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PICTURES: NASA archive is a long, lonely and incredible project

The close ups of the moon are undeniably cool
The close ups of the moon are undeniably cool

For many of us, the prospect of a journey into space holds the promise of fascinating insight and intrigue.

Yet these photos shot by NASA astronauts tells a bit of a different story.

The many thousands of images that Apollo astronauts shot in space decades ago, giving us a more three-dimensional picture what their time in space was really like.

To call it boring would be unfair.

These missions were undertaken by some of the bravest people who have ever lived, for the most noble of reasons.

But as we clicked through the photos, a pattern emerged: a single object suspended in space — be it a lunar lander, a satellite, or a view of Earth itself, set against a background of abyss.

There are more than 8,000 photos here taken during moon missions from 1969 to 1972.

The photo dump is part of a years-long process, beginning in 2004, when the Johnson Space Center began scanning unprocessed Apollo film negatives.

Some of the photos were used on the Project Apollo Archive’s website, but demand for higher quality versions eventually prompted Kipp Teague, who runs the program, to upload the whole cache in stunning high-res, he told The Planetary Society.

Here’s a few of our favourites.

The close ups of the moon are undeniable cool
The close ups of the moon are undeniable cool
A multi million pound satellite...but what does it mean when you consider it's infront of eternal nothing?
A multi million pound satellite…but what does it mean when you consider it’s infront of eternal nothing?
Eternal nothing and a few quid.
Eternal nothing and a few quid.
Nice flag...what's that behind you? ETERNAL NOTHING
Nice flag…what’s that behind you? ETERNAL NOTHING
Image from landing on the moon.
Image from landing on the moon.
Looking back...home a pale blue dot. A fragile rock suspended in eternity
Looking back…home a pale blue dot. A fragile rock suspended in eternity
The astronauts took very few pictures of each other
The astronauts took very few pictures of each other
Home...the only one we've got
Home…the only one we’ve got