Video: 'APOLLO 16 NEWS REPORTS ( APRIL - MAY 1972)' (Apr. 20, 1972, at 25:14)

(Thursday, April 20, 1972, 9:23:35 p.m. EST; during the Apollo 16 mission to the Moon) — After hours of uncertainty and concern, the astronauts of Apollo 16 finally got the go-ahead and descended to a delayed but successful landing tonight in the mountains of the Moon.

Commander John Young and Lunar Module Pilot Charles Duke steered their landing craft, Orion, to a smooth touchdown on a rolling, boulder?strewn plateau surrounded by mountains, craters, and volcanic-like terrain.

Their landing, the nation’s fifth in three years, was delayed nearly six hours when the command ship, piloted by Command Module Pilot Ken Mattingly, developed slight oscillations in its rocket engine. These were caused by a malfunction of its secondary guidance system.

Video: 'Apollo 16 - Landing in the Descartes Highlands - April 20, 1972'

But, if anything, the delay sharpened the two astronauts’ excitement upon their arrival at the region known as Descartes, after a nearby crater. Their landing was just a few hundred feet off the exact target.

Duke looked out Orion‘s windows at sights only eight other men have ever seen and exclaimed, “Well, Orion is finally here, Houston. fantastic.”

Because of the delay — the landing was originally scheduled for 3:41 p.m. EST — the first extravehicular activity (EVA), or moonwalk, was delayed until Apr. 21, 1972, at 11:47 a.m. EST.

Video: 'NBC NEWS - APOLLO 16 LAUNCH (4-16-1972)' (launch is at 45:27 into video)

(Sunday, April 16, 1972, 12:54 p.m. EST) — Apollo 16, the tenth crewed mission in the United States Apollo space program, administered by NASA, and the fifth and next-to-last to land on the Moon, launched on the thrust of a 36-story Saturn V rocket this afternoon from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, crewed by Commander John Young, Lunar Module Pilot Charles Duke, and Command Module Pilot Ken Mattingly. Continue reading Apollo 16 launches toward the Moon from Kennedy Space Center 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 16 1972) →

Video: 'Friendship 7 (Full Mission 01)'

(Tuesday, February 20, 1962, 9:47:39 a.m.-2:43:02 p.m. EST) — The United States placed an astronaut into orbit for the first time today as John Glenn, 40, was sent aloft by an Atlas LV-3B launch vehicle lifting off from Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard the Mercury spacecraft Friendship 7. Continue reading ‘Godspeed, John Glenn’: Astronaut becomes first American to orbit Earth 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 20 1962) →

Video: 'Enos the Chimpanzee travels to space on NASA's Mercury Atlas 5 1960 video'

(Wednesday, November 29, 1961, 10:07 a.m. EST) — The U.S. successfully placed a chimpanzee, Enos, into orbit around the Earth today, clearing the way for the first American astronaut to break the pull of Earth’s gravity. Continue reading Enos the chimp orbits Earth, paves way for U.S. to send human aloft 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Nov 29 1961) →

Video: 'What Did Voyager 2 See During its Journey Out Of The Solar System? 1977-2019 (4k UHD)' (Aug. 25, 1981, at 3:07)

(Tuesday, August 25, 1981, Voyager’s closest approach to Saturn came at 11:24:05 p.m. EDT) — Sweeping out of the interplanetary darkness and over the sparkling lights of Saturn’s rings, Voyager 2 kept its rendezvous tonight with the giant planet and its retinue of moons and sent back data and pictures of worlds as perplexing as they are dazzling. Continue reading U.S. spacecraft Voyager 2 comes within 63,000 miles of Saturn’s cloud cover 40 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 25 1981) →

Video: 'Al Worden's Deep Space EVA'

(Thursday, August 5, 1971, 11:40 p.m. EDT) — Apollo 15 astronaut Alfred Worden stepped into the black vacuum 196,000 miles from the earth today to become the first person ever to take a floating excursion outside his craft in interplanetary “deep space.” Continue reading Apollo 15 astronaut Alfred Worden becomes first human to walk in deep space 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 5 1971) →

Video: 'Apollo 15 Remastered [4K]' (July 31, 1971, at 25:28)

(Saturday, July 31, 1971, 11:20 a.m. EDT) — Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott became the first persons to drive a wheeled vehicle on the surface of the Moon today with astronaut James Irwin riding along as a passenger. Continue reading Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott becomes first human to drive a wheeled vehicle on the Moon’s surface 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 31 1971) →

Video: 'Flying Down to Hadley Rille, Apollo 15 Moon Landing, 1971'

(Friday, July 30, 1971, 6:16:29 p.m. EDT) — Two American astronauts rode their craft to a smooth landing on the Moon tonight, coming to rest in a valley at the foot of spectacular mountains and near the rim of a deep canyon, Hadley Rille. Continue reading Apollo 15 crew lands on the Moon near mountains and a canyon 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 30 1971) →

Video: 'NBC NEWS - APOLLO 15 LAUNCH (7-26-1971)'

(Monday, July 26, 1971, 9:34 a.m. EDT) — Apollo 15, carrying astronauts David Scott, Alfred Worden, and James Irwin, was launched from the Kennedy Space Center at Merritt Island, Florida, this morning on its mission to the Moon. Continue reading Apollo 15 heads for Moon after smooth launching and docking with module 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 26 1971) →

Video: 'Soyuz 11 - Death Of Three Astronauts'

(Wednesday, June 30, 1971, approximately 1:47 a.m. Moscow Standard Time) — After a successful mission aboard Salyut 1, the world’s first manned space station, the crew of the Soyuz 11 spacecraft were killed today during their return into Earth’s atmosphere after 23 days on the orbiting station, setting a new record for time spent in space. Continue reading Three Soviet cosmonauts who set endurance record for space flights die on return to Earth 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 30 1971) →