February 20, 1962: John Glenn Circles the Earth

LIFE.com: NASA's Greatest Hits

From its opening in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, has captured imaginations far and wide, revealing worlds we never knew existed. Whether it's reliving the moon landing through iconic images or seeing the blue Earth from afar, NASA's best photographs resemble the stuff of dreams.

Astronaut John Glenn boards the Friendship 7 capsule to become the first American to orbit the Earth. Glenn controlled much of the final two orbits manually after an autopilot failure. After the flight, he cements his newfound fame with an address to Congress and enjoys several ticker-tape parades. (NASA/Getty Images/LIFE.com)

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February 20, 196...

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June 3, 1965: Am...

In the summer of 1965, Gemini's GT-4 takes Edward H. White II into the sky for four days, allowing him to complete the first extra-vehicular activity or "spacewalk" by an American. Pictured: White is seen in space, against Earth's vast blue backdrop. (NASA/Time and Life Pictures/Getty Images/LIFE.com)

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December 21, 196...

On December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 launches with help from a Saturn V booster from the Kennedy Space Center. Apollo 8 carries three astronauts: Frank Borman, James A. Lovell Jr., and William A. Anders. The flight, originally only a test of Apollo hardware, is upgraded to a circumlunar flight, orbiting the moon. Most famously, the flight sends back photos of Earth from space, wowing the world and doing much to convince an embattled American public -- entrenched in Vietnam and the civil rights movement -- about the value of the space program. (NASA/Time and Life Pictures/Getty Images/LIFE.com)

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July 16, 1969: T...

Apollo 11, the first moon landing mission, lifts off on July 16, 1969, with the help of Saturn V boosters (pictured in a composite 5-frame shot). It would be a three-day trip to the surface of the moon. (Ralph Morse/Time and Life Pictures/Getty Images/LIFE.com)

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July 20, 1969: L...

After Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land, Armstrong utters the now-famous words, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." The pair plants an American flag on the surface, collects scientific samples, and arranges experiments. Pictured: Aldrin standing on the surface of the moon next to American flag during Apollo 11 mission. (Neil A. Armstrong/Time and Life Pictures/Getty Images/LIFE.com)

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May 15, 1973: Th...

The Skylab orbital workshop launched in May 14, 1973, followed by the Skylab 2 mission, which worked to conduct experiments, medical studies, and solar astronomy. Astronauts would return to Earth over a month later, setting the precedent for two more Skylab missions to follow. Pictured: The Skylab space station in orbit above Earth. (Time Life Pictures/Time and Life Pictures/Getty Images/LIFE.com)

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August 30, 1983:...

Another historic Challenger mission launches on August 30, 1983, carrying Guion S. Bluford (right), the first black American astronaut, as a mission specialist. Bluford and crew would launch Insat 1B, a communications satellite, into orbit. (Time Life Pictures/Time and Life Pictures/Getty Images/LIFE.com)

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May 16, 2010: 'A...

The space shuttle Atlantis -- including crew members Steve Bowen, Garret Reisman, Piers Sellers, Michael Good, Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Commander Ken Ham -- took the shuttle's final flight from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After almost 25 years of service and more than 115 million miles of travel, Atlantis took the six astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) for one final mission, returning successfully 13 days later. (NASA/Getty Images/LIFE.com)

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