About The Conquest of Space

The stories behind the space program—the forgotten missions, close calls, engineering decisions, abandoned spacecraft, and moments when history almost turned out differently.

The history of space exploration is filled with famous moments: the first satellite, the first human in space, the first footsteps on the Moon, the Space Shuttle, and the exploration of worlds beyond Earth.

But some of the most fascinating stories happened away from the headlines.

Since 2007, The Conquest of Space has explored the lesser-known history of human and robotic spaceflight—the missions that nearly ended differently, spacecraft that never flew, engineering challenges that pushed technology to its limits, and the people and decisions behind some of the greatest achievements in exploration.

Here you’ll find stories about NASA and the American space program, the international race to explore space, forgotten spacecraft and proposed missions, close calls and technical failures, space artifacts and collecting, and the extraordinary engineering required to venture beyond Earth.

The goal is not simply to record what happened.

It is to explore how it happened, why it happened, and what almost happened instead.

About Michael Patrick O’Hara

The Conquest of Space was founded by writer and lifelong spaceflight enthusiast Michael Patrick O’Hara.

Michael has followed the space program for decades, with particular interests in the history of human spaceflight, spacecraft design, NASA decision-making, abandoned and experimental programs, and the stories behind pivotal moments in space exploration.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Space Studies with Honors from American Military University.

In addition to writing The Conquest of Space, Michael is the author of books exploring spaceflight, technology, leadership, and speculative fiction. More information about his writing and other projects can be found at spacemike.com.

Explore the Story

Space exploration has always been about pushing beyond what we know.

Sometimes the greatest stories aren’t the ones history remembers.

They’re the ones it almost forgot.