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Manned Spacecraft Gallery |
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Manned Spacecraft Gallery |
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Introductory Remarks
There already exist sites where one can get a lengthy list of the museums where specific spacecraft, rockets, and satellites from both the civilian and military space programs are on display. To the best of my knowledge none of those provides any descriptions or critiques of those exhibitions. It is the purpose of this website to provide a photographic record that interested individuals can access to view NASA manned spacecraft from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and Apollo-Soyuz Test Program era. I have endeavoured to visit all of these, and at present have nearly fulfilled that task. I am not a particularly skilled photographer, and these images were taken with only inexpensive Ph. D. (push here dummy) cameras. Nevertheless these provide reasonable views of these historic spacecraft, so that interested individuals can assess whether or not they may wish to visit any of the displays described on this webpage.
The website is organized according to manned space program. Under each program's heading are subheadings for each of the manned flights and a few of the test flights performed during that phase of NASA's early history. At each subheading one will find a brief description of the mission, and then note a varied number of photographs that can be selected for larger viewing or printing. Unless otherwise noted, photographs are supplied by the author. My personal critique of the display and specific items I think bear notice about the spacecraft follows. Personal opinions beyond the critiques are included, but I trust kept to a minimum.
I would greatly appreciate feedback concerning the text. One can email me at fisher@lycoming.edu. I hope space flight enthusiasts find this useful. If so please pass along to your fellow enthusiasts the address for this website. Should anyone wish to add photographs for those subheadings that presently have none, I would be happy to consider including them and posted they would include the appropriate notation of submission. Thanks in advance.
I must acknowledge that portions of my research visits to these spacecraft displays have been financed completely or at least in part by either travel funds approved by the Academic Dean at Lycoming College or through Professional Development grants provided by the College under the approval of both the Academic Dean and the Personnel Committee. In addition I must acknowledge the tremendous assistance I received from Dr. David H. Wolfe, associate professor of physics and astronomy, and Chuck Doersam, class of 1999 physics major, both here at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in setting up this website under our department's home page. The number of museum personnel who answered numerous questions, and in some instances permitted greater access than is normally available to the general public is too high to mention each individual, but their help is greatly appreciated. Lastly, but not least, I must thank my family members (Father Harvey K., Mother Joan L., brother Karl K., and godson Nathan K.) who traveled with me to many of these exhibitions, and I would be remiss if I forgot to mention that when too young to travel by myself, my parents willingly took me to many temporary and permanent museum displays on weekends or family vacations. Ironic that although I now do the driving, I'm still dragging my parents to museums to see these spacecraft. These family members and myself appear in a number of the images included on this website.
Dr. David G. Fisher
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Space Flight Historian
(March 11, 1999)
Have any questions or comments? Please e-mail at: fisher@lycoming.edu