Astronautical Engineering Collection

Installation of Vostok spacecraft
Vostok spacecraft installation. Workers installing a Vostok spacecraft. Vostok were Soviet spacecraft used as part of the Vostok programme, which flew six manned spaceflights between 1961 and 1963

Vostok 1 Soviet spacecraft
Vostok (Russian осток, translated as "East") was a family of rockets derived from the Soviet R-7 Semyorka ICBM designed for the humanspaceflight programme but later used for other sputnik

Vostok rocket, Moscow, Russia
Vostok (Russian осток, translated as "East") was a family of rockets derived from the Soviet R-7 Semyorka ICBM designed for the humanspaceflight programme but later used for other sputnik

Spacewalk. Astronaut in a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) spacewalking above the Earth. MMUs are nitrogen-propelled hand-controlled propulsion units used by Nasa on three space shuttle missions in

SpaceX Dragon capsule at the ISS C016 / 4214
SpaceX Dragon capsule at the ISS. View from the International Space Station (ISS) of the Dragon cargo capsule from SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies)

American orbital weapons platform featured in 2001: A Space Odyssey

Phobos mission rocket releases spent propellant stage
Once the Phobos mission rocket acquires enough velocity to place it into a Mars-intercepting orbit it releases the empty propellant stage

Mars base, artwork C018 / 8567
Mars base. Artwork of a base (left) on Mars. A manned base on Mars could be constructed from prefabricated sections brought from Earth or from materials manufactured using resources found on Mars

Wernher von Braun, aerospace engineer
Wernher von Braun (1912-1977. Portrait of the German-American rocket scientist and aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun examining the colour television camera that will be attached to the Lunar)

Apollo 17 lunar module, astronaut photo C013 / 8948
Apollo 17 lunar module. View of the lunar module from the Apollo 17 mission on the surface of the Moon. Apollo 17 was the last manned lunar landing mission

Lunokhod 2 lunar rover C014 / 0153
Lunokhod 2 lunar rover. Lunokhod 2 was the second of two unmanned lunar rovers landed on the Moon by the Soviet Union as part of the Lunokhod program

Launch of Vostok 1 spacecraft
Vostok 1 spacecraft. Launched from Earth (April 12, 1961) with the first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, aboard. Still from a documentary shot in 1968

New Horizons spacecraft approaches dwarf planet Pluto and its moon Charon
NASAs New Horizons unmanned spacecraft approaches dwarf planet Pluto and its moon Charon. New Horizons has been en route to Pluto since its launch from Earth in 2006

A manned orbital maintenance platform docked with a manned reusable crew capsule
A manned orbital maintenance platform (OMP) docked with a manned reusable crew capsule (RCC) in low Earth orbit ignites an auxiliary liquid-propellant rocket booster in order to lift it to a far

A future generation space shuttle rendezvous with a lunar cycler
A future generation space shuttle prepares for a rendezvous with a lunar cycler for a seven-day journey to the moon

A Soyuz TMA-M spacecraft in low Earth orbit
A three-person manned Soyuz TMA-M spacecraft passes over the Black Sea at an orbital altitude of 200 miles

Illustration of a spacecraft and astronauts at a mining site on Saturns moon Titan
Illustration of a spacecraft and astronauts at a large-scale mining operation site on the surface of Saturns moon Titan. 100 years from now space exploration may have evolved to space exploitation

Chinese orbital weapons platform in Earth orbit
Chinese orbital weapons platform featured in 2001: A Space Odyssey, in Earth orbit

A crescent moon shines through a monumental launch site
A crescent moon, destination for 27 brave explorers, shines through the launch site of humanitys first and only trips to another world

A manned Asteroid Lander approaches the desolate surface of an asteroid in preparation for landing. Thrusts from reaction control units illuminates the dark side of the lander with a ghostly blue

Artists concept of an Orion-drive battleship; Soviet style

A command module approaches an awaiting rocket in Earth orbit
An Orion class command module with a crew of three approaches an awaiting rocket in already in Earth orbit destined for Mars moon Phobos

Artists concept of the James Webb Space Telescope
The shaded side of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) as it may appear later this decade when it is observing from the Eartha'Sun L2 point about 930 thousand miles from the Earth

A Phobos mission rocket ignites its chemical thrusters to propel it away from the Earth into a large solar orbit that will intercept Mars in approximately 7 months

Artists concept of the Dawn spacecraft entering orbit around Ceres
Artists concept of the Dawn spacecraft entering orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres. In late November 2015 Dawn will descend to its closest orbit around Ceres at a distance of about 230 miles

Artists concept of a future lunar exploration mission
Lunar prospectors prepare a remote-controlled rover for exploring and drilling into the regolith in search of exploitable resources

A model of the Mercury capsule undergoes floatation tests
June 8, 1959 - A model of the Mercury capsule undergoes floatation tests at NASAs Langley Research Center

A giant liquid mirror telescope lies nestled in a lunar crater
A giant liquid mirror telescope 1 kilometer wide (6 tenths of a mile) and 1 kilometer tall lies nestled in an approximately 1 kilometer wide crater near the Moons south pole

A manned Mars cycler space station approaches the planet Mars. A Mars cycler is a permanently orbiting vehicle with a path that alternately brings it near Earth and Mars

A pair of manned Mars rovers rendezvous on the martian surface. Humans may one day explore the martian surface with the help of pressurized rovers that would provide a shirt sleeve environment while

Orbital maintenance platform rendezvous with the James Webb Space Telescope
A manned orbital maintenance platform (OMP) sidles up to NASAs James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) for repair and upgrade. The James Webb Space Telescope orbits a semi-stable Lagrange point

Launching of the Mercury-Redstone 3 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida
May 5, 1961 - Launching of the Mercury-Redstone 3 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida

A Soyuz TMA-M spacecraft soars over the Atlantic Ocean at sunset
A three-person manned Soyuz TMA-M spacecraft soars over the Atlantic ocean as sunset settles over the western hemisphere. With the retirement of the space shuttle

Artists concept of a martian rover. The rover featured in this image, as seen from the rear, includes wing-like solar voltaic panels suspended above the chassis to supplement its electrical needs

Space station from 2001: A Space Odyssey

A manned Asteroid Lander prepares to land on the surface of an asteroid
A manned Asteroid Lander just moments before settling to the surface of an asteroid. The surface gravity is so low that the lander easily maneuvers by using just the reaction control thrusters

Orion-drive spacecraft in lunar orbit

Illustration of a spacecraft travelling faster than the speed of light. A massive spacecraft employs a novel propulsion that exploits physics as yet unknown to travel faster than light

New Horizons spacecraft over dwarf planet Pluto and its moon Charon
NASAs New Horizons unmanned spacecraft over dwarf planet Pluto and its moon Charon. New Horizons has been en route to Pluto since its launch from Earth in 2006

Artist concept of NanoSail-D in space

Close-up of space station from 2001: A Space Odyssey

A robotic probe drills into the surface of an asteroid as a meteorite strikes nearby
An unmanned robotic probe drills into the surface of an asteroid as a meteorite strikes nearby creating a plume of super-heated plasma and dust

New Horizons spacecraft flies by dwarf planet Pluto and its moon Charon
NASAs New Horizons unmanned spacecraft flies by dwarf planet Pluto and its moon Charon. New Horizons has been en route to Pluto since its launch from Earth in 2006

Illustration of a blimp towing a sensor through liquid ethane on Titan
A manned blimp tows a sensor through one of Titans many bodies of liquid ethane in search of new discoveries. A blimp would be an efficient form of transportation given Titans combination of high

Artists concept of astronauts setting up weather monitoring equipment on Mars
This artists rendering represents a concept of possible activities during future space exploration missions. It depicts two crewmembers setting up weather monitoring equipment on the surface of Mars

Artists concept of the Assimilators Claw, as described in the novels of Stephen Baxter; front view

Explorers in space suits exit an Asteroid Lander
A pair of explorers in space suits exit an Asteroid Lander in preparation for exploring the asteroids surface. The surface gravity is so low that in terms of moving about the experience is more akin

Artists concept of a robotic probe exploring a frigid ethane lake on Titan
A robotic probe explores a frigid ethane lake on Titan. This probe carries its own light source as the surface of Titan is only 0.1 percent as bright as the Earth s

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"Astronautical Engineering: Pioneering the Boundless Frontiers of Space Exploration" Embarking on a journey that transcends earthly boundaries, it has propelled humanity's quest for knowledge and discovery. From the installation of the iconic Vostok spacecraft, which marked a pivotal moment in space exploration with its launch into orbit, to witnessing the awe-inspiring sight of the Vostok 1 Soviet spacecraft soaring through Moscow's skies atop the mighty Vostok rocket. The indomitable spirit of human ingenuity continued to push boundaries as brave astronauts embarked on daring spacewalks, defying gravity and venturing beyond our planet's atmosphere. The SpaceX Dragon capsule gracefully docked at the International Space Station (ISS), serving as a testament to mankind's relentless pursuit of innovation. Not limited to peaceful endeavors alone, it also played an integral role in shaping history. An American orbital weapons platform stood as a symbol of technological prowess while missions like Phobos unleashed rockets that released spent propellant stages into deep space. Envisioning future possibilities, artists' renderings depicted Mars bases where humankind could one day establish footholds on another celestial body. The visionary mind of Wernher von Braun, an esteemed aerospace engineer, paved the way for groundbreaking advancements that would lead us closer to reaching distant worlds. Captured forever in photographs were moments etched in history - Apollo 17 lunar module touching down on lunar soil and Lunokhod 2 lunar rover traversing uncharted terrain. These achievements showcased not only scientific progress but also humanity's unwavering determination to explore new frontiers. Astronautical engineering continues to propel us towards unimaginable horizons – from designing cutting-edge spacecrafts capable of interplanetary travel to developing technologies enabling humans to live and work in outer space. With each passing milestone, we inch closer towards unraveling mysteries yet unknown and fulfilling our innate desire for cosmic exploration.