The National Geographic Society has documented humanity’s amazing feats in space through compelling stories and photographs, from the U.S. space program and its development in the 1950s to the moon landing to present-day glimpses into distant galaxies from space probes. The Society sponsored some of the earliest aeronautic achievements, including the Explorer II stratosphere balloon flight in 1935 and the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS), an immense photomapping of the entire night sky that was completed in 1958. And, as a message from our earthbound institution, 20 images provided by the Society were sent into deep space on the two Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977. They continue to traverse the galaxy.

They’re on an unrelenting quest to understand the unknown and are pushing the limits of what is possible. Drawing on National Geographic’s long history with space exploration, our Explorers are finding fascinating and inventive ways to find answers about our world. They are leveraging satellite imagery to gain new perspectives, developing cutting-edge technologies and building upon humanity’s long-standing fascination with the stars to learn more about our planet and ourselves.