Library Media Center

Aerospace History

Introduction

 

The history of aerospace technology is abundant with major engineering achievements. Since the days of Leonardo daVinci, people have been inventing vehicles to satisfy their desire to fly. In a short span of less than 100 years, history has seen the Wright Brothers first powered flight to voyages into space with the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs.

 

The following websites will be useful in your research. Some offer general history information and timelines, others deal with specific types of technology.

 

(photo from pics4learning)

General Sources

 

Milestones of Flight Exhibition (Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum)

 

To Fly is Everything: “A virtual museum covering the invention of the airplane” (Gary Bradshaw)

 

History of Flight from around the World (AIAA); Check out their Historical Websites

 

History of Flight Level 3 (Allstar Network)

 

The Jay Miller Aviation History Collection: “A reference library with many images online and contact information for researchers”

 

Century of Flight: From “ancient myths to the jet age”; includes pictures and narratives

 

Aviation History: Covers the Wright Brothers to the Space Shuttle

 

History of the First Flight: From the Science Museum of London

 

Flight-History: Aviation history archives that include a collection of photographs, stories and aircraft specifications

 

Cradle Of Aviation Museum: The history of aviation on Long Island, New York

 

 

Early Flight

 

How Hot Air Balloons Work (from How Stuff Works)

 

The Flying Machines: Offers information about flight experiments and attempts prior to 1903; includes pictures

 

Flights of Inspiration Information on the Wright brother's first flight and the first non-stop transatlantic flight by Alcock and Whitten

 

Flying Machines: Construction and Operation: Complete, illustrated text of the work by W.J. Jackman, Thomas H. Russell, and Octave Chanute, published 1912. Subtitled "A Practical Book Which Shows, in Illustrations, Working Plans and Text, How to Build and Navigate the Modern Airship."

 

Chilton Aircraft: History of the Chilton Monoplane, a pre-war light aircraft built in England

 

 

Rockets

 

Rocket History (Allstar Network)

 

A Brief History of Rocketry (Allstar Network)

 

History of US Rocketry (NASA)

 

 

Aircraft

 

Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft: Online text covering technical development of the airplane from the beginning of World War I to today

 

Federation of American Scientists: Provides information on military aircraft

 

Boeing Aerospace: The world's largest aircraft manufacturer

 

 

Space Exploration

 

NASA: Use the site search box to look for information on the Space Shuttle. Find some great photographs at NASA's Library of Images

 

History of Space Exploration: Concise and extremely complete

 

History of the Marshall Space Flight Center (from NASA)