See 15 Inspiring Images of Americans’ Accomplishments in Space Exploration That Will Have You Reaching for the Stars

Paul Fee, Florida, 2020 NASA astronauts recently completed a flight around the moon, something that hadn’t happened in more than 50 years. The Artemis 2 mission is just one of many awe-inspiring accomplishments that offer Americans a sense of pride in a program that boasts the world’s only moonwalkers. Established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on July 29, 1958, NASA first launched humans into space in 1961. Since then, its scientists, engineers and astronauts have helped us better understand our universe. Other players—companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin—have more recently stepped into the cosmic arena, similarly intent on exploring what exists beyond Earth. Much of this world-expanding work has been recorded, filmed and logged into human history, but arguably, the jaw-dropping photographs leave the biggest impression, as our Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest entrants can attest. Take a look. The SpaceX Falcon 9 flies over the Ponce Inlet lighthouse from launchpad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. Jim Uhing, Florida, 2024 A young visitor to Kennedy Space Center sits in a 1960s Gemini space capsule with a more modern Space Shuttle in the background. Rajiv Bhambri, Florida, 2020 Oct. 2,2020 launch of Northrop Grumman s Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo spacecraft from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA s Wallops Flight Facility near Chincoteague Island in Virginia. Cygnus is loaded with nearly 8,000 pounds of cargo for the International Space Station. A liftoff on Oct. 2 meant a scheduled arrival at the space station on Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. Pete Federico, Virginia, 2020 Air Force and Navy service members must train to rescue astronauts from splashdown sites. C.S. Muncy, Florida, 2021 A spacesuit worn by Alan B. Shepard, the first American in space and the fifth person to walk on the moon, is housed at Kennedy Space Center. Juan Bautista Fernandini, Florida, 2017 A rocket launched nearly 400 miles away is seen by hikers in the Kofa Mountains. Kianoosh Mempel, Arizona, 2024 Since 2012, the Space Shuttle Discovery has been a centerpiece at the National Air and Space Museum s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, near Washington Dulles International Airport. Michael Ross, Virginia, 2018 NASA s Vehicle Assembly Building, at 129 million cubic feet and standing 526 feet tall, is one of the world s largest buildings. Peter Reinold, Florida, 2023 The International Space Station crosses in front of the moon just after sunset. Paul Schmit, New Mexico, 2018 Support divers assist UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi at the NASA Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, in Houston. Astronauts train in this 6.2-million-gallon diving tank in preparation for their mission to the International Space Station. William Stafford, Texas, 2021 A United States flag gently wafts in the air in the foreground as the Ares I-X rocket takes flight. Andy Sokol, Florida, 2009 Light illuminates the identifying right wing of the Space Shuttle Discovery just after its entrance into the space hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Andrew Rechenberg, Virginia, 2012 Seen in a car s side mirror, Artemis 1 stands ready to travel to the moon from Kennedy Space Center s Launch Complex 39B. Tim Reinhart, Florida, 2022 The solid rocket boosters of the United Launch Alliance s Atlas V 421 rocket display a spectacular vapor trail in the early morning light. Chuck Palmer, Florida, 2022 You Might Also Like A Woman’s Right to Vote Was Secured After Work That Was Inspired by Mothers and Driven by Maternal Instincts June 5, 2026 In the Early 1900s, a Young Ecologist Shot a Wolf and Watched the Life Leave Its Eyes. That Changed His Position on Conservation June 5, 2026 This Playful Interactive Reveals the Medical Advances That Have Made Life Better … and Sometimes Longer June 5, 2026 New Resources Transform Classrooms into Engines of Civic Engagement by Equipping Educators with the Tools They Need to Take Students from Learning to Leading June 5, 2026 In the Early Days of Machine Learning, Massive Computers Said George Harrison Was a Woman. A.I. Has Come a Long Way June 5, 2026 Jeff Campagna | | Read More

Jeff Campagna is a photo editor at Smithsonian magazine. You can follow him on Instagram at @jeffcampagna.

Tracy Scott Forson is a senior editor at Smithsonian magazine.