Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly

22/10/2025

SPACE 3.0 Mission Mail #61 -

When did a souped-up Pontiac Catalina become part of the space race?  In towing a 1963 wingless lifting body concept demonstrator for a (then) future Space Shuttle!  More:  NASA’s Hot Rod Pontiac Helped Design the Space Shuttle

07/10/2025

SPACE 3.0 Mission Mail #60 -

Howard W. “Bill” Tindall was the “Trajectory Czar” for Apollo, leading the way to define orbital rendezvous techniques, lunar trajectories, and lunar landing techniques at NASA JSC.  He thoroughly (and often humorously – “In other words, just at the most critical time in the most critic...

26/09/2025

CALL FOR PAPERS: The SPACE 3.0 Foundation seeks student entries to its 15th annual Sacknoff Prize for Space History. Winners will receive $850, publication in the peer-reviewed journal "Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly," and an invitation to present their paper at the Society for the History of Technology (SHOT) Aerospace Special Interest Group (Albatross) annual meeting. Submissions are due by 2 December 2025.

"Quest" welcomes papers on any topic related to space history – from the social effects of spaceflight to the financial and economic aspects of the space industry and much more. Learn more at the link below:

Deadline 2 December 2025 About Awarded since 2011, the Sacknoff Prize is designed to encourage original research by university students in the field of space history. Undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to submit their original manuscript for consideration! Download PDF Flyer The Winn...

25/09/2025

SPACE 3.0 Mission Mail #59 -

Back in 1969, David Bowie released the song "Space Oddity" on 11 July 1969, days before the Apollo 11 launch. In the song, the protagonist, Major Tom, is an astronaut lost in space. Many thought it inspired by the upcoming lunar landing or by Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" that came out ...

12/09/2025

In Quest 32:3, read the story of Colombia's first satellite, Libertad-1.

11/09/2025

Quest 32:3 features an interview with veteran NASA Astronaut Michael Foale.

10/09/2025

One of the most unusual buildings at Cape Canaveral was the 'Timber Tower' built to test radar for Gemini-Agena missions. Joel Powell tells this story in Quest 32:3.

10/09/2025

SPACE 3.0 Mission Mail #58 -

Did you know that the United States Mint struck 12 unique 22-karat Sacagawea gold dollars and flew them on Space Shuttle Columbia in July 1999 -- the first one commanded by a woman, Col. Eileen Collins? I didn't. These were the first-ever coins to be flown in space on behalf of the US government (o...

09/09/2025

In 1967, Space World magazine featured a mysterious satellite on its cover. Dwayne Day unravels the mystery in Quest 32:3.

08/09/2025

Titan rockets sent astronauts into space and robots on explorations to the edge of the solar system, such as Voyager 2 (below). Anthony Young tells the story of Titan launch vehicles in Quest 32:3.

06/09/2025

Quest 32:3 contains Ed Hengeveld's account of Apollo spacecraft vacuum testing, an important step in preparing for Apollo's historic flights to the Moon.