The US has been launching spacecraft since 1950, but NASA formed in 1958.Vintage photos show the space agency's earliest missions â from training the first astronauts to creating the golden record it sent beyond our solar system.These 24 vintage photos give a peek into NASA's early years and missions.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
NASA is preparing to launch its astronauts in the first commercial spacecraft ever built.Â
But it took decades of experimenting, tinkering, and groundbreaking missions to reach this point. The US has been launching spacecraft since 1950 â â before NASA even existed.
The agency keeps a library of historical photos from its earliest projects, including the Mercury missions that launched the first astronauts and the creation of the golden record sent into the cosmos on the Voyager mission.
The images are a window into the long and journey of US space exploration. Here are 24 remarkable vintage photos of NASA's early work.
Original author: Holly Secon and Morgan McFall-Johnsen