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Yuri's Night - World Space Party





New Horizons has been in space for 6643 days. (Launch Date: Jan 19, 2006)

It's been 3180 days
since New Horizons'
closest approach
to Pluto on
July 14, 2015.


It's been 1913 days
since New Horizons'
closest approach
to 2014 MU69 on
January 1, 2019.



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1961 Tasco 12TE


Tasco 4.5 Lunagrosso


New Horizons Message Initiative September, 2016

  October 2016  

November, 2016

     Current Date  

9th day of Spring


84 days until Summer


Sunday


Monday


Tuesday


Wednesday


Thursday


Friday


Saturday


           

 1            NEW MOON 

     66 years ago, in 1950:

The Soviet R-2, with twice the range of the R-1, makes its first flight.

     58 years ago, in 1958:

The NASA agency becomes operational.

     13 years ago, in 2003:

With the merger of three previously independent organizations, the Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA) is formed.

     6 years ago, in 2010:

Chang'e 2, an unmanned Chinese lunar probe, is successfully launched.

     2 years ago, in 2014:

Communication is lost with the solar probe STEREO B.

 2

     54 years ago, in 1962:

Explorer 14 is launched to measure cosmic-ray particles, solar wind protons, and interplanetary magnetic fields.

     45 years ago, in 1971:

Luna 19 (USSR) goes into orbit around the Moon, returning data for the next year.

     25 years ago, in 1991:

On board the Soyuz TM-13 mission to Mir, Franz Viehbock becomes the first Austrian to visit space.

     25 years ago, in 1991:

The Japanese Hiten moon probe is placed into temporary lunar orbit.

 3

     74 years ago, in 1942:

The first V-2 rocket is launched from Peenemunde, Germany, and reaches 85 km (52 mi).

     54 years ago, in 1962:

Mercury/Sigma 7 does 6 earth orbits with astronaut Wally M. Schirra.

     31 years ago, in 1985:

The shuttle Atlantis (STS-51-J) lifts off for its maiden flight.

 4

17 th  Annual

World Space Week

Day

1

     59 years ago, in 1957:

The Soviets launch Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite.

     57 years ago, in 1959:

Luna 3 is launched to the Moon.

     56 years ago, in 1960:

Courier 1B is launched by the USAF, becoming the world's first active repeater satellite.

     51 years ago, in 1965:

Luna 7 is launched to the Moon.

     12 years ago, in 2004:

The Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne makes its second (and winning) flight for the Ansari X PRIZE.

 5            WAXING CRESCENT 

17 th  Annual

World Space Week

Day

2

     58 years ago, in 1958:

Explorer 4's high-power transmitter ceases sending signals.

     37 years ago, in 1979:

Pioneer 11 begins the Pioneer Interstellar Mission.

     32 years ago, in 1984:

Marc Garneau, aboard the shuttle Challenger (STS-41-G), becomes the first Canadian in space.

     23 years ago, in 1993:

Landsat 6 is launched, but fails to reach orbit.

       This year:

Blue Origin's New Shepard (NS2) makes its fifth sub-orbital spaceflight, with a successful fifth time reused booster launch and landing.

 6

17 th  Annual

World Space Week

Day

3

     57 years ago, in 1959:

Explorer 6 makes its final transmission.

     49 years ago, in 1967:

After 180 days, Lunar Orbiter 4's decaying orbit crashes it into the Moon.

     26 years ago, in 1990:

The Ulysses spacecraft is launched from shuttle Discovery (STS-41) to study the Sun.

     21 years ago, in 1995:

The first confirmed exoplanet around a sun-like star, 51 Pegasi b, is discovered.

     19 years ago, in 1997:

After almost 32 years, Pioneer 6 is tracked with the 70 meter Deep Space Station 43 in Australia.

     8 years ago, in 2008:

Messenger makes its second Mercury flyby.

     6 years ago, in 2010:

Chang'e 2, an unmanned Chinese lunar probe, enters lunar orbit.

     3 years ago, in 2013:

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) goes into orbit around the Moon.

 7

17 th  Annual

World Space Week

Day

4

     58 years ago, in 1958:

Studies and plans of the U.S. manned satellite project (in what was to become Project Mercury) is officially approved by NASA.

     57 years ago, in 1959:

Luna 3 takes the first photos of the far side of the Moon.

     51 years ago, in 1965:

Luna 7 crashes into the Moon, instead of a soft landing as planned.

     19 years ago, in 1997:

Mars Pathfinder sends its last signal.

     14 years ago, in 2002:

The shuttle Atlantis (STS-112) is launched with the Starboard 1 (S1) truss segment for the ISS.

 8

17 th  Annual

World Space Week

Day

5

     8 years ago, in 2008:

The Cassini probe makes a pass over Enceladus at a height of only 16 miles (25 km) from the surface, the closest flyby of any moon of Saturn.

     4 years ago, in 2012:

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is launched on its first operational mission (CRS-1) to the ISS.

     2 years ago, in 2014:

In orbit around Mercury, MESSENGER captures 31 photos of the Earth and moon during the lunar eclipse.

 9            FIRST QUARTER 

17 th  Annual

World Space Week

Day

6

     49 years ago, in 1967:

After 246 days, Lunar Orbiter 3's orbit decays and it crashes into the Moon.

     48 years ago, in 1968:

NASA's Crawler Transporter One transports the Saturn V rocket for Apollo 8 to the launch pad.

     16 years ago, in 2000:

The High Energy Transient Explorer 2 (HETE-2), designed for multiwavelength study of gamma-ray bursts, is successfully launched.

     9 years ago, in 2007:

Conclusive evidence is announced that the icy particles from Saturn's moon Enceladus are originating from the fractures at the south polar region.

     7 years ago, in 2009:

The LCROSS Centaur booster rocket and the Shepherding Spacecraft impact into Cabeus crater on the moon.

     3 years ago, in 2013:

The Juno probe makes a flyby of Earth on its way to Jupiter.

 10

17 th  Annual

World Space Week

Day

7

     170 years ago, in 1846:

William Lassell discovers Neptune's largest moon, Triton.

     68 years ago, in 1948:

The R-1 (a Soviet built copy of the German V-2) makes its first successful flight.

     56 years ago, in 1960:

Mars 1M No.1 (Mars 1960A) is launched by the Soviet Union, but the third stage explodes five minutes after liftoff.

     52 years ago, in 1964:

Explorer 22 is launched to obtain data on the total electron content between the spacecraft and the Earth.

     49 years ago, in 1967:

The Outer Space Treaty is passed.

     33 years ago, in 1983:

Venera 15 goes into orbit around Venus.

     27 years ago, in 1989:

Voyager 2's wide-angle camera is turned off to conserve power and computer memory.

     6 years ago, in 2010:

The first SpaceShipTwo spaceplane, VSS Enterprise, makes its first test (manned glide) flight.

 11

     58 years ago, in 1958:

Intended for a lunar impact, the Soviets launch Luna E-1 No.2 (Luna 1958B), but the rocket disintegrates 102 seconds after launch.

     58 years ago, in 1958:

Pioneer 1 is the first spacecraft to be launched by NASA, but fails to reach the Moon.

     51 years ago, in 1965:

The Soviet Proton-1 satellite, designed for the study of high and ultra-high energy particles, ends its mission.

     49 years ago, in 1967:

After 339 days, Lunar Orbiter 2 is commanded to crash into the Moon.

     48 years ago, in 1968:

The first crewed Apollo flight orbits the Earth for 11 days (Apollo 7 test flight - no LM).

     47 years ago, in 1969:

Soyuz 6 is launched for a rendezvous with Soyuz 7 and 8.

     45 years ago, in 1971:

The Salyut 1 space station is sent into the atmosphere to burn up after 175 days in orbit.

     33 years ago, in 1983:

Venera 16 goes into orbit around Venus.

     32 years ago, in 1984:

Aboard shuttle Challenger (STS-41-G), Kathryn Sullivan becomes the first American woman to perform an EVA.

     16 years ago, in 2000:

The 100th mission of the shuttle launches (Discovery; STS-92), bringing the Z1 truss and other components for the ISS.

 12            WAXING GIBBOUS 

     52 years ago, in 1964:

Voskhod 1 is launched with three cosmonauts aboard; the first multiman mission.

     47 years ago, in 1969:

Soyuz 7 is launched for a rendezvous with Soyuz 6 and 8.

     39 years ago, in 1977:

The shuttle Enterprise makes its fourth Approach and Landing Test (ALT-15) after being releasd from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

     11 years ago, in 2005:

The Large Binocular Telescope's (LBT) single primary mirror sees first light, viewing NGC 891.

      1 year ago, in 2015:

Using both narrow- and wide-angle cameras, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter takes a picture of Earth over the lunar limb.

 13

     58 years ago, in 1958:

Pioneer 1 burns up after reentering Earth's atmosphere.

     57 years ago, in 1959:

An anti-satellite missile test of the Bold Orion rocket uses Explorer 6 as a target, and successfully passes within 6.4 kilometers (4 mi) of it.

     57 years ago, in 1959:

Explorer 7 is launched, beginning the start of satellite studies of Earth's climate.

     52 years ago, in 1964:

Voskhod 1 returns to Earth.

     51 years ago, in 1965:

Last contact is made with Explorer 21.

     47 years ago, in 1969:

Soyuz 8 is launched for a rendezvous with Soyuz 6 and 7.

     22 years ago, in 1994:

The Magellan mission at Venus ends; the spacecraft is deorbited into the Venusian atmosphere.

      1 year ago, in 2015:

2015 TG387 (The Goblin), an extreme trans-Neptunian object and sednoid, is discovered at the Mauna Kea Observatory.

 14

     69 years ago, in 1947:

Charles "Chuck" Yeager breaks the sound barrier in the XS-1.

     56 years ago, in 1960:

Mars 1M No.2 (Mars 1960B) is launched by the Soviet Union, but fails to achieve orbit after liftoff.

     40 years ago, in 1976:

MARISAT F3, the third of three maritime telecommunications satellites for commercial shipping and the U.S. Navy, is launched.

     40 years ago, in 1976:

The Soviet Soyuz carrier rocket makes its final flight.

     4 years ago, in 2012:

The retired shuttle Endeavour is delivered to the California Science Center for public display.

 15

     51 years ago, in 1965:

The equipment module of Korabl-Sputnik 1 (Sputnik 4) re-enters Earths atmosphere.

     42 years ago, in 1974:

Ariel 5, a British/American X-ray space observatory, is launched.

     19 years ago, in 1997:

Cassini is launched to Saturn.

     13 years ago, in 2003:

Aboard the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft, Yang Liwei becomes the first person sent into space by the Chinese space program.

     4 years ago, in 2012:

Citizen scientists participating in Yale University's Planets Hunters program confirm the first exoplanet in a four star system.

      1 year ago, in 2015:

New Horizons third stage (a Star-48 solid fuel rocket) passes the orbit of Pluto.

 16            FULL MOON 

     47 years ago, in 1969:

Soyuz 6, 7 and 8 return to Earth after all three fail at docking due to an electronic malfunction.

     41 years ago, in 1975:

GOES-1 (GOES-A) is launched, becoming NOAA's first Geostationary Operational Environmental satellite.

     13 years ago, in 2003:

Having completed 14 orbits, Shenzhou 5 successfully lands in Inner Mongolia.

     3 years ago, in 2013:

A 650 kg (1,440 lb) fragment from the Chelyabinsk air burst is recovered from Chebarkul lake in Russia.

       This year:

ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) releases the Schiaparelli lander.

 17

     110 years ago, in 1906:

617 Patroclus, a Jupiter trojan asteroid, is discovered by German astronomer August Kopff at Heidelberg Observatory.

     59 years ago, in 1957:

The groundbreaking and dedication of the Green Bank radio astronomy site takes place.

     53 years ago, in 1963:

The first 'Vela Hotel' pair of satellites are launched to monitor possible nuclear testing in space by the Soviet Union.

     48 years ago, in 1968:

ATS-4 re-enters the Earth's atmosphere and breaks up.

     48 years ago, in 1968:

Aboard Apollo 7, astronauts take pictures of Hurricane Gladys.

     14 years ago, in 2002:

ESA launches INTEGRAL (INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory).

       This year:

S/2010 (225088) 1, a moon of the TNO 2007 OR10 (Gonggong), is discovered in archival images acquired by the Hubble telescope on Sept. 18, 2010.

 18

     54 years ago, in 1962:

Ranger 5 is launched to the Moon, but misses it and settles into a heliocentric orbit.

     53 years ago, in 1963:

A French sounding rocket, Véronique AGI 47, launces Félicette, the first and only cat sent into space; she was recovered successfully.

     49 years ago, in 1967:

Venera 4 enters the atmosphere of Venus and may have landed.

     49 years ago, in 1967:

The fourth Orbiting Solar Observatory, OSO-4 (OSO-D) is launched successfully.

     27 years ago, in 1989:

The Galileo probe is launched from the shuttle Atlantis (STS-34R) to Jupiter.

     23 years ago, in 1993:

Aboard the shuttle Columbia (STS-58), Shannon Lucid becomes the first woman to go to space four times.

     9 years ago, in 2007:

The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) space-based telescope is decommisioned.

 19            WANING GIBBOUS 

     49 years ago, in 1967:

Mariner 5 flies by Venus.

     8 years ago, in 2008:

NASA launches IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer), to make a map of the boundary between the Solar System and interstellar space.

     2 years ago, in 2014:

Comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) passes Mars at a distance of appoximately 17,000 miles (27,000km).

       This year:

ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) enters orbit around Mars.

       This year:

ESA’s Schiaparelli lander crashes on the surface of Mars.

 20

     48 years ago, in 1968:

Aboard Apollo 7, astronauts take pictures of Typhoon Gloria.

     46 years ago, in 1970:

Zond 8, an unmanned version of Soyuz 7K-L1 manned Moon-flyby spacecraft, is launched from an Earth-orbiting platform, Tyazheliy Sputnik, for a test flight to the Moon.

     41 years ago, in 1975:

Venera 9 is the first craft to orbit Venus.

       This year:

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter photographs the Schiaparelli lander crash site.

 21

     56 years ago, in 1960:

Courier 1B, the first active repeater satellite, fails to respond to ground control.

     51 years ago, in 1965:

Comet Ikeya–Seki reaches perihelion, coming just under 280,000 miles (450,000 km) above the Sun's surface.

     13 years ago, in 2003:

Images are taken at Mount Palomar observatory which later lead to the discovery of the dwarf planet Eris.

     5 years ago, in 2011:

The first launch of a Soyuz rocket at the Guiana Space Centre takes place, with a Soyuz-2 carrying two Galileo satellites.

 22            LAST QUARTER 

     50 years ago, in 1966:

Luna 12 is launched to the Moon.

     48 years ago, in 1968:

Apollo 7 splashes down in the Atlantic Ocean and is retrieved by the USS Essex.

     41 years ago, in 1975:

Venera 9 lands on and returns the first images from Venus.

     39 years ago, in 1977:

The International Sun-Earth Explorer 1 and 2 (ISEE-1 and ISEE-2) are launched to study magnetic fields near the Earth.

     15 years ago, in 2001:

Technology Experiment Satellite (TES) is launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation to demonstrate future satellite technologies.

     8 years ago, in 2008:

India's first lunar probe, Chandrayaan-1, is successfully launched.

 23

     92 years ago, in 1924:

1036 Ganymed, the largest near-Earth asteroid, is discovered by Walter Baade.

     57 years ago, in 1959:

Explorer 4 burns up in the atmosphere.

     55 years ago, in 1961:

The Freedom 7 spacecraft is presented by NASA to the National Air Museum of the Smithsonian Institution.

     41 years ago, in 1975:

Venera 10 goes into orbit around Venus.

     20 years ago, in 1996:

The Keck II Telescope sees "first light".

     9 years ago, in 2007:

The Harmony Module for the ISS is launched aboard shuttle Discovery (STS-120).

     5 years ago, in 2011:

The ROSAT X-Ray satellite re-enters Earth's atmosphere.

     3 years ago, in 2013:

Orbital Sciences' Cygnus resupply ship demonstration mission deorbits and burns up in the atmosphere.

     2 years ago, in 2014:

China launches Chang'e 5-T1, an experimental unmanned lunar mission, to perform a loop around the Moon and re-entry tests on the capsule.

 24

     165 years ago, in 1851:

William Lassell discovers two moon of Uranus, Ariel and Umbriel.

     70 years ago, in 1946:

The first photo of Earth from space is taken by U.S. scientists with a V-2 rocket.

     59 years ago, in 1957:

The Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar program begins, to be cancelled 6 years (and US$660 million) later.

     56 years ago, in 1960:

The Nedelin catastrophe occurs when the second stage of a prototype Soviet R-16 accidentally ignites on the Baikonur test range launchpad during preparations, killing over 70 people.

     54 years ago, in 1962:

Mars 2MV-4 No.1 (Sputnik 22) is launched by the Soviet Union, but a problem with the rocket causes it to be destroyed in low Earth orbit.

     53 years ago, in 1963:

A Soviet R-9 missile being prepared for launch at Baikonur Cosmodrome develops an oxygen leak; a spark from an electrical panel ignites it, with the resulting fire killing seven.

     46 years ago, in 1970:

Zond 8 flies past the Moon at a distance of 690 miles (1110 km), and takes pictures of the lunar surface.

     38 years ago, in 1978:

The first Czechoslovakian satellite, Magion 1, is successfully launched with the Interkosmos 18 mission.

     18 years ago, in 1998:

Deep Space 1, the first ion-driven craft, is launched to test new technologies.

     15 years ago, in 2001:

Mars Odyssey enters orbit around Mars.

     12 years ago, in 2004:

The Cassini probe makes its first flyby of Titan, coming within 750 miles (1200 km) of the surface.

     10 years ago, in 2006:

Messenger makes its first Venus flyby.

     9 years ago, in 2007:

Chang'e 1, an unmanned Chinese lunar-orbiting spacecraft, is successfully launched.

 25

     345 years ago, in 1671:

Giovanni Cassini discovers one of Saturn's moons, Iapetus.

     50 years ago, in 1966:

Luna 12 goes into orbit around the Moon.

     48 years ago, in 1968:

Soyuz 2, an uncrewed spacecraft, is launched to be a docking target for Soyuz 3.

     41 years ago, in 1975:

The Venera 10 lander touches down on Venus.

     41 years ago, in 1975:

Nine days after launch, GOES-1 returns its first image.

     9 years ago, in 2007:

Eileen Collins, commander of STS-120, greets commander Peggy Whitson, ISS commander; marking the first time two female commanders are in space together.

 26            WANING CRESCENT 

     59 years ago, in 1957:

Sputnik 1 ceases sending signals after 22 days when the transmitter batteries run out.

     48 years ago, in 1968:

Soyuz 3 is launched for a rendezvous with Soyuz 2, but fails to successfully dock.

     39 years ago, in 1977:

The shuttle Enterprise makes its fifth and final Approach and Landing Test (ALT-16) after being releasd from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

     10 years ago, in 2006:

STEREO A and B (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) are launched for orbit around the Sun.

 27

     55 years ago, in 1961:

The Saturn I SA-1 makes its first (and successful) flight.

     54 years ago, in 1962:

Explorer 15 is launched to study the artificial radiation belt produced by the Starfish Prime high-altitude nuclear burst of July, 1962.

     46 years ago, in 1970:

Zond 8 reenters the Earth's atmosphere and splashes down in the Indian Ocean.

     11 years ago, in 2005:

The first Iranian satellite, Sina-1, is successfully launched.

      1 year ago, in 2015:

NASA's Swift space observatory detects its 1,000th GRB.

 28

     48 years ago, in 1968:

Soyuz 2, an uncrewed spacecraft, returns to Earth.

     45 years ago, in 1971:

Prospero becomes the first British satellite to be launched successfully by a British Black Arrow rocket.

     42 years ago, in 1974:

Luna 23 (USSR) is launched to the Moon; its designed to return a deep-core sample of the Moon's surface.

     22 years ago, in 1994:

The Japanese probe Sakigake makes its third Earth swingby.

     10 years ago, in 2006:

The Hinode (Solar-B) Solar Observatory takes its first picture of the Sun.

 29

     50 years ago, in 1966:

The Luna 12 pictures, which for the first time are taken by a film process rather than a TV camera, are released by the Soviet press.

     50 years ago, in 1966:

After 577 orbits, Lunar Orbiter 1 is commanded to crash into the far side of the Moon.

     25 years ago, in 1991:

Galileo is the first probe to fly by an asteroid, Gaspra.

     18 years ago, in 1998:

On board shuttle Discovery (STS-95), Pedro Duque becomes the first citizen from Spain to visit space.

     18 years ago, in 1998:

HST Orbital Systems Test (HOST) is flown aboard shuttle Discovery (STS-95) to test new tech for Hubble.

     18 years ago, in 1998:

Aboard the shuttle Discovery (STS-95), Chiaki Mukai becomes both the first Japanese woman and citizen to go to space twice.

     8 years ago, in 2008:

The first Venezuelan satellite, Venesat-1, is successfully launched.

 30            NEW MOON 

     49 years ago, in 1967:

The unmanned Soviet Kosmos 186 and Kosmos 188 make the first fully automated space docking.

     48 years ago, in 1968:

Soyuz 3 returns to Earth.

     35 years ago, in 1981:

Venera 13 is launched to Venus.

     31 years ago, in 1985:

On the ninth and final flight of Challenger (STS-61-A), Wubbo Johannes Ockels becomes the first Dutch citizen to visit space.

     2 years ago, in 2014:

The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle completes its first Flight Readiness Review (FRR).

 31

     96 years ago, in 1920:

944 Hidalgo, the first member of the centaurs (though not realized as distinct until 1977) , is discovered by German astronomer Walter Baade.

     16 years ago, in 2000:

Expedition 1, the first ISS Crew, launches from Russia on board Soyuz TM-31.

     5 years ago, in 2011:

Shenzhou 8 is launched aboard a Long March 2F rocket to perform an automated docking with Tiangong-1.

     2 years ago, in 2014:

The first SpaceShipTwo spaceplane, VSS Enterprise, is destroyed during a powered test flight, killing one and injuring another.

     2 years ago, in 2014:

China's Chang'e 5-T1, an experimental unmanned lunar mission, lands successfully in Inner Mongolia.