Publications and Resources
Since NASA’s beginning, the NASA History Office has prepared histories, chronologies, and oral history interviews and made them freely available to the public. Explore our trove of aerospace history resources!
Popular Downloads
Ascension
Life Lessons from the Space Shuttle Columbia Tragedy for Engineers, Managers, and Leaders
50 Years of Solar System Exploration
Historical Perspectives
Cosmos and Culture
Cultural Evolution in a Cosmic Context
Beyond Earth
A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration, 1958–2016
Rockets and People
4-volume series by Boris Chertok
Apollo by the Numbers
A Statistical Reference
The NASA History Series
The NASA History Series includes over 200 books and monographs on a wide range of topics from rockets and wind tunnels to the psychology and sociology of spaceflight. Many of these books are in e-book formats available to download at no cost.
Recent Additions to the NASA History Series
SOFIA
In this first history of the SOFIA mission, historian Lois Rosson narrates the observatory’s development, operations, and legacy and situates the mission within a broader history of airborne observation at NASA.
Ascension
In his new book "Ascension: Life Lessons from the Space Shuttle Columbia Tragedy for Engineers, Managers, and Leaders," author Steven Hirshorn shares his experience on the day Columbia and its crew were lost, and the sobering work NASA undertook in search of answers and to return to flight in the wake of the tragedy.
Wind Tunnels of the NACA and NASA
Get a detailed look at every wind tunnel ever designed and operated by NASA and its predecessor, the NACA. This comprehensive reference work describes the history and the significance of these essential facilities for aeronautical research.
Governing the Moon: A History
In the newest monograph in the NASA History Series, Stephen S. Buono presents the history behind the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, better known as the Moon Treaty.
Going Beyond
John M. Logsdon describes the steps George H.W. Bush’s administration took to try to reform NASA, the conflicts that arose, and the lasting impacts.
A Wartime Necessity
In A Wartime Necessity, we see how research and technology were critical to the war effort during World War II, how unique contexts shaped what was possible, and how institutions were adapting to a drastically changing world.
Selected NASA Publications of Historical Interest
This collection of special publications, technical memoranda, and reports represents a small fraction of the informative books and reports outside the NASA History Series that are of historical interest.
Additional Publications
NASA History News and Notes
NASA History’s newsletter explores major anniversaries from NASA’s past, the historical underpinnings of NASA’s current endeavors, and gives you the latest news in aerospace history research, publications, and upcoming meetings.Sign up to receive new issues.
News and Notes
January 2026
In the newest edition of NASA History News & Notes—and the first in a new email format—the NASA History Office reflects on the Challenger tragedy and how we build historic narratives.
Summer 2025
For our Summer 2025 edition of News and Notes, the NASA History Office explores the theme of leadership and decision-making. How has NASA navigated tough choices in its past? How have leaders at the agency sculpted a path forward?
Spring 2025
In the newest edition of News and Notes, the NASA History Office reflects on some of the transitional periods in NASA’s past, as well as the legacies of a few of NASA’s past programs and projects.
Winter 2024
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.
Fall 2024
The Fall 2024 edition focuses on NASA’s archives program. NASA’s archives help tell the story of NASA’s work, its leaders, its triumphs and challenges. These records 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.
Summer 2024
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, topics for the Summer 2024 edition include Marshall Space Flight Center’s transformation into a center of excellence in high-energy astronomy, Martin Weisskopf’s lessons learned from the Chandra mission, the evolution of a proposal for an x-ray observatory, and Chandra’s rocky ride to space in 1999.
The Aeronautics and Space Report of the President
The annual “President’s Report” is a summary of the U.S. Government’s aerospace activities each year. Mandated by law, it contains information on aerospace activities conducted by 14 Federal departments and agencies, as well as appendices containing historical data on spacecraft launches and budget figures.
Recent President's Reports
Fiscal Year 2024
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Fiscal Year 2023
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Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022
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Fiscal Year 2020
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Fiscal Year 2019
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Fiscal Year 2018
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Oral Histories
NASA sees value in oral history because the process provides significant benefits and plays an important role in capturing and preserving the first-hand experiences of individuals, lessons learned, methodologies, and institutional memory. Oral history participants include managers, engineers, technicians, doctors, astronauts, and other employees of NASA and aerospace contractors who served in key roles in its programs. These oral history interviews ensure that the words of these pioneers live on to tell future generations about the excitement and lessons of space exploration.
Featured Oral History Projects
Other Research Resources
From Apollo mission menus to landmark space policy documents, these collections of resources will propel your research to new heights.
Aerospace History Research Resources
Apollo Lunar Surface Journal and Apollo Flight Journal
The Apollo Lunar Surface Journal and Apollo Flight Journal provide detailed accounts of the Apollo spaceflights from 1968 through 1972.
NASA Technical Reports Server
Search the NASA Technical Reports Server for reports and publications in the STI repository.
The Space Shuttle
In this collection of historical resources, discover the story of how the Space Shuttle program came to be, its setbacks and lasting achievements over the decades.
Key Documents in Aerospace History Policy
From the birth of NASA with the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 through recent Presidential Space Directives, review this collection of key documents directing U.S. space policy.
Collier Trophy Awards to NACA and NASA
The NACA and NASA have received the Robert J. Collier Trophy award several times for research and projects undertaken over the past century.
NASA Organizational Charts
Download NASA Headquarters organizational charts spanning 1958–2015.
