NASA, the United State’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is an independent government agency that oversees the civilian space program, and conducts extensive aerospace and aeronautics research. From its inception on forward, NASA the was one of the most potent forces shaping the cultural landscape of the late twentieth century. The organization is, in fact, responsible for some of the most iconic images in history— including the first photograph of Earth ever taken from outer space. In 1966 and 1967, NASA’s lunar orbiter photographed the lunar surface over the course of a series of fly-bys, scouting out a suitable location for the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon landing. The resulting photographs are among the very first detailed images of the lunar landscape, singularly rare and beautiful— a testament to human dedication and curiosity.
