo-Soyuz test flight in the summer of 1975. Conducting the tour is the American Commander for the flight, astronaut Thomas P. Stafford. Standing at the President's right is Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator. (med_res high_res)
	Nixon Resigns August 8, 1974	Good evening. This is the 37th time I have spoken to you from this office in which so many decisions have been made that shape the history of this nation. Each time I have done so to discuss with you some matters that I believe affected the national interest. And all the decisions I have made in my public life I have always tried to do what was best for the nation. Throughout the long and difficult period of Watergate, I have felt it was my duty to persevere; to make every possible effort to complete the term of office to which you elected me. In the past few days, however, it has become evident to me that I no longer have a strong enough political base in the Congress to justify continuing that effort. As long as there was such a base, I felt strongly that it was necessary to see the constitutional process through to its conclusion; that to do otherwise would be unfaithful to the spirit of that deliberately difficult process, and a dangerously destabilizing precedent for the future. ... To continue to fight through the months ahead for my personal vindication would almost totally absorb the time and attention of both the President and the Congress in a period when our entire focus should be on the great issues of peace abroad and prosperity without inflation at home. Therefore, I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon tomorrow. (Complete Text, Nixon Archives)
	Nixon Resignation Letter August 9, 1974	On the morning of August 9, 1974, the day following President Nixon's televised resignation speech, White House Chief of Staff Alexander Haig presented this letter to President Nixon to sign. The President's resignation letter is addressed to the Secretary of State, in keeping with a law passed by Congress in 1792. The letter became effective when Secretary of State Henry Kissinger initialed it at 11:35 a.m. National Archives, General Records of the Department of State⁶
	Nixon Leaves August 9, 1974	Richard Nixon delivering the "V" sign upon his final departure from the White House, photograph by Robert L. Knudsen, National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials Project (E3386-35)⁶
	Deke Slayton Suits Up 75P-0018 1/14/1975	Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) Prime Crew Member Donald "Deke" K. Slayton suits up for an altitude test of the Apollo command module in an altitude chamber of KSC's Manned Spacecraft Operations Building (MSOB).
	Historic Handshake S75-29432 07/17/1975	Apollo Commander, Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford (in foreground) and Soyuz Commander, Cosmonaut Alexei A. Leonov make their historic handshake in space during the joint Russian / American docking mission known as the ASTP, or Apollo Soyuz Test Project. The handshake took place after the hatch to the Universal Docking Adapter (UDA) was opened. Stafford is inside the UDA and Leonov is inside the Soyuz. The UDA was a specially designed docking module that was built by the United States that enabled the two spacecraft to link-up. It was attached to the Apollo Command Module during rendezvous and docking maneuvers. Once docking was complete, the module was pressurized. This grainy image was made from a frame of 16 millimeter motion picture film.