White tail deer are very plentyful at the Johnson Space Center. The 1,580-acre JSC site in the Clear Lake area, where engineers, astronauts and other personnel work on out-of-this-world projects, is also a wildlife refuge. Gulf Coast prairie and marsh grasslands fill the undeveloped areas, which are much the same as they were before JSC opened in the 1960s. A pond surrounded by green space also sits in the center of the campus.

White tail deer are very plentyful at the Johnson Space Center. The 1,580-acre JSC site in the Clear Lake area, where engineers, astronauts and other personnel work on out-of-this-world projects, is also a wildlife refuge. Gulf Coast prairie and marsh grasslands fill the undeveloped areas, which are much the same as they were before JSC opened in the 1960s. A pond surrounded by green space also sits in the center of the campus.

White tail deer are very plentyful at the Johnson Space Center. The 1,580-acre JSC site in the Clear Lake area, where engineers, astronauts and other personnel work on out-of-this-world projects, is also a wildlife refuge. Gulf Coast prairie and marsh grasslands fill the undeveloped areas, which are much the same as they were before JSC opened in the 1960s. A pond surrounded by green space also sits in the center of the campus.

A one-man spacecraft-booster combination like this one propelled the first two American astronauts (Al Shepard and Gus Grissom) into space in May and July of 1961. Al Shepard's spacecraft reached an altitude of 101 nautical miles in a ballistic arc above the Earth. The flight lasted about 15 and a half minutes and Shepard was weightless for over 5 minutes. The vehicle reached a velocity of over 5000 miles per hour and landed 236 downrange. At liftoff, the vehicle weighted about 66,000 pounds. Propellants included ethyl alcohol, water and liquid oxygen.

A Saturn V rocket at Johnson Space Center's Rocket Park. The 30-story tall rocket, which rests at the space center gate, is part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection and one of only three such rockets in existence. The Saturn V is one of the largest and most significant artifacts in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum collection. It has been on loan to Johnson since 1977. The rocket is made up of parts from launch vehicles originally designated for Apollo 18 and 20. The Saturn V remains the most powerful rocket ever built, and it was launched 13 times from 1967 to 1973, carrying 27 Apollo astronauts into space. Nine of the missions it launched traveled to the moon, and six landed there. The final Saturn V launch in 1973 put Skylab, America's first space station, in orbit. The Saturn V at Johnson had been exposed to the elements for more than 20 years while on display. The exposure had caused extensive corrosion and degradation. In order to save the Saturn V, the National Air and Space Museum applied for a grant in 1999 to preserve the rocket through the Save America’s Treasures Program, the centerpiece of the White House National Millennium Commemoration. For the preservation, the museum received funds from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Houston Endowment, Halliburton and other sources. Matching funds were provided by the National Park Service.

A Saturn V rocket at Johnson Space Center's Rocket Park. The 30-story tall rocket, which rests at the space center gate, is part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection and one of only three such rockets in existence. The Saturn V is one of the largest and most significant artifacts in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum collection. It has been on loan to Johnson since 1977. The rocket is made up of parts from launch vehicles originally designated for Apollo 18 and 20. The Saturn V remains the most powerful rocket ever built, and it was launched 13 times from 1967 to 1973, carrying 27 Apollo astronauts into space. Nine of the missions it launched traveled to the moon, and six landed there. The final Saturn V launch in 1973 put Skylab, America's first space station, in orbit. The Saturn V at Johnson had been exposed to the elements for more than 20 years while on display. The exposure had caused extensive corrosion and degradation. In order to save the Saturn V, the National Air and Space Museum applied for a grant in 1999 to preserve the rocket through the Save America’s Treasures Program, the centerpiece of the White House National Millennium Commemoration. For the preservation, the museum received funds from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Houston Endowment, Halliburton and other sources. Matching funds were provided by the National Park Service.

A Saturn V rocket at Johnson Space Center's Rocket Park. The 30-story tall rocket, which rests at the space center gate, is part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection and one of only three such rockets in existence. The Saturn V is one of the largest and most significant artifacts in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum collection. It has been on loan to Johnson since 1977. The rocket is made up of parts from launch vehicles originally designated for Apollo 18 and 20. The Saturn V remains the most powerful rocket ever built, and it was launched 13 times from 1967 to 1973, carrying 27 Apollo astronauts into space. Nine of the missions it launched traveled to the moon, and six landed there. The final Saturn V launch in 1973 put Skylab, America's first space station, in orbit. The Saturn V at Johnson had been exposed to the elements for more than 20 years while on display. The exposure had caused extensive corrosion and degradation. In order to save the Saturn V, the National Air and Space Museum applied for a grant in 1999 to preserve the rocket through the Save America’s Treasures Program, the centerpiece of the White House National Millennium Commemoration. For the preservation, the museum received funds from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Houston Endowment, Halliburton and other sources. Matching funds were provided by the National Park Service.

A Saturn V rocket at Johnson Space Center's Rocket Park. The 30-story tall rocket, which rests at the space center gate, is part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection and one of only three such rockets in existence. The Saturn V is one of the largest and most significant artifacts in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum collection. It has been on loan to Johnson since 1977. The rocket is made up of parts from launch vehicles originally designated for Apollo 18 and 20. The Saturn V remains the most powerful rocket ever built, and it was launched 13 times from 1967 to 1973, carrying 27 Apollo astronauts into space. Nine of the missions it launched traveled to the moon, and six landed there. The final Saturn V launch in 1973 put Skylab, America's first space station, in orbit. The Saturn V at Johnson had been exposed to the elements for more than 20 years while on display. The exposure had caused extensive corrosion and degradation. In order to save the Saturn V, the National Air and Space Museum applied for a grant in 1999 to preserve the rocket through the Save America’s Treasures Program, the centerpiece of the White House National Millennium Commemoration. For the preservation, the museum received funds from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Houston Endowment, Halliburton and other sources. Matching funds were provided by the National Park Service.

The 30-story tall rocket, which rests at the space center gate, is part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection and one of only three such rockets in existence. The Saturn V is one of the largest and most significant artifacts in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum collection. It has been on loan to Johnson since 1977. The rocket is made up of parts from launch vehicles originally designated for Apollo 18 and 20. The Saturn V remains the most powerful rocket ever built, and it was launched 13 times from 1967 to 1973, carrying 27 Apollo astronauts into space. Nine of the missions it launched traveled to the moon, and six landed there. The final Saturn V launch in 1973 put Skylab, America's first space station, in orbit. The Saturn V at Johnson had been exposed to the elements for more than 20 years while on display. The exposure had caused extensive corrosion and degradation. In order to save the Saturn V, the National Air and Space Museum applied for a grant in 1999 to preserve the rocket through the Save America’s Treasures Program, the centerpiece of the White House National Millennium Commemoration. For the preservation, the museum received funds from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Houston Endowment, Halliburton and other sources. Matching funds were provided by the National Park Service.

The 30-story tall rocket, which rests at the space center gate, is part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection and one of only three such rockets in existence. The Saturn V is one of the largest and most significant artifacts in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum collection. It has been on loan to Johnson since 1977. The rocket is made up of parts from launch vehicles originally designated for Apollo 18 and 20. The Saturn V remains the most powerful rocket ever built, and it was launched 13 times from 1967 to 1973, carrying 27 Apollo astronauts into space. Nine of the missions it launched traveled to the moon, and six landed there. The final Saturn V launch in 1973 put Skylab, America's first space station, in orbit. The Saturn V at Johnson had been exposed to the elements for more than 20 years while on display. The exposure had caused extensive corrosion and degradation. In order to save the Saturn V, the National Air and Space Museum applied for a grant in 1999 to preserve the rocket through the Save America’s Treasures Program, the centerpiece of the White House National Millennium Commemoration. For the preservation, the museum received funds from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Houston Endowment, Halliburton and other sources. Matching funds were provided by the National Park Service.

A cluster of five engines provided the power for the first stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle during the Apollo-Saturn test flights, manned flights to the moon, and the launch of the Skylab orbiting laboratory into Earth orbit. The engines were powered for 2 and half minutes lifting the Saturn V to an altitude of about 41 miles and a speed of about 6000 miles per hour. Each engine weighed 15,650 pounds the developed a thrust of 1,500,000 pounds. The 30-story tall rocket, which rests at the space center gate, is part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection and one of only three such rockets in existence. The Saturn V is one of the largest and most significant artifacts in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum collection. It has been on loan to Johnson since 1977. The rocket is made up of parts from launch vehicles originally designated for Apollo 18 and 20. The Saturn V remains the most powerful rocket ever built, and it was launched 13 times from 1967 to 1973, carrying 27 Apollo astronauts into space. Nine of the missions it launched traveled to the moon, and six landed there. The final Saturn V launch in 1973 put Skylab, America's first space station, in orbit. The Saturn V at Johnson had been exposed to the elements for more than 20 years while on display. The exposure had caused extensive corrosion and degradation. In order to save the Saturn V, the National Air and Space Museum applied for a grant in 1999 to preserve the rocket through the Save America’s Treasures Program, the centerpiece of the White House National Millennium Commemoration. For the preservation, the museum received funds from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Houston Endowment, Halliburton and other sources. Matching funds were provided by the National Park Service.

This is the actual Mercury capsule flown by Astronaut Gordon Cooper on May 15-16, 1963. In a triumphant conclusion to Project Mercury. Cooper traveled longer and farther than any American had up until that time. Cooper selected the name "Faith 7" for his spacecraft to express his faith in his fellow workers, his faith in the spaceflight hardware that had been so carefully tested, his faith in himself, and his faith in God. All the Mercury spacecraft carried the number 7 in their name to represent the original seven Mercury Program astronauts. Taken at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.

This mock-up of the Apollo Lunar Module cockpit was used at NASA's Johnson Space Center to prepare astronauts, engineers, flight controllers and technicians for the Lunar landings.

Apollo 17 was the last mission of Project Apollo. The Apollo 17 spacecraft is the last manned spacecraft to have traveled to the Moon. The Apollo 17 crew returned safely to Earth in this capsule, named America, ending an era in history. This actual, flown Command Module orbited the Moon and housed astronaut Ron Evans while astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt headed to the surface aboard the Lunar Module.

Astronauts drove Lunar Rovers on the Moon during the last three Apollo missions - Apollo 15, Apollo 16 and Apollo 17. The rovers were reliable, safe and flexible tools that greatly expanded the range of exploration and facilitated scientific discoveries about the history of the Moon. Tires on the Lunar rover were made of a wire mesh for durability in the extreme temperatures and lack of pressure on the Moon. The zinc-coated steel mesh attached to the aluminum wheel hub. Titanium chevrons provided traction and kept the wheels from sinking into the soft Lunar soil. Taken at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.

Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 905 one of two extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters. One is a 747-100 model, while the other is a short range 747-100SR. The SCAs were used to ferry Space Shuttles from landing sites back to the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center. The orbiters were placed on top of the SCAs by Mate-Demate Devices, large gantry-like structures that hoisted the orbiters off the ground for post-flight servicing then mated them with the SCAs for ferry flights. In approach and landing test flights conducted in 1977, the test shuttle Enterprise was released from an SCA during flight and glided to a landing under its own control. After the shuttle program ended, the SCA 905 was disassembled into 7 large pieces for the eight mile journey from Ellington Airport to the Johnson Space Center. The Boeing Aircraft on the Group team of mechanics and enginners removed the tail, aft section, landing gear and wings, marking the first time Boeing separated both wings from a 747 outside of a hangar. Travel at night, special hydraulic trailers were used to move the 920 foot convoy of pieces to Space Center Houston. Once in place, the high-fidelity shuttle replica "Independence" was mated to the aircraft.

Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 905 one of two extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters. One is a 747-100 model, while the other is a short range 747-100SR. The SCAs were used to ferry Space Shuttles from landing sites back to the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center. The orbiters were placed on top of the SCAs by Mate-Demate Devices, large gantry-like structures that hoisted the orbiters off the ground for post-flight servicing then mated them with the SCAs for ferry flights. In approach and landing test flights conducted in 1977, the test shuttle Enterprise was released from an SCA during flight and glided to a landing under its own control. After the shuttle program ended, the SCA 905 was disassembled into 7 large pieces for the eight mile journey from Ellington Airport to the Johnson Space Center. The Boeing Aircraft on the Group team of mechanics and enginners removed the tail, aft section, landing gear and wings, marking the first time Boeing separated both wings from a 747 outside of a hangar. Travel at night, special hydraulic trailers were used to move the 920 foot convoy of pieces to Space Center Houston. Once in place, the high-fidelity shuttle replica "Independence" was mated to the aircraft.

Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 905 one of two extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters. One is a 747-100 model, while the other is a short range 747-100SR. The SCAs were used to ferry Space Shuttles from landing sites back to the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center. The orbiters were placed on top of the SCAs by Mate-Demate Devices, large gantry-like structures that hoisted the orbiters off the ground for post-flight servicing then mated them with the SCAs for ferry flights. In approach and landing test flights conducted in 1977, the test shuttle Enterprise was released from an SCA during flight and glided to a landing under its own control. After the shuttle program ended, the SCA 905 was disassembled into 7 large pieces for the eight mile journey from Ellington Airport to the Johnson Space Center. The Boeing Aircraft on the Group team of mechanics and enginners removed the tail, aft section, landing gear and wings, marking the first time Boeing separated both wings from a 747 outside of a hangar. Travel at night, special hydraulic trailers were used to move the 920 foot convoy of pieces to Space Center Houston. Once in place, the high-fidelity shuttle replica "Independence" was mated to the aircraft.

Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 905 one of two extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters. One is a 747-100 model, while the other is a short range 747-100SR. The SCAs were used to ferry Space Shuttles from landing sites back to the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center. The orbiters were placed on top of the SCAs by Mate-Demate Devices, large gantry-like structures that hoisted the orbiters off the ground for post-flight servicing then mated them with the SCAs for ferry flights. In approach and landing test flights conducted in 1977, the test shuttle Enterprise was released from an SCA during flight and glided to a landing under its own control

Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 905 one of two extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters. One is a 747-100 model, while the other is a short range 747-100SR. The SCAs were used to ferry Space Shuttles from landing sites back to the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center. The orbiters were placed on top of the SCAs by Mate-Demate Devices, large gantry-like structures that hoisted the orbiters off the ground for post-flight servicing then mated them with the SCAs for ferry flights. In approach and landing test flights conducted in 1977, the test shuttle Enterprise was released from an SCA during flight and glided to a landing under its own control. After the shuttle program ended, the SCA 905 was disassembled into 7 large pieces for the eight-mile journey from Ellington Airport to the Johnson Space Center. The Boeing Aircraft on the Group team of mechanics and engineers removed the tail, aft section, landing gear and wings, marking the first time Boeing separated both wings from a 747 outside of a hangar. Travel at night, special hydraulic trailers were used to move the 920 foot convoy of pieces to Space Center Houston. Once in place, the high-fidelity shuttle replica "Independence" was mated to the aircraft.