The Soviet Vostok-2 carrier rocket makes its maiden flight, only to come down and blow up 1.8 seconds into launch.
6 years ago, in 1968:
After just over three years in orbit, Explorer 10 reenters the Earth's atmosphere and burns up.
4 years ago, in 1970:
Soyuz 9 is launched for an 18 day mission in orbit.
2
116 years ago, in 1858:
The Italian astronomer Giovanni Donati discovers Comet Donati (C/1858 L1), the first comet to be photographed.
20 years ago, in 1954:
The Soviet dogs Lisa and Ryzhik are launched aboard an R1 to an altitude of 100km (60mi), and survive.
12 years ago, in 1962:
OSCAR 2, the second amateur radio satellite, is launched.
8 years ago, in 1966:
Surveyor 1 is the first craft to make a soft landing on the Moon.
This year:
Luna 22 (USSR) goes into orbit around the Moon, returning data for the next 15 months.
3
9 years ago, in 1965:
Gemini IV is launched and orbits for three days; first EVA by an American, Ed White for 22 minutes.
8 years ago, in 1966:
Gemini IX-A is launched; completes three types of rendezvous, two hours of EVA, and 44 orbits.
5 years ago, in 1969:
The final episode of Star Trek is broadcast.
1 year ago, in 1973:
The Soviet news agency (TAS) announces the Lunokhod 2 moon rover mission to be over.
4
10 years ago, in 1964:
Molniya-1 No.2 (Zond 1964A) is the first Soviet communications satellite to be launched, but fails to reach orbit.
This year:
Contruction begins on the shuttle Enterprise (OV-101).
5
6
8 years ago, in 1966:
Gemini IX-A lands back on Earth.
3 years ago, in 1971:
Soyuz 11 is launched to Salyut 1, where it docks for 23 days.
7
9 years ago, in 1965:
Gemini IV lands back on Earth.
5 years ago, in 1969:
Echo 2 re-enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up.
8
9 years ago, in 1965:
Luna 6 is launched to the Moon, but misses it by 161,000 km (100,040 miles).
1 year ago, in 1973:
SAS-2 (Explorer 48), a gamma ray telescope, completes its observations.
9
22 years ago, in 1952:
The Abee meteorite lands in Alberta, Canada; the only enstatite chondrite with petrologic type 4 ever found.
10
11
26 years ago, in 1948:
The first primate astronaut, a rhesus macaque named Albert, is launched aboard a U.S. launched V-2, but dies of suffocation in flight.
12
155 years ago, in 1819:
Jean Louis Pons is the first 'discoverer' of comet 7P/Pons–Winnecke.
12 years ago, in 1962:
An Aerobee 150 rocket is launched with an X-ray detector, and finds the first extra-solar X-ray source, Scorpius X-1.
11 years ago, in 1963:
Project Mercury, America's first manned space flight program, comes to a close after 4 years, 8 months, and 1 week.
7 years ago, in 1967:
Venera 4 is launched for Venus.
13
14
204 years ago, in 1770:
Charles Messier discovers Comet D/1770 L1, also known as Lexell's Comet after its orbit computer, Anders Lexell.
25 years ago, in 1949:
Albert II becomes the first monkey in space aboard a U.S. launched V-2, but dies on impact after the parachute fails.
11 years ago, in 1963:
Vostok 5 is launched into orbit to meet up with Vostok 6.
7 years ago, in 1967:
Mariner 5 is launched to Venus.
15
14 years ago, in 1960:
Communication is lost with Tiros 1.
16
168 years ago, in 1806:
Jose Joaquin de Ferrer (Spain), observing at Kinderhook, New York, gives the name corona to the glow of the faint outer atmosphere of the Sun seen during a total eclipse.
11 years ago, in 1963:
Aboard Vostok 6, Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space, orbiting Earth 48 times.
17
7 years ago, in 1967:
Cosmos 167 (Kosmos 167) is launched to land on Venus, but fails to leave low Earth orbit.
18
15 years ago, in 1959:
Intended for a lunar impact, the Soviets launch Luna E-1A No.1 (Luna 1959A), but the guidance system fails and the rocket is destroyed by ground command 152 seconds after launch.
19
11 years ago, in 1963:
The Soviet Mars 1(2MV-4)makes its closest approach to Mars.
11 years ago, in 1963:
After successful communication with each other, Vostok 5 and 6 return home.
4 years ago, in 1970:
After 18 days in orbit, Soyuz 9 returns to Earth.
20
30 years ago, in 1944:
A German V-2 rocket becomes the first vehicle to cross the Kármán line, the border at which outer space begins.
12 years ago, in 1962:
OSCAR 2, the second amateur radio satellite, ceases communication.
21
12 years ago, in 1962:
OSCAR 2, the second amateur radio satellite, burns up in re-entry.
22
14 years ago, in 1960:
SOLRAD 1, the world's first orbiting astronomical observatory, and GRAB 1, America's first intelligence satellite, are launched together.
1 year ago, in 1973:
The three Skylab 2 astronauts become the first space station occupants ever to return safely to Earth.
23
24
1 year ago, in 1973:
Explorer 35 is shut down after six years of successful operation studying space beyond the Moon.
25
This year:
Salyut 3, second of a series of the highly classified Almaz military space station program, is launched.
26
244 years ago, in 1730:
Charles Messier is born in Badonviller, France.
47 years ago, in 1927:
Comet 7P/Pons–Winnecke approaches within 0.0394 AUs of Earth.
1 year ago, in 1973:
A Kosmos 3M explodes on the pad at Plesetsk Cosmodrome during a propellant loading accident, killing nine people.
27
16 years ago, in 1958:
Explorer 3 burns up in the atmosphere.
28
63 years ago, in 1911:
The Nakhla meteorite, the prototypical example of the Nakhlite type meteorite of the SNC Group of Mars meteorites, falls to Earth in the Abu Hommos district in Egypt.
9 years ago, in 1965:
Intelsat I (Early Bird), begins commercial service.
29
13 years ago, in 1961:
Transit 4A is launched, becoming the first satellite to use a radioactive power source.
13 years ago, in 1961:
Two hours after separating from the Transit 4-A satellite, the Able Star upper stage becomes the first known artificial object to break up unintentionally in space.
30
66 years ago, in 1908:
The 'Tunguska Event' occurs when a meteor explodes over the Tunguska River in Siberia, Russia.
3 years ago, in 1971:
Soyuz 11 leaves Salyut 1 and lands on Earth; but the cabin depressurises during re-entry, killing all three cosmonauts.
1 year ago, in 1973:
During a total solar eclipse, scientists use a Concorde supersonic passenger jet flying at 1,250 mph (2,000 kph) over Africa to extend the duration of solar eclipse totality to 74 minutes.
It's been 3959 days
