The STS-1 mission launched NASA astronauts John W. Young and Robert Crippen into space for a 54.4 hour, 36 orbit test flight of Space Shuttle Columbia on April 12, 1981. | Space.com

The Space Launch System rocket that will launch humans back to the moon for the first time since 1972 began its journey to the launch pad on Jan. 17, 2026 with its rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch window open on Feb. 6. | Space.com

In January 1967, audio was recorded during a routine ground test of the Apollo 1 spacecraft at Launch Complex 34. The recording comes from NASA’s ground communication loop, capturing radio transmissions between the capsule and mission control. The test ended when a sudden fire broke out inside the sealed capsule, leading to the loss of the three-man crew. The audio preserves the final moments of communication and was later used by investigators to understand how quickly the incident unfolded. Th