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NASA Ships and Space Stations

by Mark Hughes

Since its inception in 1958, NASA has built several lines of spaceships that made space exploration reality rather than a dream limited to science fiction, as well as two space stations that allow scientists to conduct research over long periods of time. This slideshow celebrates the engineering marvels that were borne out of the NASA space program.

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Project Mercury

Project Mercury, which ran from 1958 to 1963, was the United States' first human-in-space program. The basic mission of the program was to improve knowledge about humanity's capabilities in space. Alan Shepard, Jr. rode the Mercury rocket Freedom 7 into sub-orbit in 1961, becoming the first American in space.

Photo source: NASA

Infoplease

Provided by Infoplease — an authoritative, comprehensive reference website that offers an encyclopedia, a dictionary, an atlas, and several almanacs. Visit Infoplease.com to find more resources endorsed by teachers and librarians.