Video: 'Apollo 8 CBS' (Apollo 8 launches on video #5 at 6:09)

(Saturday, December 21, 1968, 12:51:00 UTC) — The three astronauts of Apollo 8 — Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot James Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders — were launched this morning from Cape Kennedy, Florida, to become the first manned spacecraft to leave low Earth orbit, reach the Earth’s Moon, orbit it and return safely to Earth. Continue reading Apollo 8 launched on mission to orbit moon 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 21 1968) →

Video: 'SYND 17 1 78 NASA CHOSE WOMEN ASTRONAUT'

(Monday, January 16, 1978, 1:00 p.m. EST) — Officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) today named 35 new candidates to be astronauts in the space shuttle program, including Sally Ride, who became America’s first woman in space, and Guion Bluford, who became America’s first black astronaut in space. Continue reading First female and black astronaut candidates selected 40 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 16 1978) →

Video: ‘Surveyor Program Ends’

(Tuesday, January 9, 1968, 8:35 p.m. EST) — The Surveyor 7 space probe, the seventh and last lunar lander of the American unmanned Surveyor program sent to explore the surface of the Moon, made a soft landing today on the outer rim of the crater Tycho, marking the end of the American series of unmanned explorations of the lunar surface. Continue reading Soft landing made by lunar probe 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 9 1968) →

Video: 'Voyager 2 Spacecraft Reaches 35 Years Old'

(Saturday, August 20, 1977, 14:29:00 UTC) — Voyager 2, an unmanned spacecraft built to study the outer planets, was launched today at Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying a 12-inch copper phonograph record containing greetings in dozens of languages, samples of music and sounds of nature. Continue reading Voyager heads toward outer planets 40 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 20 1977) →