The Soviet Vostok-2M carrier rocket has its only launch failure (out of 93), due to an upper stage problem.
21 years ago, in 2003:
The shuttle Columbia (STS-107) disintegrates during re-entry, killing all 7 aboard.
7 years ago, in 2017:
The New Horizons probe performs an engine burn in preparation of the eventual flyby of 2014 MU69.
2
LAST QUARTER
60 years ago, in 1964:
Ranger 6 lands on the Moon, but its TV camera fails.
21 years ago, in 2003:
Progress M-47 (ISS-10P) launches to the ISS, becoming the 100th Progress mission.
15 years ago, in 2009:
Omid, Iran's first domestically made satellite, is successfully launched, making Iran the ninth country to develop an indigenous satellite launch capability.
13 years ago, in 2011:
NASA's Kepler space telescope finds the first six confirmed exoplanets orbiting a Sun-like star.
3
61 years ago, in 1963:
Luna E-6 No.3 (Luna 1963B) is launched to perform a soft landing on the Moon, but fails to reach orbit and reenters the atmosphere.
59 years ago, in 1965:
OSO-B2 (Orbiting Solar Observatory) is successfully launched into orbit.
58 years ago, in 1966:
Luna 9 is the first spacecraft to land on the Moon.
54 years ago, in 1970:
SERT-II is launched for a 6 month test of a mercury ion thruster engine.
47 years ago, in 1977:
The Salyut 4 space station burns up in Earth's atmosphere after 770 days in orbit.
30 years ago, in 1994:
The Clementine lunar probe leaves Earth orbit.
29 years ago, in 1995:
On the first shuttle mission to Mir aboard Discovery (STS-63), Eileen Collins becomes the first female shuttle pilot and commander.
18 years ago, in 2006:
SuitSat-1 is deployed from the ISS.
14 years ago, in 2010:
NASA extends the Cassini mission at Saturn to 2017.
4
63 years ago, in 1961:
Venera 1VA is launched to Venus, first ever planetary mission, but fails to leave Earth orbit.
62 years ago, in 1962:
Comet Seki-Lines (C/1962 C1, Great Comet of 1962) is discovered independently by Tsutomu Seki and Richard Lines.
58 years ago, in 1966:
Luna 9 sends the first pictures from the lunar surface, which are intercepted and published by the British.
5
181 years ago, in 1843:
The Great Comet of 1843 is first observed.
57 years ago, in 1967:
Lunar Orbiter 3 is launched to photograph the future Apollo and Surveyor landing sites.
53 years ago, in 1971:
Apollo 14 lands on the moon.
50 years ago, in 1974:
Mariner 10 flies by Venus, becomes the first spacecraft to use gravity assist, next stop: Mercury.
37 years ago, in 1987:
JAXA successfully launches its third cosmic X-ray satellite, Ginga (Japanese for 'galaxy').
30 years ago, in 1994:
The Clementine lunar probe makes its first Earth flyby.
6
WANING CRESCENT
58 years ago, in 1966:
The Soviet Proton-2 satellite, designed for the study of high and ultra-high energy particles, ends its mission.
49 years ago, in 1975:
SMS-2, the second of two predecessors to the GOES series of satellites, is launched.
46 years ago, in 1978:
Progress 1 undocks from the Salyut 6 space station.
20 years ago, in 2004:
The Beagle 2 lander is declared lost.
13 years ago, in 2011:
The two solar probes, STEREO A and B, are exactly 180 degrees apart from each other, allowing the entire Sun to be seen at once for the first time.
6 years ago, in 2018:
SpaceX launches the Falcon Heavy on its maiden flight with the payload of Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster, and two of three boosters land successfully.
7
56 years ago, in 1968:
Luna E-6LS No.112 (Luna 1968A) is launched to enter a selenocentric orbit, but the third stage run out of fuel and fails to reach orbit.
47 years ago, in 1977:
Soyuz 24 is launched to the Salyut 5 space station.
40 years ago, in 1984:
Aboard shuttle Challenger (STS-41-B), Bruce McCandless takes the first untethered space walk using the new Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU).
25 years ago, in 1999:
Stardust is launched to Comet Wild 2 to capture comet dust and pre-solar interstellar materials to be returned to Earth.
23 years ago, in 2001:
The Destiny Laboratory Module is launched to the ISS aboard the shuttle Atlantis (STS-98).
16 years ago, in 2008:
The shuttle Atlantis (STS-122) is launched to the ISS with the ESA's Columbus science laboratory.
12 years ago, in 2012:
After almost nine years of operation, NASA places the GALEX ultraviolet space telescope in standby mode.
8
57 years ago, in 1967:
Lunar Orbiter 3 goes into orbit around the Moon.
50 years ago, in 1974:
After just over 84 days in orbit, the crew of Skylab 4 return to Earth.
46 years ago, in 1978:
Progress 1 enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up.
39 years ago, in 1985:
The first Brazilian satellite, Brasilsat A1, is successfully launched.
32 years ago, in 1992:
The Ulysses spacecraft arrives at Jupiter for a swing-by maneuver to position itself for orbit above the Sun's poles.
14 years ago, in 2010:
The shuttle Endeavour (STS-130) is launched to the ISS with the Tranquility module and the Cupola robotic control station.
9
NEW MOON
111 years ago, in 1913:
Several hundred meteors are seen streaming across the sky from Saskatchewan to Bermuda.
53 years ago, in 1971:
Apollo 14 splashes down in the South Pacific Ocean and is retrieved by the USS New Orleans.
49 years ago, in 1975:
After 29 days, Soyuz 17 leaves the Salyut 4 space station and lands on Earth.
9 years ago, in 2015:
Orbital Sciences merges with Alliant Techsystems to become a new company called Orbital ATK, Inc.
10
90 years ago, in 1934:
4179 Toutatis is first sighted as object 1934 CT, but is lost soon after.
50 years ago, in 1974:
Mars 4 reaches Mars, but its retro-rockets fail and it flies by the planet instead of going into orbit.
34 years ago, in 1990:
The Galileo probe flies past Venus for a gravity assist to Jupiter.
24 years ago, in 2000:
In what was to be JAXA's fifth cosmic X-ray satellite, ASTRO-E is launched but the rocket fails 42 seconds into the flight, and the satellite is lost.
23 years ago, in 2001:
The Destiny Laboratory Module is attached to the ISS with the Canadarm.
15 years ago, in 2009:
Two satellites collide in orbit for the first time, Iridium 33 and Kosmos 2251.
11
224 years ago, in 1800:
While testing filters for observing the Sun, William Herschel discovers infrared radiation in sunlight.
54 years ago, in 1970:
Osumi (or Ohsumi), the first Japanese satellite, is launched.
27 years ago, in 1997:
Servicing Mission 2 is launched aboard shuttle Discovery (STS-82) to extend Hubble's wavelength range to near infrared.
14 years ago, in 2010:
The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is launched to study the solar atmosphere and magnetic field.
11 years ago, in 2013:
Landsat 8 is launched.
9 years ago, in 2015:
The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) space weather satellite is launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
12
77 years ago, in 1947:
An approximately 100-ton meteorite explodes and impacts in the Sikhote-Alin Mountains, USSR.
63 years ago, in 1961:
Venera 1 is launched for Venus, but communications fail before arrival.
50 years ago, in 1974:
Mars 5 reaches Mars and takes photos for 22 orbits until a transmitter flaw ends the mission.
25 years ago, in 1999:
The ROSAT X-ray satellite is shut down.
23 years ago, in 2001:
The NEAR Shoemaker probe lands on asteroid Eros.
13
WAXING CRESCENT
12 years ago, in 2012:
MaSat-1, the first Hungarian satellite (designed and built in Hungary), is successfully launched.
12 years ago, in 2012:
The first Polish satellite, PW-Sat, is successfully launched.
12 years ago, in 2012:
The first Romanian satellite, Goliat, is successfully launched.
12 years ago, in 2012:
The Vega rocket, used by Arianespace, makes its maiden flight, carrying and deploying MaSat-1, PW-Sat, Goliat, and others.
14
61 years ago, in 1963:
Syncom 1 is launched to be the first geosynchronous communications satellite, but fails before reaching orbit.
52 years ago, in 1972:
Luna 20 (USSR) is launched to the Moon; the eighth Soviet attempt to bring back soil from the surface.
44 years ago, in 1980:
The Solar Maximum Mission satellite (SolarMax) is launched to study the Sun.
38 years ago, in 1986:
After the flyby of Uranus, Voyager 2 performs its only midcourse correction on its way to Neptune.
35 years ago, in 1989:
The Delta II 6000 makes its maiden flight, launching the first modern Block-II satellite, USA-35, for the Global Positioning System.
34 years ago, in 1990:
Voyager 1 is turned around to take the Solar System Portrait (Portrait of the Planets), 4 billion miles from the Sun.
24 years ago, in 2000:
The NEAR Shoemaker probe arrives at the asteroid Eros.
23 years ago, in 2001:
Thomas Jones and Robert Curbeam Jr. perform the 100th space walk in the United States space program.
18 years ago, in 2006:
Weywot, a moon of the TNO Quaoar, is discovered by Michael Brown and T.A. Suer using images acquired by the Hubble telescope.
13 years ago, in 2011:
Stardust/NExT flies by Comet Tempel 1 and sends back images.
15
460 years ago, in 1564:
Galileo Galilei is born in Pisa, Duchy of Florence, Italy.
179 years ago, in 1845:
The 72-inch Rosse (Leviathan of Parsonstown) Telescope sees "first light".
51 years ago, in 1973:
Pioneer 10 becomes the first spacecraft to cross the asteroid belt.
31 years ago, in 1993:
The Japanese Hiten moon probe is placed into permanent lunar orbit.
30 years ago, in 1994:
The Clementine lunar probe makes its second Earth flyby.
27 years ago, in 1997:
10199 Chariklo, the largest confirmed centaur. Is discovered by James V. Scotti of the Spacewatch program.
11 years ago, in 2013:
A near-Earth asteroid explodes in an air burst over Chelyabinsk, Russia.
16
FIRST QUARTER
76 years ago, in 1948:
Gerard Kuiper discovers one of Uranus' moons, Miranda.
63 years ago, in 1961:
Explorer 9, a balloon satellite for air density research, is launched, becoming the first spacecraft launched from Wallops Island to achieve orbit.
59 years ago, in 1965:
AS-103 (SA-9), is successfully launched, carrying the third 'boilerplate' version of the Apollo spacecraft and the first Pegasus micrometeroid detection satellite.
48 years ago, in 1976:
After 90 days, Soyuz 20 leaves the Salyut 4 space station and lands on Earth.
17 years ago, in 2007:
The South Pole Telescope, a 10-meter telescope designed for observations in the microwave, millimeter-wave, and submillimeter-wave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, sees first light.
6 years ago, in 2018:
The Opportunity rover reaches 5000 Sols at Mars, and takes a self-portrait.
17
65 years ago, in 1959:
NASA launches the first weather satellite, Vanguard 2.
59 years ago, in 1965:
Ranger 8 is launched to the Moon.
28 years ago, in 1996:
NASA launches the NEAR Shoemaker probe to study near-Earth asteroid Eros.
26 years ago, in 1998:
Pioneer 10 and Voyager 1 are the same distance away from the Sun, 69.4 AU (6.45 billion miles).
20 years ago, in 2004:
Orcus (2004 DW), a large plutino, is dicovered by Michael Brown, David Rabinowitz, and Chad Trujillo.
17 years ago, in 2007:
The Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) mission of five satellites, THEMIS A through THEMIS E, are launched to study energy releases from Earth's magnetosphere known as substorms.
15 years ago, in 2009:
Dawn receives a gravity assist from Mars on its way to the asteroid Vesta.
8 years ago, in 2016:
The Japanese X-ray Astronomy satellite Hitomi is launched from the Tanegashima Space Center.
18
94 years ago, in 1930:
Clyde W. Tombaugh discovers Pluto.
52 years ago, in 1972:
Luna 20 (USSR) goes into orbit around the Moon.
47 years ago, in 1977:
The shuttle Enterprise makes its first captive flight atop a Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
18 years ago, in 2006:
SuitSat-1 sends its last confirmed signal.
19
551 years ago, in 1473:
Nicolaus Copernicus is born in Thorn, Royal Prussia, Kingdom of Poland.
237 years ago, in 1787:
William Herschel's 40-foot (Great Forty-Foot) Telescope sees "first light".
60 years ago, in 1964:
Zond 3MV-1 No.2 (Venera 1964A) is launched for Venus, but the third stage explodes.
60 years ago, in 1964:
The Soviet Molniya-M medium carrier rocket is launched on its maiden flight.
55 years ago, in 1969:
Luna E-8 No.201 (Luna 1969A) is launched to perform a soft landing and deploy the Lunokhod No.201 rover on the Moon, but the payload shroud collapses, ending the mission.
48 years ago, in 1976:
MARISAT F1, the first of three maritime telecommunications satellites for commercial shipping and the U.S. Navy, is launched.
38 years ago, in 1986:
The Mir Core Module is launched; first part of the new Russian space station.
37 years ago, in 1987:
Marine Observation Satellite 1 (MOS-1) is launched from Tanegashima Space Center, becoming Japan's first Earth observation satellite.
30 years ago, in 1994:
The Clementine lunar probe enters the Moons orbit.
20
WAXING GIBBOUS
77 years ago, in 1947:
A U.S. launched V-2 rocket sends the first animals (fruit flies) into space, which are successfully recovered.
62 years ago, in 1962:
Three-orbit flight that placed the first American into earth orbit, John H. Glenn, Jr. (Mercury/Friendship 7).
61 years ago, in 1963:
The Friendship 7 spacecraft is formally presented to the National Air Museum of the Smithsonian Institution.
59 years ago, in 1965:
Ranger 8 sends back 7,137 hi-res pictures before crashing into the lunar surface.
47 years ago, in 1977:
The Viking 1 orbiter flies by one of Mars' moons, Phobos, with the closest approach being 55 miles (89km).
41 years ago, in 1983:
JAXA successfully launches its second cosmic X-ray satellite, Tenma (Japanese for 'Pegasus').
31 years ago, in 1993:
JAXA successfully launches its fourth cosmic X-ray satellite, the Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA), becoming the first satellite to use CCDs for X-ray astronomy.
25 years ago, in 1999:
On board the Soyuz TM-29 mission to Mir, Ivan Bella becomes the first Slovak citizen to visit space.
23 years ago, in 2001:
Odin, a Swedish satellite, is launched to study both star formation and the depletion of ozone in Earth's atmosphere.
5 years ago, in 2019:
Using data from the Subaru telescope in Hawaii, Scott Sheppard discovers FarFarOut at a distance of over 100AU's from the Sun.
21
61 years ago, in 1963:
Telstar 1 goes out of service, mostly due to radiation from high-altitude nuclear bomb testing.
55 years ago, in 1969:
On the first test of the Soviet N-1 rocket booster, the Zond L1S-1 capsule is launched to be put into lunar orbit, but the rocket fails 66 seconds after liftoff.
52 years ago, in 1972:
Luna 20 (USSR) lands on the Moon's highlands, and successfully collects a soil sample.
45 years ago, in 1979:
JAXA successfully launches its first cosmic X-ray satellite, Hakucho (Japanese for 'Swan').
43 years ago, in 1981:
Hinotori, Japan's first Solar X-ray astronomy satellite, is successfully launched.
18 years ago, in 2006:
Japan's Akari (ASTRO-F), an infrared astronomy satellite, is launched to study the entire sky in near, mid, and far-infrared.
16 years ago, in 2008:
The U.S. military reconnaissance satellite, USA-193, is intentionally destroyed by a modified SM-3 missile fired from the warship USS Lake Erie.
16 years ago, in 2008:
NASA and researchers at McGill University announce the discovery of a neutron star with the properties of a radio pulsar which emitted the magnetically powered bursts of a magnetar.
22
58 years ago, in 1966:
The Soviet dogs Veterok and Ugolyok are launched on board Cosmos 110, and spend 22 days in orbit.
52 years ago, in 1972:
Luna 20's ascent stage lifts off from the Moon, and heads to Earth with its soil sample.
38 years ago, in 1986:
Sweden successfully launches its first satellite, Viking.
33 years ago, in 1991:
The Japanese probe Suisei runs out of propellant.
9 years ago, in 2015:
The PROCYON asteroid flyby space probe starts its ion engine with the intent of flying by asteroid 2000 DP.
7 years ago, in 2017:
The final flight of the Soyuz-U rocket is launched, carrying Progress MS-05 to the ISS.
7 years ago, in 2017:
After almost 44 years, 786 launches and a success rate of 97.3%, the Soyuz-U orbital carrier rocket makes its last flight, carrying Progress MS-05 to the ISS.
6 years ago, in 2018:
Paz, Spain's first spy satellite, is launched aboard a reused Falcon 9.
23
34 years ago, in 1990:
Pioneer 11 becomes the fourth man-made object to pass beyond the orbit of all the planets.
25 years ago, in 1999:
SUNSAT, the first miniaturized satellite designed and manufactured in South Africa, is successfully launched.
25 years ago, in 1999:
Denmark's first successful satellite, Orsted, is launched.
24
FULL MOON
75 years ago, in 1949:
A WAC Corporal with a V-2 first stage is flown at 5150 mph (8290 kph); first flight of over five times the speed of sound.
37 years ago, in 1987:
Supernova SN 1987A is discovered.
15 years ago, in 2009:
The Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) satellite, designed to study atmospheric carbon dioxide, is lost in a launch failure.
13 years ago, in 2011:
The 39th and final flight of Discovery (STS-133) launches to the ISS with the Permanent Multipurpose Module, Leonardo, and the third of four ExPRESS Logistics Carriers.
25
55 years ago, in 1969:
Mariner 6 is launched to Mars.
52 years ago, in 1972:
Luna 20 successfully returns the capsule with the lunar soil sample to Earth.
47 years ago, in 1977:
After 18 days, Soyuz 24 leaves the Salyut 5 space station and lands on Earth.
42 years ago, in 1982:
Landsat 2 ceases operations.
17 years ago, in 2007:
The Rosetta probe flies by Mars, returning detailed images.
11 years ago, in 2013:
UniBRITE-1 and TUGSAT-1 become the first two Austrian satellites to be launched.
11 years ago, in 2013:
Sapphire, Canada's first military satellite designed to monitor space debris and satellites, is successfully launched.
26
408 years ago, in 1616:
Galileo Galilei is ordered by the Inquisition to abandon the Copernican theories.
241 years ago, in 1783:
NGC 2360 (Caroline's Cluster), an open cluster in the constellation Canis Major, is discovered by Caroline Herschel.
58 years ago, in 1966:
AS-201 is successfully launched; the first flight of the Apollo spacecraft and Saturn IB launch vehicle.
45 years ago, in 1979:
A total solar eclipse is monitored at far infrared from the NASA Lear Jet Observatory flying in the eclipse shadow.
30 years ago, in 1994:
The Clementine lunar probe begins systematic mapping of the Southern hemisphere of the Moon.
27
181 years ago, in 1843:
The Great Comet of 1843 makes a very close perihelion of less than 515,000 miles (830,000 km).
82 years ago, in 1942:
James Stanley Hey accidentaly discovers radio emmissions coming from the Sun.
63 years ago, in 1961:
The Soviet R-7 Semyorka ICBM makes its final flight.
51 years ago, in 1973:
NASA's Crawler Transporter One carries the first Saturn IB to the launch pad for the Skylab 2 mission.
28
WANING GIBBOUS
468 years ago, in 1556:
The German astronomer Joachim Heller discovers the Great Comet of 1556 (C/1556 D1).
65 years ago, in 1959:
Discoverer 1, a US Air Force reconnaissance satellite, is the first satellite launched toward the South Pole in an effort to enter polar orbit, but is unsuccessful.
17 years ago, in 2007:
New Horizons makes a pass by Jupiter for a gravity assist to Pluto.
10 years ago, in 2014:
After over a month in storage on board the ISS, Lituanica SAT-1 and LitSat-1, the two first Lithuanian satellites, are successfully deployed.
29
520 years ago, in 1504:
Christopher Columbus correctly predicts a total lunar eclipse and uses it to convince the natives of Jamaica to continue feeding his men.
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