This collection consist of technical manuals from the American manned space program. The material includes spacecraft familiarization instructions, rendezvous and docking configurations, mission evaluation reports, operational procedures, module systems handbooks, lunar surface experiment reports, Skylab experiment reports, and payload descriptions.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was inaugurated on 1 October 1958 with the intent of conducting a manned space program. NASA took over the rocketry and propulsion work previously performed by the United States Air Force, Navy, and National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Unmanned launches began during the International Geophysical Year (1957-58) under Air Force auspices and have continued to the present with a wide variety of payloads, including space science, weather, communications, and earth observation satellites. The manned program progressed through Projects Mercury (1959-63; launches 1961-63), Gemini (1962-67; launches 1965-66), Apollo (1960-72; launches 1968-72), and Skylab (1969-74; launches 1973-74). After a hiatus following the Skylab program, the manned program focused on the Space Shuttle, a reuseable manned spacecraft. The manned program was supported by a number of unmanned exploration vehicles in the Ranger, Lunar Orbiter, and Surveyor series throughout the 1960s, as well as research into a number of related areas.
Identifier
NASM.1988.0112
Date
bulk 1961-1990
Provenance
NASA SS&E, Transfer, 1988, 1988-0122, unknown.
Extent
7.47 Cubic feet
Archival Repository
National Air and Space Museum Archives
Scope and Contents
This collection consist of technical manuals from the American manned space program. The material includes spacecraft familiarization instructions, rendezvous and docking configurations, mission evaluation reports, operational procedures, module systems handbooks, lunar surface experiment reports, Skylab experiment reports, and payload descriptions.
Arrangement note
This collection is into seven series by mission.
Series 1: Mercury
Series 2: Gemini
Series 3: Apollo
Series 4: Skylab
Series 5: Apollo-Soyuz
Series 6: Space Shuttle
Series 7: Miscellaneous
Rights
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Restrictions
No restrictions on access
Citation
United States Space Program Technical Documents, Acc. 1988.0112, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Topics
Astronautics Mercury Project Gemini Project Apollo Project Skylab Program Space Shuttle Program (U.S.) Lunar excursion module Saturn 5 Launch Vehicle