On July 24, 1950, Bumper 8, a two-stage rocket, combining German (V-2) and American technology, was launched. It was the first rocket launch from a place on the Atlantic coast of central Florida called Cape Canaveral.
Category Archives: This Day in Science, Technology, Astronomy, and Space Exploration History
Telstar 1, the satellite that allowed the first live broadcast of television images was launched on July 10, 1962
On July 10, 1962, Telstar 1, the satellite that allowed the first live broadcast of television images was launched from Cape Canaveral. It was the first privately sponsored space mission. Two days after the launch, on July 12, it relayed the world’s first transatlantic television signal, from Andover Earth Station, Maine, United States, to the …
AS-203, the first Apollo orbital mission was launched on July 5, 1966
On July 5, 1966, the first Apollo orbital mission, AS-203 was launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It was an uncrewed flight of the vehicle’s second stage, the S-IVB stage (it was the 3rd stage of Saturn V, which carried humans to the Moon), to test it under orbital conditions and to obtain flight …
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Sojourner (Mars Pathfinder) became the first operational rover on another planet on July 4, 1997
NASA’s robotic spacecraft Mars Pathfinder landed on Mars on July 4, 1997. It was carrying a small rover named Sojourner and with that landing, Sojourner became the first operational rover on another planet.
ESA’s Giotto became the first spacecraft to use Earth for a gravity assist on July 2, 1990
On July 2, 1990, European Space Agency’s (ESA) Giotto spacecraft performed the first-ever earth gravity-assisted maneuver to be retargeted for its destination, Comet P/Grigg-Skjellerup.
Cassini entered Saturn’s orbit on July 1, 2004
NASA’s Cassini space probe entered Saturn’s orbit on July 1, 2004, and became the first spacecraft to orbit the ringed planet.
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: the only three humans who died in space [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 …
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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).
