Before the Moon Blog
Exploring the past, present, and future of space.
Category: Astronaut Training
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When Blue Origin revealed the six person crew of its upcoming New Shepard NS 37 mission, one name immediately stood out for those of us who have been documenting the rise of commercial spaceflight: Jason Stansell. A computer scientist from West Texas, a lifelong space enthusiast, and now a private astronaut preparing to fly above…
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In June 1964, a young engineer named Gary Wayne Johnson packed his wife, their belongings, and their dreams into a VW Bug and drove to Houston. “That was about all we owned,” he laughed. “I’d just graduated from Oklahoma State. I changed my major from chemical to electrical engineering because I wanted to work in…
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In the quiet heart of Warminster, Pennsylvania, beneath the shadow of shopping centers and suburban streets, lies a history that once helped power the Space Race. Eleanor O’Rangers, President of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Cold War Historical Society, has dedicated her career to uncovering it. “Most people think of Bucks County as the birthplace of America,”…
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When John Herrington floated out of the Space Shuttle Endeavour in November 2002, he carried more than tools and tether lines. He carried a story—a legacy. As the first Native American in space, Herrington’s mission wasn’t just about walking in the void. It was about representing an entire community that had never seen itself reflected…
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Few figures in NASA’s history embody the courage, discipline, and leadership of America’s space age like Gene Kranz—the legendary Apollo Flight Director whose white vest became a symbol of cool resolve under pressure. From the Mercury missions to Apollo 13, Kranz didn’t just manage flights; he built the culture that made them possible. When I…
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Long before the roar of the Shuttle’s engines filled the Texas sky, a young boy in Mississippi was standing on a dirt road, staring up at a moving star. “It was one of the early NASA satellites,” Stokes McMillan recalled. “I watched it glide across the sky, silent and bright. From that moment on, I…
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Walking through the old Rockwell plant in Downey, California—home of the Apollo capsules, Space Shuttle orbiters, and parts of the International Space Station—was like stepping into a living museum. For Kirsten Armstrong, it was also the launchpad of a career that would put her at the forefront of space policy and strategy. Today, as President…
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It started with a countdown. Ten, nine, eight… a group of kids huddled behind a yellow safety line, eyes locked on the slender rocket balanced on its red launcher. The button was pressed, and in a burst of smoke and speed, the rocket shot into the blue August sky. Cheers erupted. For a moment, every…
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What does it feel like to watch a man willingly black out in the name of science? Frank Kurdziel still remembers. In the mid-1980s, Frank was a young environmental engineer at the Naval Air Development Center (NADC) in Warminster, Pennsylvania. He didn’t design rockets or pilot jets, but he was part of the backbone that…
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This post is from an informal pre-interview done with filmmaker Jason Sherman in preparation for an in person formal interview with NASA Astronaut Terry J. Hart for his upcoming film Before the Moon. When Terry Hart appears on screen, he doesn’t command attention with volume – but with clarity. Calm, precise, and humble to a…