NASA’s Cassini space probe entered Saturn’s orbit on July 1, 2004, and became the first spacecraft to orbit the ringed planet.
Category Archives: This Day in Science, Technology, Astronomy, and Space Exploration History
Tunguska meteorite impacted on June 30, 1908
On June 30, 1908, at about 7:14 A.M., around the Tunguska River, a gigantic fireball devastated hundreds of square kilometers of uninhabited Siberian forest. It was about a ~12 megaton explosion, which means the blast was around 800 times more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic bomb.
Soyuz 11 Disaster (June 29, 1971)
On June 29, 1971, after completing its record-breaking 20th day in orbit, the crew of Soyuz 11, Georgy T. Dobrovolski (Commander), Viktor I. Patsayev, and Vladislav N. Volkov departed from the Salyut 1 space station, the first space station in the history of space exploration, on June 29, 1971. Unfortunately, the mission ended in disaster …
Atari was founded on June 27, 1972
On June 27, 1972, Atari Inc. was founded in Sunnyvale, California by American businessman and electrical engineer Nolan Bushnell (born February 5, 1943) and American electrical engineer Ted Dabney (May 2, 1937 – May 26, 2018). One the most recognized and celebrated brands in the world, the company is a pioneer in arcade games, home …
Charon, Pluto’s Moon was discovered on June 22, 1978
On June 22, 1978, Pluto’s moon Charon was discovered by United States Naval Observatory astronomer James Christy (born September 15, 1938).
Manchester Baby, the world’s first electronic stored-program computer ran its first program on June 21, 1948
On June 21, 1948, Manchester Baby, the world’s first electronic stored-program computer ran its first program.
V-2 rocket (MW 18014) became the first human-made object in space on June 20, 1944
On June 20, 1944, a German A-4/V-2 rocket became the first human-made object to travel into space by crossing the Kármán line with the vertical launch of MW 18014, attaining an apogee of 176 kilometers (109.3 miles). The Kármán line commonly represents the boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and outer space. It lies at an altitude of 100 kilometers (62 …
Viking 1 Entered Mars Orbit on June 19, 1976
On June 19, 1976, NASA!s Viking 1 Orbiter was inserted into Mars orbit. Both Viking 1 and Viking 2 spacecraft were consisting of an orbiter and a lander.
Sally Ride became the first American woman in space on June 18, 1983
On June 18, 1983, Space Shuttle Challenger and the STS-7 crew launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida. With the launch, one of the mission specialists, Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly in space.
Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space on June 16, 1963
On June 16, 1963, aboard Vostok 6 spacecraft, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. She made 48 orbits around Earth and spent 2 days, 22 hours, and 50 minutes in space.
