Before the United States could embark on the exploration of outer space, scientists and engineers had to make it possible for humans to survive the journey. Central to this was the development of pressure suits that enabled survival at altitudes where air pressure levels are low, thus decreasing the amount of oxygen available to breathe. Working in conjunction with companies like B.F. Goodrich, the Navy was a leading developer of pressure suits beginning in the 1950s, the work ultimately leading to the space suits worn by the earliest astronauts. One these early models was the Model H Full Pressure Suit. Developed in March 1954, it marked a great step forward in the advance of full pressure suit design with its single headpiece configuration that incorporated crash protection in lieu of a retention headpiece with supplementary crash helmet. In addition, integrated into the oral nasal cavity was the breathing regulator. In August 1954, this particular suit was worn for 11 hours in a low-pressure chamber that simulated altitudes of 60,000 to 80,000 feet.

For many astronauts the path to outer space passed through naval aviation. The first astronauts chosen, the famed Mercury 7, included four naval aviators. Among those in the second group of astronauts was John Young, who wore this flight jacket while serving as a naval aviator. A record-setting test pilot in time to climb flights in the F4H Phantom II, he became the first person to fly into space six times. His notable missions included command of Apollo 16 in 1972, during which he walked on the Moon, and command of STS-1, the first flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia, in 1981. Of his more than 15,000 hours of flight time, 835 came in outer space.

Like John Young, Gene Cernan began his flying career in the Navy, wearing this flight helmet while flying A4D Skyhawks in Attack Squadron (VA) 113. The squadron's nickname, the "Stingers," is readily apparent in the helmet's decoration. Selected for astronaut training in Group 3, Cernan eventually commanded Apollo 17 in 1972, and in this capacity became the last man to set foot on the surface of the Moon during the Apollo program.

The museum's exhibit devoted to naval aviation space includes a replica of a Mercury space capsule of the type in which naval aviator Alan B. Shepard became the first American in space on 5 May 1961. A bust of Shepard, who later walked on the moon as commander of Apollo 14 in 1971, is displayed next to the capsule mock-up.