NASA History News & Notes

As we close out 2024, NASA’s historians and archivists reflect on the progress made over the year and share snapshots of the agency’s history revealed in their recent work. Topics include questions about blood pressure ahead of America’s first human spaceflight, lessons from NASA’s Electronics Research Center, the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator at Marshall Space Flight Center, Landsat and the Green Revolution, oral histories from the NASA leaders that helped save the lives of 33 Chilean miners, a farewell to the Administration Building at NASA Glenn, and much more!

NASA’s Archives Program

With American Archives Month upon us, what better time is there to underscore the importance of NASA’s historical records and how they shape our understanding of the agency’s activities. NASA’s archivists preserve and provide access to the documents, photos, oral histories, and other media that illustrate the missions, programs, and people of the agency from its earliest days. These records help tell the story of NASA’s work, its leaders, its triumphs and challenges, and not only become the basis of historical research communicated in books and documentaries, but also inform managers, engineers, and program planners, and inspire new generations with lessons from our past.

Chandra X-Ray Observatory’s 25th Anniversary

Topics covered include Marshall Space Flight Center’s evolution into a center of excellence in high-energy astronomy, Martin Weisskopf’s lessons learned from the Chandra mission, how a proposal for an x-ray observatory has evolved, and Chandra’s rocky ride to space on space shuttle Columbia in 1999.