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The article focuses on the original purpose of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which was to help develop aviation technology into space and mentions the later developments related to the space mission. Topics include developing a single type of launch system by NASA, spacecraft Challenger disaster in 1986, advent of commercial launch vehicles, U.S. President George W. Bush's Vision for Space Exploration in 2004 and suborbital flights for passengers in 2020.

The article discusses the success of the Apollo 8 spaceflight with astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Andersh of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on December 21, 1968. It says that the Apollo 8 was the first human spaceflight to leave Earth orbit and the first escape from the gravitational field of another celestial body. It adds that it was the first crewed voyage to return to planet Earth from another celestial body which is the Earth's Moon.

The article discusses about the emergence of commercial suborbital vehicles and their role to the science missions of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). According to the U.S. National Research Council report "Revitalizing NASA's Suborbital Program--Advancing Science, Driving Innovation, and Developing a Workforce," the suborbital capabilities of NASA were not used effectively nor funded adequately. Various suborbital vehicles are currently made by private firms including Virgin Galactic, XCOR Aerospace, and Blue Origin.

The article reports on the warning made by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the risks facing the space tourism industry. FAA unit head George Nield stresses that many civil companies have strived to become pioneers in suborbital space flight. Nield also relates the tragedy of early supersonic jets that took lives of hundreds of pilots. Moreover, he warns that neglecting safety could end the commercial human space flight before it gets started.

The article reports on the success of the flight to the outer space by U.S. Navy Commander Alan B. Shepard Jr. with the Redstone rocket. It highlights the enthusiasm and excitement of President John F. Kennedy on the country's first suborbital rocket-powered flight on May 5, 1961. It also notes that the safety of Shepard after the takeoff has helped the country recover from the adversities brougth by the orbital exploit claimed by the Soviet Union with Yuri Gagarin and the disaster in Cuba.

The article examines a panel discussion on commercial spaceflight at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commercial space conference in February 2012. In the discussion, experts including systems engineering professor Zoe Szajnfarber, Commercial Spaceflight Federation director Alex Saltman, and consultant Mary Lynne Dittmar looked at issues including the U.S. civil space industry, the cost of suborbital flights, and the popularization of aviation by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

A correction to an article about the External Payload Carrier being studied by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that was published in the February 22, 2010 issue is presented.

This section offers news briefs on space exploration as of February 2010. U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and United Launch Alliance engineers are conducting research on the possibility to fly suborbital scientific payloads piggyback on the launch vehicle Atlas V. A solid rocket for the newest version of the Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV Mk. III, has been tested in India. The company International Launch Services plans to conduct its first dual-launch mission with the spacecraft SES-3 and KazSat-2.

The article presents an update related to aviation and space technology in the U.S. as of February 2010. President Barack Obama says change must come at the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) which is still reeling from his cancellation of the Constellation program. The Southwest Research Institute is about to spend over 1 million dollars to buy its researchers tickets on private suborbital human spacecraft. According to Air Force officials, 120 individuals are needed to support a single Predator unmanned aircraft on a combat mission.

The article reports on XCOR Aerospace's completion of initial subsonic testing for its Lynx suborbital launch vehicle at the U.S. Air Force's Air Vehicle Directorate's vertical wind tunnel at Wright Patterson Air Force base (AFB) in Ohio. The 1/16th-scale model of the aircraft was tested for extreme angle-of-attack, dynamic motion, and spin characteristics and was checked for overall configuration. It presents the statement issued by XCOR regarding the results of the tests.

The article discusses the efforts of the U.S. government and aerospace industry in developing reusable spacelift and flight demonstrator systems in 2014. Topics covered include the Experimental Spaceplane program called XS-1 of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Lynx reusable suborbital space plane of rocket engine and spaceflight development company XCOR Aerospace, and the testing of the reusable Falcon 9 launch vehicle of space transport services company SpaceX.

The article reports on a study of reusable suborbital vehicles funded by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which forecasts that total demand will translate into as much as 1.6 billion U.S. dollars in revenue for operators and thousands of people flown over a decade. The research projected that commercial human spaceflight will represent the largest portion of demand. It also predicted a demand of 11,000 seats over ten years.

The article reports on the completion of the first dedicate National Aerospace Training and Research (NASTAR) Suborbital Scientist Training Program for the ATSA Suborbital Observatory project from the Planetary Science Institute (PSI) by the NASTAR#x00AE; Center in the U.S.

The article offers news briefs regarding global climate change and carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. Noted are Virgin Galactic's marketing of low-carbon suborbital flights, U.S. Chamber of Commerce opposition to so-called Markey-Waxman proposed climate-change legislation, and the biological effects of global warming on the life cycles of periodical cicadas sometimes called 17-year locusts.

The article reports on the suborbital transport proposals made by some of the biggest players in the U.S. defense industry. The National Space Security Office (NSSO) receive proposals from companies associated with suborbital tourism including Northrop Grumman Corp., Pratt & Whitney Corp. and Alliant Techsystems. Companies can submit their information until March 15, 2009.

The article reveals the plan of British space tourism provider Virgin Galactic to offer simulator and in-flight training on SpaceShip Two (SS2) and its carrier aircraft White Knight II (WK2) to pilots. There are also plans to create cheaper packages that will enable customers to experience different aspects of the training, as well as elements of the full suborbital flight regime. The scope of Virgin Galactic's training program is cited. A certification requirement faces WK2, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).