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The Most Famous NASA Stories: 6 Books to Learn What Really Happened

Looking for the world’s most famous NASA stories? Read on to discover out-of-this-world books all about astronauts, moon explorations, and the space race.
by Vanessa Gibbs | Apr 22 2022
Most famous NASA stories

First, there was the space race—when America and the Soviet Union battled to get to the moon first. Then there was the billionaire space race — when the likes of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson raced to launch rockets for private space flight. But NASA is where American space exploration all started.

Back in the 1950s, rockets were just starting to get off the ground, and the thought of sending mankind all the way to the moon was just a dream. The most famous NASA stories happened in the next two decades.

Space nerds can go back to the beginning with Blinkist, the award-winning knowledge app. Blinkist breaks down nonfiction books and brings you the best parts in 15-minute explainers, which you can either read or listen to.

We’ve rounded up the 6 best NASA stories—everything from the Apollo 11 moon landing to the Black women behind critical missions. All of these books are available on Blinkist, so NASA lovers can dive into the organization’s most impressive achievements and inspirational missions, even if they’re short on time.

Here are the 6 most famous NASA stories to teach you all about space exploration.

1. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

2. Shoot for the Moon by Richard Wiseman Shetterly

“Merely imagining that you are competing against a rival can help boost performance.”
– Richard Wiseman, Shoot for the Moon

3. Shoot for the Moon by James Donovan

4. Rocket Men by Robert Kurson

5. Rise of the Rocket Girls by Nathalia Holt

6. Upside: Bringing NASA to Your Closet

The Blinkist app doesn’t just break down nonfiction books, it brings you the most important parts of podcasts, too. Upside is hosted by Jay Clouse and Eric Hornung, who interview founders and venture capitalists about their successes outside of Silicon Valley. Where does NASA come in? With Michael Markesbery’s story.

Markesbery is the co-founder and CEO of OROS, an outdoor fashion brand using NASA-inspired technology to make outerwear warm without the bulk. The shortcast covers how Markesbery went from college student to company founder, using NASA technology to disrupt the fashion industry.

Looking for more book recommendations? Once you’ve geeked out about NASA, learn more about World War 2 or cryptocurrency, or get book recommendations from the likes of Tim Ferris and Elon Musk.

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