Aerospace Medicine Archives

The Aerospace Medicine Archive at Texas A&M is dedicated to preserving the intellectual and operational legacy of flight surgeons, researchers, and aerospace professionals to inform and advance the next generation of human spaceflight.

Since 1961, when Alan Shepard became the first American in space, NASA and its partners have generated an extraordinary body of knowledge on human performance in spaceflight. Over more than six decades, this work has produced invaluable physiological data, operational insights, and experimental findings. Yet much of this history—particularly from the pre-digital era—remains difficult to access. Many studies, technical reports, and negative or inconclusive results were never formally published and instead reside in personal archives, institutional records, or legacy formats.

As human spaceflight enters a new era, defined by commercial missions and renewed exploration beyond low Earth orbit—the need to recover and integrate this foundational knowledge has become increasingly urgent. The Aerospace Medicine Archive exists to ensure that prior work is not lost to time, but instead serves as a critical resource for current research, clinical practice, and mission design.

In addition to preserving scientific knowledge, the Archive honors the individuals whose work made human spaceflight possible. Collections include contributions from leaders such as John B. Charles, whose career spanned more than 35 years at NASA, including service as Chief Scientist of the Human Research Program. His work on orthostatic intolerance and cardiovascular adaptation to microgravity remains foundational to the field.

Each collection is curated and preserved using archival best practices to ensure long-term integrity. In parallel, materials are systematically digitized—often by hand—to maintain fidelity while enabling broader access. The long-term vision is to establish a comprehensive, digitally accessible platform that supports students, clinicians, engineers, and researchers working to extend human presence in space.

The Aerospace Medicine Archive is not simply a repository of the past—it is an active resource for the future of human spaceflight.