50 years recording Americans in space

In the half-century since John Glenn’s orbital flight, Americans have accomplished a tremendous amount in space. “50 years of Americans in Space” in the February issue describes some of these highs — and a few lows — as part of the broader picture, single pieces that together make up the arc of our half-century out of this world. But NASA’s managed to capture some of these events on tape or film, and however powerful my descriptive powers were in the magazine, the best way to experience the impact of these moments is actually seeing or hearing them.