I made a styrofoam solar system in 4th grade; I've seen Star Wars. But, it wasn’t until a recent visit to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center that I gave the final frontier much thought.

I meandered through the rocket garden, the Hubble telescope display, and the recreated control room of the ‘50s with its ashtrays and white-collared men calculating in a room of blinking lights. I saw the Falcon 9 launch light up the dark sky en route to the International Space Station. And the elusive concept of space began to take hold. I imagined and contemplated.



And since that visit, I force myself to realize that even on sunny days, irrespective of warm blues and greens, we are floating in silent blackness. These images are part of the Smithsonian’s immense collection of drawings, paintings, and prints chronicling the American space program. Enjoy them, for they, and all our accomplishments, truly are far out!