Lunar Rover Vehicle Speed Record was Broken on December 13, 1972

The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), an engineering feat designed for lunar exploration, played a crucial role in the later Apollo missions. Given its delicate structure and the unique challenges of the Moon’s surface, astronauts were instructed to handle the LRV with utmost caution. The vehicle, powered by a modest 1 horsepower, initially had a speed …

The Last Moonwalk was Performed on December 13, 1972

On December 13, 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt performed the third and last extravehicular activity (EVA) of the mission. This was the last moonwalk ever performed (as of 2023). Cernan and Schmitt were the last humans to set foot on the Moon.

Anna Lee Fisher became the first mother in space on November 8, 1984

On November 8, 1984, American astronaut Anna Lee Fisher became the first mother in space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery as a mission specialist of NASA’s STS-51-A mission. It was her only spaceflight.

The Largest Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein was Discovered on October 20, 2014

On October 20, 2014, astronomers Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein discovered the largest comet ever known using archival images from the Dark Energy Survey [see notes 1]. Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein’s estimated diameter is approximately 85 miles (136.7 km) across, making it larger than the state of Rhode Island. According to NASA, its nucleus is about 50 …

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was launched on August 12, 2005

On August 12, 2005, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was launched from Cape Canaveral, as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. MRO is a multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars from orbit. The orbiter played a crucial role in advancing our understanding of the Red Planet, both in terms of current conditions and …

The Youngest Person to go to Space: Anastatia Mayers

Anastatia Mayers, an 18-year-old philosophy and physics student from Aberdeen University, made history as the youngest person to travel to space. Her extraordinary journey aboard Virgin Galactic’s Galactic 02 (G02) flight on August 10, 2023, not only set a record for youth but also marked a significant milestone in space tourism.

First Use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV): July 31, 1971

The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), often referred to simply as the “moon buggy,” was used on the Moon in the last three missions of the American Apollo program (15, 16, and 17) between 1971 and 1972. Its first use was during the Apollo 15 mission, driven by astronauts David Scott and Jim Irwin on July …

The first in-space satellite repair was performed on April 11, 1984

The first orbiting satellite to be repaired in space was NASA’s Solar Maximum Mission, which launched on February 14, 1980, to observe solar flares. Just a few months later, in November 1980, one of the satellite’s altitude control fuses failed. It was put in standby mode, and it remained so until Space Shuttle Challenger [STS-41-C] …

The first weather observation satellite [TIROS-1] was launched on April 1, 1960

On April 1, 1960, the world’s first weather observation satellite (TIROS-1) was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It became operational for 78 days, despite the mission duration being 90 days.