Tom Jones

Former astronaut Tom Jones is a scientist, author, and pilot. In more than eleven years with NASA, Tom flew on four space shuttle missions to Earth orbit. On his last flight, he led three spacewalks to install the centerpiece of the International Space Station, the American Destiny laboratory. He has spent 53 days working and living in space. He is is currently writing “Space Shuttle Voices,” recording astronaut experiences during the space shuttle’s 30-year career. See his full bio here.

Bob Stewart flying the MMU during mission STS-41B in February 1984.

The Spacewalk From Hell

While everyone else was marveling at the first free flight from the shuttle, Bob Stewart was in a world of hurt.

Simpson Harbor as seen from Rabaul’s volcano observatory.

More than 70 Years Later, Rabaul’s Aerial Battleground Is Still Haunting

The “Japanese Gibraltar” was the scene of desperate fighting in the fall of 1943.

On their first Apollo 16 moonwalk, John Young and Charlie Duke (pictured) made their way to a crater named Plum. Their lunar rover waits in the background. Duke remembers the rover ride as bumpy, but stable.

A Shuttle Astronaut Asks Apollo Vets: What Was it Like?

When the first Apollo mission to carry astronauts to orbit launched on October 11, 1968, everyone at NASA sighed in relief.

The Flight (and Fights) of Apollo 7

With barely a year left in the decade, three astronauts knew it was up to them: Keep Kennedy’s promise or kill it.

Bruce McCandless flying solo during mission STS-41B in 1984.

Bruce McCandless and His Flying Machine

The astronaut who pioneered the MMU jetpack recounts the history of one of NASA’s greatest inventions.

The Martin P5M Marlin flying boat entered service with the U.S. Navy in 1952. The aircraft excelled at low-level patrols, looking for Soviet submarines and other threats. Door gunners were part of the Marlin’s defense.

Sub Hunts in a Seaplane

On cold war missions, in any weather, Martin Marlins prowled the globe.

Atlantis launches on the STS-27 mission, December 1988.

What does launch feel like?

Pretty close to spherical: Ceres in false color, as seen by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft.

Ask the Astronaut: What makes moons and planets round?

Artist's concept depicting some of the Kepler telescope's planetary discoveries.

Ask the Astronaut: How likely is it that there is life in our galaxy?

A Viking lander of the 1970s being prepared for sterilization in an oven.

Ask the Astronaut: Could an astronaut on Mars affect the planet’s evolution?

Ron Evans floats outside the Apollo 17 spacecraft on his way back from the Moon in 1972.

Ask the Astronaut: Why do astronauts experience zero-G en route to the moon?

Launch of the STS-122 shuttle mission from Cape Canaveral. Re-entry is quieter, but more spectacular visually.

Ask the Astronaut: Which is more fun, the ascent into orbit or the reentry?

Tiny CubeSats are launched from the space station, but not Mars ships.

Ask the Astronaut: Why not build and launch spacecraft from the ISS?

Reid Wiseman finds a little peace and quiet in the station’s Destiny lab.

Ask the Astronaut: Is it quiet onboard the space station?

Greg Johnson, asleep during the STS-125 mission.

Ask the Astronaut: After your return to Earth did you have trouble sleeping?

Artistic depiction of an astronaut on the Martian surface. Will it be reality in 2040?

Ask the Astronaut: Do we have the knowledge to send humans to Mars?

This artist’s concept depicts Kepler-186f, the first validated Earth-sized planet to orbit a distant star in a habitable zone.

Ask the Astronaut: Have you ever seen UFOs from orbit?

The space station as seen from Atlantis on the last space shuttle mission.

Ask the Astronaut: Can you feel the movement of the space station?

NASA’s latest class of astronauts is a mix of former military pilots, scientists and engineers.

Ask the Astronaut: What qualities do I need to become an astronaut?

The classic wheel-shaped space station concept of the 1950s.

Ask the Astronaut: Why isn’t the space station shaped like a wheel?

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