NASA History Office@NASAhistory·Let it rollDec 29, 1980: The assembled Space Shuttle Columbia aboard its mobile launcher platform slowly rolled the 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Pad A @NASAKennedy to undergo final processing for STS-1, the first flight of the Space Shuttle Program.
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·Prolific science fiction writer Isaac Asimov was born on this day in 1920. Did you know that there is an asteroid and a crater on Mars named for him? #ScienceFictionDay
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·On this day in 2004, the Stardust spacecraft encountered comet Wild-2 to collect and return the first sample taken from a comet.You can see the comet return capsule in the "Kenneth C. Griffin Exploring the Planets Gallery" at our Museum in DC.
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·On this day in 2004, Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Spirit landed on the Red Planet in Gusev crater. Spirit far exceeded its 90-day lifespan, operating on Mars for six years.
National Air and Space Museum@airandspaceOn this day in 1999, the Mars Polar Lander, with the Deep Space 2 microprobes, launched on a mission to the Red Planet. Both were lost when the lander crashed on arrival in December 1999.
Black Hole@konstructivizm·That's a great piece of space history to highlight! Project Gemini, officially renamed on January 3, 1962 (with the decision made in December 1961), was indeed the vital bridge between the single-seat Mercury program and the three-person Apollo missions. Named after the constellation representing the twins Castor and Pollux—perfect symbolism for its two-person crews—Gemini delivered the hands-on experience NASA desperately needed to reach the Moon.Its key objectives were ambitious and essential:Prove humans and equipment could survive up to two weeks in space (Gemini VII achieved 14 days).Master orbital rendezvous and docking (first achieved by Gemini VIII with the Agena target, and perfected in later missions).Develop precise re-entry and landing techniques.Demonstrate extravehicular activity (EVA)—Ed White’s historic first U.S. spacewalk on Gemini IV, followed by increasingly complex outings.Gather medical data on the effects of longer-duration spaceflight.Though often overshadowed by Mercury’s pioneering solos and Apollo’s lunar triumphs, Gemini’s ten crewed missions (Gemini III through XII) were the proving ground that turned conceptual ideas into reliable procedures. Without Gemini’s successes—like the dual Gemini VI-A and VII rendezvous in December 1965, or Buzz Aldrin’s standout EVA on Gemini XII—Apollo 11 likely wouldn’t have happened on schedule.Thanks for marking this anniversary. Gemini deserves more love in the history books! NASA
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·On this day in 1958, Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite, burned up on reentry into Earth's atmosphere. The satellite sent signals back to Earth for almost a month before its batteries died. More on Sputnik and the Space Age: http://s.si.edu/3RIDhsh
National Air and Space Museum@airandspaceOn this day in 1998, Lunar Prospector launched to the Moon. It mapped the entire surface of the Moon from a distance of about 60 miles, then progressively closer to 18 miles and finally 6 miles.
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·14mToday in history in 1981, NASA formally renamed the Viking 1 landing site on Mars the Thomas A. Mutch Memorial Station, in honor of the leader of the Viking imaging team. More on the lander: https://s.si.edu/49bktvD
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·Galileo Galilei first observed the moons of Jupiter #OTD in 1610. For that reason, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are called the Galilean satellites. We now know Jupiter has at least 95 moons: https://s.si.edu/4prpMfi
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·On this day in 1973, the Soviet Union launched Luna 21 with their second successful lunar rover, Lunokhod 2. In this Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photo, the rover can be seen on the floor of the crater Le Monnier.
NASA History Office@NASAhistory·NASA announced the prime crew for the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission #OTD in 1969. Just months later, the names of Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins would be forever etched in human history as they completed the first crewed lunar landing mission.
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·The Surveyor 7 spacecraft, the last lunar lander in the Surveyor program, landed on the Moon #OTD in 1968. This composite of images taken by Surveyor 7 shows its landing site near the rim of the crater Tycho.
Koichi Wakata@Astro_Wakata·Thirty years ago today, I departed into space aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. I was 32 years old at the time and had no flight experience, but I would like to express my gratitude to Commander Brian Duffy, my fellow STS-72 crew members, my training instructors, and everyone at ground control who supported me throughout my training and spaceflight.
James W. Draper@James_W_Draper65 years ago today (11 Jan 1961), JFK received the Wiesner Report, warning that America’s space future rested first on missiles, launch reliability, early warning, and military space systems. Those foundations were already taking shape at Cape Canaveral.🚀
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·On #TDIH in 1787, British astronomer William Herschel discovered Titania and Oberon, Uranus's two largest moons. Named for characters in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," this was just the beginning of naming Uranus's moons for Shakespeare characters.
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·31m#OTD in 1998, NASA's Lunar Prospector mission reached the Moon and began its first lunar orbit insertion burn. During its year-and-a-half in lunar polar orbit, the spacecraft collected data to compile complete compositional and gravity maps of the Moon.
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·#OTD in 1996, Space Shuttle Endeavour launched on STS-72. The mission was to retrieve a Japanese microgravity research spacecraft known as Space Flyer Unit (SFU).
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·Today in 2005, Deep Impact mission launched on a Delta II rocket. Its planned impact with comet Tempel 1 exposed materials on its surface and revealed a lot about the comet and its composition, including evidence of water ice: http://s.si.edu/48vecYZ
National Air and Space Museum@airandspace·On this day in 1993, Lt. Gen. Susan Helms became the first U.S. military woman in space, during the STS-54 mission on Space Shuttle Endeavour. Among her many accomplishments is the longest NASA spacewalk to date of 8 hrs and 56 mins.
