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Works Covering A Broad Range of MSFC History
Skip past Links to Works Coverings a Board Range of MSFC History
Power to Explore (Book)
Marshall Milestones in Space Exploration
An Illustrated Chronology of MSFC
Historical Facts
Historical Synopsis
A Chronology of Events Related to Marshall Space Flight Center
MSFC 25th Anniversary Report
Huntsville Space Bibliography
MSFC History Listed by Subject Matter

Skip past Links to MSFC History by Subject Matter
Early Days of Rockets and Aeronautics
German Rocket Development
Wernher von Braun
Ernst Stuhlinger
Huntsville in the 40s & 50s
Formation of Marshall Center
Explorer I
Mercury, Redstone, Atlas, Gemini
Early Days of Space Science
Saturn/Apollo
Skylab
Lunar Roving Vehicle
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
Space Science
Shuttle
Spacelab
Hubble Space Telescope
Chandra
Gravity Probe B
Space Station
Ares Launch Vehicles
Landmarks Facilities
Management

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Welcome to the NASA
Marshall Space Flight Center History Office

This website is a gateway to the historical archives of Marshall Space Flight
Center (MSFC). Discover how MSFC was established, browse through
historical articles about various space developments, and MSFC's
contributions to the American Space Program.

Also, please visit our History Office Library where you will find information
ranging from the early years of Dr. Wernher Von Braun to Rocket Power,
from Redstone Rocket to Saturn V, and 20 years of Space Shuttle
development.

What's New

50th Anniversary of the First Saturn Launch

On October 27, 1961, NASA launched its first Saturn rocket, a major milestone in the challenge to send humans to the moon before the end of the decade and return them safely to earth.

With the space race in full swing by the end of the late 1950s, the U.S. had no launch vehicles in its inventory that could measure up to the lunar landing task. NASA originally envisioned a stepping stone approach to develop a rocket for the job. The Saturn I would serve as the first element in the development of larger Saturn vehicles ultimately known as the Saturn IB and Saturn V. However, the pace of the moon landing program had already made it imperative for NASA to conduct Saturn IB and Saturn V ground testing and development concurrently with the actual flight testing of the Saturn I.

The pace of Saturn development grew faster at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, after President Kennedy's call in May 1961 for a manned lunar landing before the end of the decade. NASA selected the Saturn V as the vehicle for the manned lunar landing mission while Saturn I flights were still in progress.





NASA Official: Mike Wright
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