On October 11, 1958, the newly-established space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched Pioneer 1 (also known as Able 2), a lunar probe intended to orbit the Moon. It was the first launch of NASA, which was formed on July 29, 1958.
Category Archives: Space Exploration
The first photo of the far side of the Moon was taken by Luna 3 on October 7, 1959
On October 7, 1959, Soviet Union’s Luna 3 spacecraft photographed the far side of the moon for the first time ever. These photographs, despite being of poor quality, caused excitement when they were published because the humanity had never saw the far side of the moon before.
Mount Everest from space [5 most amazing NASA photos]
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. Its summit is 8,848.86 meters (29,031.7 feet) above sea level. Naturally, It looks amazing from space, and as a result, many astronauts took its photos during their journeys. Here are the top 5 most amazing photos of Mount Everest from space, published by NASA.
International Space Station Tracking Map [Live!]
Where’s the International Space Station right now? Here’s the live International Space Station tracking map, powered by the European Space Agency (ESA).
9/11 Attacks on the Twin Towers from space
On September 11, 2001, during the 9/11 attacks, NASA astronaut Frank Culbertson took this photo from the International Space Station (ISS) of smoke rising from the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.
How do astronauts wash clothes in space? [Astronaut explains]
How do astronauts wash their clothes in space? Well, the answer is simple: they don’t. It may be weird, but we don’t have a way or technology safe enough to clean laundry in the microgravity environment of space.
Voyager 1 launch [September 5, 1977]
Voyager 1 launch: On September 5, 1977, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft was launched on top of a Titan IIIE/Centaur rocket from the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex in Florida, 16 days after its twin, Voyager 2. The reversal of order was because the two spacecraft were sent on different trajectories, and Voyager 1 was put …
Viking 2 landed on Mars on September 3, 1976
On September 3, 1976, the lander of NASA’s Viking 2 spacecraft (which consisted of an orbiter and a lander) separated from the orbiter and safely landed on Mars.
Pioneer 11 performed the first Saturn flyby on September 1, 1979
On September 1, 1979, NASA’s Pioneer 11 spacecraft performed the first Saturn flyby in the history of space exploration, at a distance of 21,000 km (13,000 miles) from Saturn’s cloud tops.
Guion Bluford became the first black astronaut in space on August 30, 1983
On August 30, 1983, Guion Bluford, better known as Guy, was launched aboard Space Shuttle Challenger’s STS-8 mission on August 30, 1983, he became the first black astronaut in space.
