On October 1, 1958, the world's first political space exploration organization opened its doors as an urgent response to the launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union a year earlier. Within a decade, NASA evolved from humble research teams experimenting with small modified rockets to one of the largest technological and management enterprises ever known to mankind, capable of sending humans to the Moon with gigantic rockets and dispatching robotic explorers to planets like Venus and Mars. Despite the occasional, tragic failures in NASA's history, the Moon landing program remains a symbol of American ingenuity. Space rockets contributed to the construction of the International Space Station and a series of stunning astronomical satellites, while Earth observation programs have transformed our understanding of the universe and our fragile place in it. Throughout its 60-year history, imagery has played a central role. Who today is not familiar with the captivating depictions of the universe from the Hubble telescope or the stunning panoramic shots of Mars from NASA’s rovers? This condensed edition comes from the XL version and gathers hundreds of historical photographs and rare images, scanned and restored using the latest technology. Texts by science and technology journalist Piers Bizony, former NASA chief historian Roger Launius, and best-selling Apollo historian Andrew Chaikin complete this extensive exploration of NASA, from its early days to the current development of new space systems for the future. NASA Archives are more than just an engaging illustrated history of the U.S. space program. They also provide a profound reflection on why we choose to explore space and how we will continue this most significant adventure in the years to come.