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From the dawn of man until very recently, humans have been Earthbound, unable to reach even the clouds—let alone space. It's only within the last hundred years or so that the advent of manned flight and rocket ships has made the heavens attainable. In that time, we've sent people to the moon, rovers to Mars, and space probes deep into the reaches of our solar system. And advanced telescopes that orbit Earth are bringing even the most remote edges of the universe closer to home. See where space travel started, and where it's going.
More About Space Exploration
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Early U.S. Spaceflight
The U.S. space program has had its share of successes and setbacks. See some unforgettable images from the early days of space exploration as America set its sights toward the sky.
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Hubble Images
Since it was placed into orbit in April 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has captured images and information that have transformed our understanding of the universe.
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Hubble Space Telescope
Since 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has given the world a bonanza of breathtaking images of the universe. See what it takes to keep this celebrity telescope running like a top.
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Moon Exploration
Over a brief three-year period, six U.S. astronaut crews landed on the moon, forging a new branch of space exploration. Follow in their famous footsteps.
Space Quizzes
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Angry Birds Space
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Blast Off!
Take off with the National Geographic Angry Birds Space book as the birds fly through space on an intergalactic rescue mission.
National Geographic Magazine
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Iceland's Resilient Beauty
Over the centuries, humans (and sheep) have taken a toll on the volcano- and glacier-shaped landscape. But what remains is still spectacular.
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Civil War Sketches
Browse through a gallery of historical illustrations depicting both the horrors of battle and the moments of grace, as captured by skilled battlefield artists of the American Civil War.
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Apostles Photo Gallery
They were unlikely leaders. As the Bible tells it, most knew more about mending nets than winning converts when Jesus said he would make them "fishers of men." Yet 2,000 years later, all over the world, the Apostles are still drawing people in.
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