By Eiffleman

Four stage rocket derived from the Jupiter missile and using MGM-29 Sergeant solid rocket motors for the upper stages. Launched Pioneer 3 (failure) and Pioneer 4 which became the first American lunar probe.

Successor to the Hubble Telescope, the JWST will enable a detailed astronomical and cosmological investigations. The 6.5 meter primary mirror will observe some of the most distant objects in the Universe.

By Eiffleman

Transport for Apollo astronauts to launchpad. Modified Cortez motorhome.

by Kevin Huang

USAF expendable launch vehicle used from 1965 until 1982. First Titan family rocket to use large solid rocket motors. Intended for launch of the Dyna-Soar (cancelled) but primarily launched DoD payloads.

NASA launch vehicle used to test the Apollo program spacecraft and later to ferry astronauts to Skylab.

By Eiffleman

NASA vehicle used to quarantine astronauts returning from the first four Apollo lunar missions. An Airstream trailer was converted by Melpar, Inc. to house three crew, a physician, and an engineer.

By Eiffleman

American manned spaceplane used for hypersonic research. Conducted tests for ballistic flight, winged reentry, and gliding recovery. The X-15 was intended to evolve to a manned orbital spacecraft until the urgent need for the Mercury and Gemini programs surfaced. Research from the X-15 eventually led to the techniques...

By Eiffleman

SpaceX partially reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle derived from the Falcon 9. Consists of a strengthened Falcon 9 first stage center core and two Falcon 9 first stage strap-on boosters. As of 2021, Falcon Heavy had the highest payload capacity of operating rockets and the third highest of...

By Kaero

During the Apollo 8, Apollo 10, and Apollo 11 missions, Helicopter Sikorsky Sea King SH-3D with number 66 was the primary recovery vehicle which hoisted returning astronauts from the spacecraft command modules.

By Eiffleman

Standardized Atlas plus Agena D used for a variety of NASA and Air Force programs, including Ranger, Mariner, Midas, and Gambit.

By Eiffleman

Derivative of the Thor-Delta rocket using the Thor DM-21 configuration with a Delta D second stage and an Altair solid rocket motor third stage. Launched the first geosynchronous satellite, Syncom-2.

By Kevin Huang

First American orbital human-rated launch vehicle. Used to launch the Mercury capsule to low Earth orbit.

By Joey Zinga

Modification of Kevin Huang's model First full scale prototype of the Atlas missile and progenitor of the Atlas family of rockets.

By Kevin Huang

First launch of the Mercury program. Launched a boilerplate Mercury capsule to test the ablative heat shield, afterbody heating, and reentry dynamics.

By Eiffleman

Seventh crewed Apollo mission aborted after the Oxygen tank of the Service Module exploded.

By Eiffleman

American launch vehicle derived from the Titan II missile. Launched twelve Gemini program missions featuring the first flights with two astronauts.