NASA History Office@NASAhistory·60 years ago today, astronaut Wally Schirra kept his cool! Scheduled to launch #OTD in 1965, the Gemini VI-A launch was aborted 1 sec. after engine ignition Schirra made the split-second decision not to activate the ejection seats noting "I knew we hadn't gone anywhere." It turned out an electrical umbilical had separated prematurely causing the erroneous liftoff signal. Read more: https://go.nasa.gov/4pQHuJO
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·Moments after ignition #OTD in 1965, one of Gemini VI's engines suddenly shut down. Astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford waited tensely inside for a plan to get them out of the life-threatening situation. More on the blog: https://s.si.edu/4rUBe5u
NASA History Office@NASAhistory·#OTD in 1972, Apollo 17 moonwalker Harrison “Jack” Schmitt became the first geologist to walk on the Moon. He and crewmate Eugene Cernan set records for the amount of time spent on the lunar surface and returned more than 240 pounds of rocks and soil.
Mike Constantine@Moonpans·Dec 12On this day 1972 - Apollo 17 EVA 2 - Gene Cernan spots something wonderful from the slopes of Station 6
Mike Constantine@MoonpansOn this day 1972 - Apollo 17 - Cernan and Schmitt in the LMAn exhausted Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt relax in the Lunar Module covered in lunar dust after 3 incredible EVAs
Tony Bela - InfographicTony@InfographicTony·53 years ago today, Dec 14, 1972, is the day Apollo 17 left the moon; it is the last time humans set foot on the lunar surface. Let's do that again... soon. Goodspeed to the crew of Apollo 17 and the 400,000 plus people that helped make the Apollo program happen.
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·Apollo 17 carried the only trained geologist to walk on the lunar surface, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt. In this video from the mission, Schmitt excitedly throws the geology hammer at the end of the third EVA.
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·The original 6️⃣ 7️⃣60 years ago today, Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford launched on the Gemini VI mission to rendezvous with Gemini VII (which had launched on December 4). This was the world's first space rendezvous: https://s.si.edu/4oX11r0
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·On this day in 1984, the Soviet Union launched the Vega 1 spacecraft, the first of two in a mission to fly by Venus and Halley's Comet. These Vega Solar System Probe Bus and Landing Apparatus engineering models are on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center: http://s.si.edu/3FxoCtU
Andy Saunders - Apollo Remastered@AndySaunders_1TODAY!60th ANNIVERSARY of the world's first rendezvous in space! 🚀Gemini VI-A and VIIHuman spaceFLIGHT? - Gemini is where it all began...Photos, incl Jim Lovell seen through the window of GT-7 from #GeminiAndMercuryRemastered
Mike Constantine@Moonpans·Dec 14On this day 1972- Apollo 17 Lunar Rendezvous16mm film footage from the Command Module of the Apollo 17 LM Ascent stage as it rises above the Lunar surface to rendezvous and then dock with Ron Evans in the CMVideo Enhancement and Music by MoonpansSource Video: Apollo Flight Journal
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·On this day in 1960, MR-1A launched on the first test of the Mercury capsule-Redstone launch vehicle configuration, and the first recovery of a production-line Mercury spacecraft that had been flown in space.
Mike Constantine@MoonpansOn this day 1968 - Apollo 8 LaunchThe first manned flight of the Saturn V taking Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders on mankind’s first voyage to the Moon
TheSpaceEngineer@mcrs987Officially 10 years to the day since this wonderful machine landed for the first time.
Magnus B - Space Coast West@spacecoastwest10 years ago today on December 21, 2015, SpaceX successfully landed the first orbital class rocket booster, B1019 during the Orbcomm-2 mission. This landing opened the access to space and paved the way for a new era of rapid reusability and launch cadence that will make life multi-planetary. A decade later, Falcon 9 has landed over 550 times and been reflown nearly 520 times.
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·On #TDIH in 2006, Space Shuttle Discovery landed with a smooth touchdown on Runway 15 at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility, returning from the International @Space_Station and completing mission STS-116.
Hubble@NASAHubble·To the rescue! 🚀#OTD in 1999, astronauts worked the first of three spacewalks for Hubble's Servicing Mission 3A.The crew replaced failed gyroscopes (used to measure Hubble's speed), and installed a new computer and fine guidance sensor.
NASA History Office@NASAhistory·"Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you—all of you on the good Earth"Astronauts orbited the Moon for the first time in history on Christmas Eve, 1968. On their fourth orbit, they captured the sight of the Earth rising over the Moon's horizon, a photo dubbed "Earthrise."
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·It was early Christmas morning in 1968 when Houston regained signal from Apollo 8 and Capt. Jim Lovell sent back an important message:“Please be informed there *is* a Santa Claus.” 🎅 CAPCOM Ken Mattingly replied “That’s affirmative. You are the best ones to know.”
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·"Liftoff! From a tropical rainforest to the edge of time itself, James Webb begins a voyage back to the birth of the universe."The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) successfully launched today in 2021.
NASA Webb Telescope@NASAWebbHappy launch-a-versary! ✨ 4 years ago, Webb launched from French Guiana and changed our view of the universe forever.Like the best holiday stories, ours has it all: perseverance, triumph, a little bit of drama, and a whole lot of heart: https://nasa.gov/cosmicdawn/
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·#OTD in 1999, the STS-103 crew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery brought the Hubble Space Telescope back into service. Their wake-up call? Bing Crosby’s timeless holiday tune, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·#OTD in 1928, Robert Goddard's Hoopskirt rocket flew 3.2 seconds to a distance of 204.5 ft. It was called "Hoopskirt" because it resembled the ladies’ fashion of the late 19th century. It was Goddard's third flight of a liquid-fuel rocket.
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·Today in 1968, Apollo 8 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, concluding a successful mission that took astronauts to lunar orbit and back for the first time.More on the historic Apollo 8 mission: https://s.si.edu/3ZVmBSb
