NASA Photographs collection

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established in 1958 to serve as the United States' public space program and was a key component in the "Space Race" of the late 1950s and 1960s. Throughout its history, the organization has taken part in countless scientific and military missions that include the Mercury and Gemini orbital missions, the Apollo moon missions, Apollo-Soyuz test mission, the Skylab, Mir, and International Space Stations, as well as numerous satellite and probe launches. However, since the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Space Transportation System (STS), or "space shuttle", has been NASA's primary focus.

Developed in 1972 by North American Rockwell, the space shuttle began with the idea of routine space flights using partially reusable vehicles. While space travel has not yet reached its initially desired levels, the shuttle program continues to aid in research and commercial space ventures including the Hubble Space Telescope and satellite repairs. Additionally, since the mid-1990s the space shuttle has been a primary vehicle for continued international space exploration, beginning with the Russian Mir Space Station and continuing with the new International Space Station.

In 2004, NASA announced that the STS program will continue until 2010 after which the new Orion program will be implemented in an effort to return to moon-oriented missions.