NASA launches the first weather satellite, Tiros 1.
150 years ago, in 1971:
ISIS-II, a Canadian research satellite to explore the ionosphere, is launched.
123 years ago, in 1998:
NASA launches the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE), designed to investigate the connections between fine-scale magnetic fields and the associated plasma structures on the Sun.
117 years ago, in 2004:
The Genesis spacecraft completes its sampling of the solar wind.
2
163 years ago, in 1958:
The National Advisory Council on Aeronautics is renamed NASA.
158 years ago, in 1963:
Luna 4 is launched to the Moon.
157 years ago, in 1964:
Zond 1 is launched to Venus.
152 years ago, in 1969:
The Soviet Union launches Mars 2M No.522 (Mars 1969B), but the rocket nosedives into the ground 41 seconds after launch.
146 years ago, in 1975:
Luna 22's (USSR) primary mission ends, though it returns data and pictures from lunar orbit for another three months.
137 years ago, in 1984:
On board the Soyuz T-11 mission to Salyut 7, Rakesh Sharma becomes the first Indian to visit space.
132 years ago, in 1989:
Tele-X is launched, becoming the first communications satellite to service the Nordic countries.
123 years ago, in 1998:
The Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE), a NASA heliophysics and solar observatory, is launched.
105 years ago, in 2016:
Blue Origin's New Shepard (NS2) makes its third sub-orbital spaceflight, with a successful third time reused booster launch and landing.
103 years ago, in 2018:
After 6 years and 185 days in orbit, Tiangong-1 reenters the atmosphere and burns up over the South Pacific Ocean.
103 years ago, in 2018:
RemoveDEBRIS, a satellite for testing space debris removal technologies, is launched to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon (CRS-14).
3
158 years ago, in 1963:
Explorer 17, the first of five Atmosphere Explorers, is launched to study the Earth's upper atmosphere.
155 years ago, in 1966:
Luna 10 becomes the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon.
104 years ago, in 2017:
The New Horizons probe reaches the halfway point between Pluto and its next target, 2014 MU69.
4
153 years ago, in 1968:
The final test flight of all the Apollo stages (Apollo 6 - unmanned test flight).
148 years ago, in 1973:
Salyut 2, first of a series of the highly classified Almaz military space station program, is launched.
138 years ago, in 1983:
The maiden flight of the shuttle Challenger (STS-6) launches, becoming the first shuttle mission in which an EVA is performed.
124 years ago, in 1997:
Aboard the shuttle Columbia (STS-83), Susan Still becomes the second woman to pilot the Space Shuttle.
109 years ago, in 2012:
After almost three successful years, NASA's Kepler mission is approved for extension through to 2016.
107 years ago, in 2014:
The French PICARD Solar Satellite ends its successful mission.
5
148 years ago, in 1973:
Pioneer 11 is launched.
146 years ago, in 1975:
Soyuz 7K-T No.39 (Soyuz 18a, Soyuz 18-1) is launched to the Salyut 4 space station, but fails to make orbit though the crew is successfully recovered.
142 years ago, in 1979:
The Uhuru X-ray Explorer Satellite burns up in the atmosphere.
131 years ago, in 1990:
Orbital Sciences Corporation launches Pegasus, becoming the first company to put a privately developed rocket into orbit.
130 years ago, in 1991:
The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory is launched from the shuttle Atlantis (STS-37).
6
161 years ago, in 1960:
Sputnik 3 burns up after reentering Earth's atmosphere.
156 years ago, in 1965:
Intelsat I (Early Bird), the first commercial communications satellite to be placed into geosynchronous orbit, is launched.
156 years ago, in 1965:
Using the Arecibo radio telescope, Gordon Pettengill and his team begin observations that result in the discovery that Mercury's day is 58.7 days long, not 88.
154 years ago, in 1967:
ATS-2 is launched by NASA, but fails to reach orbit after the second stage of the Atlas rocket fails.
7
158 years ago, in 1963:
Luna 4 misses the Moon due to a navigation fault.
153 years ago, in 1968:
Luna 14 is launched to the Moon.
138 years ago, in 1983:
Aboard the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger, astronauts make the first American EVA since Skylab.
137 years ago, in 1984:
NASA's Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) is deployed into low Earth orbit by Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-41-C).
120 years ago, in 2001:
The Russian Proton-M rocket makes its first flight.
120 years ago, in 2001:
Mars Odyssey Orbiter is launched.
117 years ago, in 2004:
Still three months from Saturn, Cassini observes two storms merge into one large storm.
115 years ago, in 2006:
The New Horizons probe crosses the orbit of Mars on its way to Pluto.
110 years ago, in 2011:
The United Nations General Assembly declares April 12th as the International Day of Human Space Flight.
8
157 years ago, in 1964:
Gemini 1 is launched for an unmanned test flight.
155 years ago, in 1966:
OAO-1 (Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 1) is launched with instruments to detect ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma ray emission, but fails after three days in orbit.
141 years ago, in 1980:
Telesto, a moon of Saturn, is discovered using ground-based observations.
128 years ago, in 1993:
Aboard the shuttle Discovery (STS-56), Ellen Ochoa becomes the first Hispanic woman to go to space.
119 years ago, in 2002:
The S0 Truss segment for the backbone of the ISS is launched aboard shuttle Atlantis (STS-110).
113 years ago, in 2008:
On board the Soyuz TMA-12 mission to the ISS, Yi So-yeon becomes the first Korean and the third woman to be the first national from their country to visit space.
112 years ago, in 2009:
The Kepler space telescope sees first light.
105 years ago, in 2016:
SpaceX mission CRS-8 (SpX-8) brings the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) for testing to the ISS, and has the first landing of a rocket booster on a ship at sea.
9
162 years ago, in 1959:
NASA introduces it's first 7 astronauts, the "Mercury Seven".
159 years ago, in 1962:
The Soviet Union declares April 12th as Cosmonautics Day.
159 years ago, in 1962:
The National Geographic Society awards the Hubbard Medal to John Glenn.
The National Geographic Society awards the Hubbard Medal to John Glenn.
157 years ago, in 1964:
After just over three years in orbit, Explorer 9 reenters the Earth's atmosphere and burns up.
146 years ago, in 1975:
GEOS-3 (Geodynamics Experimental Ocean Satellite); also known as GEOS-C, is successfully launched.
135 years ago, in 1986:
The ESA's EXOSAT mission is ended due to a failure in the attitude control system.
10
156 years ago, in 1965:
Luna E-6 No.8 (Luna 1965A) is launched to perform a soft landing on the Moon, but the third stage fails.
153 years ago, in 1968:
Luna 14 goes into orbit around the Moon.
142 years ago, in 1979:
On board the Soyuz 33 mission to Salyut 6, Georgi Ivanov Kakalov becomes the first Bulgarian to visit space.
128 years ago, in 1993:
The Japanese Hiten moon probe is deliberately crashed into the Moon.
102 years ago, in 2019:
The Event Horizon Telescope team releases the first-ever image of a black hole's shadow using radio observations of the heart of the galaxy M87.
11
151 years ago, in 1970:
Apollo 13 is launched to land on the moon.
148 years ago, in 1973:
An accident on Salyut 2 causes both solar panels to be torn loose from the space station, cutting off all power.
141 years ago, in 1980:
Viking Lander 2 makes its final contact with Earth.
137 years ago, in 1984:
The Solar Maximum Mission satellite (SolarMax) is the first satellite to be repaired by a Shuttle crew (STS-41-C).
115 years ago, in 2006:
The ESA's Venus Express arrives at Venus.
12
304 years ago, in 1817:
Charles Messier dies at age 86 in Paris, France.
272 years ago, in 1849:
Annibale de Gasparis of Italy discovers the fourth largest asteroid, Hygiea.
160 years ago, in 1961:
On board Vostok 1, Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person in space and orbits the Earth once.
157 years ago, in 1964:
Gemini 1 (unmanned) is purposely destroyed during re-entry.
157 years ago, in 1964:
The Soviet Polyot, an orbital carrier rocket, makes its second of two flights to test ASAT (Anti-satellite) spacecraft.
148 years ago, in 1973:
On approach to NAS Moffett airfield, the Galileo Convair 990 flying laboratory collides with a P-3 Orion, killing 16.
145 years ago, in 1976:
OSCAR 4, the fourth amateur radio satellite, burns up in re-entry.
140 years ago, in 1981:
The first orbital flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program is launched with shuttle Columbia (STS-1).
136 years ago, in 1985:
Canada's Anik C1 communications satellite is deployed from shuttle Discovery (STS-51-D).
120 years ago, in 2001:
Yuri's Night, a world space party, is inaugurated.
13
161 years ago, in 1960:
A Thor-Ablestar launches Transit 1B, the first experimental satellite of what will eventually become the Global Navigation Satellite System.
151 years ago, in 1970:
Apollo 13 malfunction, "Houston, we have a problem…".
147 years ago, in 1974:
Launched by Western Union and NASA, Westar 1 is America's first domestic & commercially launched geostationary communication satellite.
111 years ago, in 2010:
NASA's Swift space observatory detects its 500th GRB.
14
163 years ago, in 1958:
Sputnik 2 burns up after reentering Earth's atmosphere.
157 years ago, in 1964:
The second Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO-2, OSO-B) accidentally ignites its third stage while undergoing a spin test, killing 3 and injuuring 8 more.
140 years ago, in 1981:
After a successful mission, the shuttle Columbia (STS-1) returns to Earth.
15
161 years ago, in 1960:
Luna E-3 No.1 (Luna 1960A), a Soviet spacecraft intended to fly around the Moon on a circumlunar trajectory, fails to make it out of Earth orbit.
122 years ago, in 1999:
Landsat 7 is launched.
116 years ago, in 2005:
NASA launches DART (Demonstration for Autonomous Rendezvous Technology), but the spacecraft hits the satellite it was supposed to rendezvous with.
16
161 years ago, in 1960:
Luna E-3 No.2 (Luna 1960B), a Soviet spacecraft intended to fly around the Moon on a circumlunar trajectory, loses the boosters from the rocket and crashes.
149 years ago, in 1972:
Apollo 16 launch to land on the moon.
141 years ago, in 1980:
2696 Magion, a dark background asteroid, is discovered by Slovak astronomer Ladislav Brožek at the Kleť Observatory in former Czechoslovakia.
17
247 years ago, in 1874:
The French astronomer Jerome Coggia discovers Comet Coggia (C/1874 H1, the Great Comet of 1874).
166 years ago, in 1955:
Albert Einstein dies of a rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, in Princeton, New Jersey.
154 years ago, in 1967:
Surveyor 3 is launched for the Moon.
151 years ago, in 1970:
Apollo 13 splashes down in the South Pacific Ocean and is retrieved by the USS Iwo Jima.
145 years ago, in 1976:
The Helios-B (Helios 2) solar probe flies to a record distance of 26,987,000 miles ( 43.432 million km) from the Sun.
140 years ago, in 1981:
Last contact is made with the Einstein Observatory (HEAO-2) X-ray telescope.
114 years ago, in 2007:
The first Columbian satellite, Libertad 1, is successfully launched.
109 years ago, in 2012:
The retired shuttle Discovery is flown atop a 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft to Dulles airport in Washington.
107 years ago, in 2014:
NASA's Kepler space telescope discovers the first Earth-size exoplanet orbiting a star in the habitable zone, Kepler-186f.
107 years ago, in 2014:
The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) makes a planned impact on the Moons surface.
18
331 years ago, in 1790:
Caroline Herschel discovers her fourth comet, Comet C/1790 H1 (Herschel).
119 years ago, in 2002:
Stardust reaches its aphelion, and at 407 million kms (253 million miles) from the Sun, the furthest distance so far by a solar-powered craft.
113 years ago, in 2008:
The first Vietnamese satellite, Vinasat-1, is successfully launched.
107 years ago, in 2014:
The SpaceX CRS-3 mission successfully completes its Resupply Service mission to the ISS, as well as the first controlled landing of the first stage on the ocean.
106 years ago, in 2015:
FRB 150418 is detected by the Parkes observatory in New South Wales, Australia.
103 years ago, in 2018:
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is launched by NASA aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
19
159 years ago, in 1962:
NASA announces that the Friendship 7 spacecraft will be lent to the U.S. Information Agency for a world tour, known as the "fourth orbit of Friendship 7".
150 years ago, in 1971:
The USSR launches the first space station, Salyut 1.
146 years ago, in 1975:
India launches the nations first satellite, Aryabhata.
120 years ago, in 2001:
The shuttle Endeavour (STS-100) launches, bringing Canadarm2 to the ISS.
120 years ago, in 2001:
Chris Hadfield, aboard the ISS, is the first Canadian to perform a spacewalk.
109 years ago, in 2012:
The retired shuttle Discovery is delivered to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Virginia for public display.
20
157 years ago, in 1964:
Luna E-6 No.5 (Luna 1964B) is launched to perform a soft landing on the Moon, but the upper stage malfunctions 340 seconds into the flight, causing the engine to shut down before reaching orbit.
154 years ago, in 1967:
Surveyor 3 is the second craft to make a soft landing on the Moon.
149 years ago, in 1972:
Apollo 16 lands on the moon.
148 years ago, in 1973:
Canada's Anik A2 communications satellite is launched.
117 years ago, in 2004:
Gravity Probe B (GP-B) is successfully launched by NASA to measure spacetime curvature near the Earth.
104 years ago, in 2017:
Tianzhou 1, the test mission of China's new unmanned cargo spacecraft, is launched to dock with the Tiangong-2 space laboratory.
21
157 years ago, in 1964:
The U.S. launches the nuclear-powered Transit 5BN3 navigation satellite, but the Scout launch vehicle fails and it scatters radioactive materials over the Indian Ocean.
127 years ago, in 1994:
The Clementine lunar probe finishes its systematic mapping of the Moon.
124 years ago, in 1997:
The Low Energy Gamma-Ray Imager (LEGRI), a payload for the first mission of the Spanish MINISAT platform, is launched.
108 years ago, in 2013:
Orbital ATK's Antares rocket makes its maiden flight.
22
435 years ago, in 1686:
Giovanni Cassini discovers one of Saturn's moons, Dione.
150 years ago, in 1971:
Soyuz 10 is launched to Salyut 1, but fails to dock.
104 years ago, in 2017:
The Cassini probe makes its 127th and last Titan flyby.
104 years ago, in 2017:
Tianzhou 1, the test mission of China's new unmanned cargo spacecraft, successfully docks with the Tiangong-2 space laboratory.
23
159 years ago, in 1962:
Ranger 4 is launched to the Moon.
154 years ago, in 1967:
Soyuz 1 is launched for its maiden flight.
153 years ago, in 1968:
Zond 1968A is launched as an uncrewed lunar test flight, but the second stage fails prematurely, ending the mission.
114 years ago, in 2007:
The Italian Space Agency's AGILE, an X-ray and Gamma ray satellite, is launched from Sriharikota, India.
24
154 years ago, in 1967:
First space casualty when Vladimir Komarov dies during re-entry of Soyuz 1 due to a parachute malfunction.
154 years ago, in 1967:
At the request of the astronauts' widows, Manned Space Flight Administrator Dr. George E. Mueller announces AS-204 will be recorded as Apollo 1.
151 years ago, in 1970:
The first Chinese satellite, Dongfanghong I, is successfully launched.
150 years ago, in 1971:
After a failed docking attempt, Soyuz 10 leaves Salyut 1 and lands on Earth.
149 years ago, in 1972:
The Apollo 16 Particles and Fields Subsatellite (PFS-2) is launched from the scientific instrument module of the Service Module.
146 years ago, in 1975:
Contact is lost with India's first satellite, Aryabhata.
131 years ago, in 1990:
The Hubble Space Telescope is launched aboard the shuttle Discovery (STS-31).
108 years ago, in 2013:
NASA's Swift space observatory detects an X-ray flare from the Galactic Center, later found to be a previously unknown magnetar.
25
139 years ago, in 1982:
After just over six and a half years, the European Space Research Organisation's COS-B satellite ends is mission of the study of cosmic gamma ray sources.
138 years ago, in 1983:
Pioneer 10 crosses the orbit of Pluto, which was closer to the Sun than Neptune, due to its irregular orbit.
128 years ago, in 1993:
The Array of Low Energy X-ray Imaging Sensors (ALEXIS) X-ray telescope is launched scan for EUV transients.
119 years ago, in 2002:
On board the Soyuz TM-34 mission to the ISS, Mark Shuttleworth becomes the first citizen of an independent African country, and the second space tourist to visit space.
26
201 years ago, in 1920:
The Great Debate (Shapley–Curtis) about the size of the universe takes place at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
159 years ago, in 1962:
Ranger 4 crashes into the far side of the Moon, becoming the first American craft to reach another celestial body.
159 years ago, in 1962:
Ariel 1, the first British satellite, is launched, making Britain the third country in the world to do so.
125 years ago, in 1996:
The Priroda (Earth Sensing Module), last of seven modules, is launched to be a part of the Mir space station.
123 years ago, in 1998:
Cassini makes its first pass by Venus for a gravity assist to Saturn.
114 years ago, in 2007:
The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) completes its first test flight.
108 years ago, in 2013:
NEE-01 Pegaso becomes Ecuador's first satellite to be launched.
104 years ago, in 2017:
The Cassini probe makes its first-ever trip between Saturn and its rings.
103 years ago, in 2018:
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) takes its first test image, focusing on the constellation Centaurus.
27
160 years ago, in 1961:
Explorer 11 is launched, carrying the first space-based gamma-ray telescope.
149 years ago, in 1972:
Apollo 16 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean and is retrieved by the USS Ticonderoga.
119 years ago, in 2002:
The last successful reception of telemetry is received from Pioneer 10, at a distance of 80.22 AU's.
28
123 years ago, in 1998:
Egypt launchs Nilesat 101, becoming the first African country with its own direct TV broadcast satellite.
120 years ago, in 2001:
On board the Soyuz TM-32 mission to the ISS, Dennis Tito becomes the first "space tourist".
120 years ago, in 2001:
Canadarm2 is used for the first time after being installed on the ISS.
118 years ago, in 2003:
NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), an ultraviolet space telescope, is launched.
106 years ago, in 2015:
The second failure of a Progress (M-27M, ISS-59P) resupply mission to the ISS occurs when attitude and telemetry are lost in orbit.
105 years ago, in 2016:
Mikhailo Lomonosov (MVL-300, Mikhailo), a satellite operated by Moscow State University to observe gamma-ray bursts, high-energy cosmic rays and transient phenomena, is launched.
29
118 years ago, in 2003:
The BeppoSAX X-ray astronomy satellite re-enters Earth's atmosphere and falls into the Pacific Ocean.
108 years ago, in 2013:
The first SpaceShipTwo spaceplane, VSS Enterprise, makes its first powered flight.
108 years ago, in 2013:
The Herschel infrared telescope runs out of coolant and is decommissioned.
106 years ago, in 2015:
Blue Origin's New Shepard (NS1) makes its first flight to just over 58 miles (93.5km), and the capsule recovered, but the booster crashs on landing.
30
155 years ago, in 1966:
The Saturn I SA-5 second stage reenters the atmosphere and spreads some debris over the Rio Negro District of Brazil.
125 years ago, in 1996:
BeppoSAX, an Italian–Dutch X-ray astronomy satellite, is launched.
119 years ago, in 2002:
The BeppoSAX X-ray astronomy satellite is deactivated, due to a decaying orbit.
108 years ago, in 2013:
The Messenger probe ends its mission and crashes into Mercury.
103 years ago, in 2018:
NASA’s decommissioned Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) satellite re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere and burns up.
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