Filter by:

Filter by published date

Buzz Aldrin lands on moon for the first time, Apollo 11.

Apollo 11 Launch: "If You Can Survive the Simulations, the Mission is a Piece of Cake"

The grueling, relentless simulations astronauts that prepared the astronauts for quick decision-making in space.

While NASA Was Landing on the Moon, Many African-Americans Sought Economic Justice Instead

The billions spent on the Apollo program, no matter how inspiring the mission, laid bare the nation's priorities.

Whose Apollo Are We Talking About?

A review of Roger D. Launius's "Apollo’s Legacy" and Teasel E. Muir-Harmony's "Apollo to the Moon."
Buzz Aldrin on the lunar surface with flag during Apollo 11.

How Stanley Kubrick Staged the Moon Landing

To understand America, you can start with Apollo 11 and all that is counterfactual that’s grown around it.
Poppy Northcutt.

Inside Apollo Mission Control, From the Eyes of the First Woman on the Job

Poppy Northcutt planned the vital flight trajectories that got astronauts home from their missions to the moon.
Neil Armstrong and the American flag on the moon.
partner

How NASA Sold The Science And Glamour of Space Travel

At the time of the Apollo 11 landing, some Americans had reservations about reaching for the stars when troubles swelled on Earth.
"Trip to the Moon" map, depicting a collage of the Moon, spacecraft, astronauts, and other space-related imagery.

During the Space Race, Gas Stations Gave Away Free Maps to the Moon

Standard Oil was not about to be left earthbound.
Margaret Hamilton stands next to a stack of paper as tall as she is - the software she and her team produced for the Apollo project.

Margaret Hamilton Led the NASA Software Team That Landed Astronauts on the Moon

Apollo’s successful computing software was optimized to deal with unknown problems.

Whitey on the Moon

Gil Scott-Heron's searing 1970 commentary on the nation's economic priorities.
Neil Armstrong and the American flag on the moon.

Twilight of Empire

Why the 1969 moon landing signaled the end of the massive American empire of the 20th century.

The Triumph and Near-Tragedy of the First Moon Landing

Across the cislunar blackness, we set sail for a landing that almost didn't happen.
Postal stamp featuring Benjamin Franklin.

Why We Still Use Postage Stamps

The enduring necessity (and importance) of a nearly 200-year-old technology.
An astronaut on the Moon standing next to the American flag
partner

How the Cold War Arms Race Fueled a Sprint to the Moon

After the Soviet Union sent the first human safely into orbit, the U.S. government doubled down on its effort to win the race to the moon.
An illustration of a kid imagining going to space.

Selling the American Space Dream

The cosmic delusions of Elon Musk and Wernher von Braun.

Pioneers of American Publicity

How John and Jessie Frémont explored the frontiers of legend-making.

The Lines of Code That Changed Everything

Apollo 11, the JPEG, the first pop-up ad, and 33 other bits of software that have transformed our world.

Inventing the Environment

A review of two new books on the postwar origins of “the Environment.”

What John F. Kennedy’s Moon Speech Means 50 Years Later

“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.”
Neil Armstrong and the American flag on the moon.

Apollo 11 Capsule Foil and Memories of Plucking NASA’s Moonmen From the Sea

A recollection of a NASA employee's experiences with Apollo 11 and 12.
Buzz Aldrin on the lunar surface with flag during Apollo 11.

50 Years Ago in Photos: A Look Back at 1969

Looking back at the year of the moon landing, Woodstock, and more.
Still from the Zapruder film made to appear as if it is in the crosshairs of a gun
partner

Conspiracy Theories and Fake News from JFK to Pizzagate

Retro Report explores decades of conspiracy theories -- from the John F. Kennedy assassination to Pizzagate -- and what they can tell us about the world today.
The ceremony for the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit, Utah on May 10, 1869.

The Birth of Breaking News

On May 10th, 1869, the entire nation was waiting for the moment a silver hammer struck a golden spike, creating the first massive breaking news story.

Filter Results:

Suggested Filters:

Idea

Person