Video: 'Space Shuttle Enterprise Flight Test'
(Friday, February 18, 1977, 8:30 a.m. PST) — The space shuttle prototype Enterprise, sitting atop a Boeing 747, went on its debut “flight” today over the Mojave Desert near Edwards Air Force Base in California. Continue reading Space Shuttle prototype tested over California desert 40 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 18 1977)
Video: 'Apollo 1 tragedy: From the Archives'
(Friday, January 27, 1967, 6:31:04.2 p.m. EST/23:31:04.2 GMT) — The three-man crew of astronauts for the Apollo 1 mission were killed tonight at Cape Kennedy, Florida, in a flash fire during a test aboard the huge spacecraft designed to take man to the moon. Continue reading Three Apollo astronauts die in fire during test 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 27 1967)
Video: 'USA: MARS PATHFINDER SPACECRAFT FINALLY LAUNCHED'
(Wednesday, December 4, 1996, 1:58:07 a.m. EST) — The unmanned American spacecraft Mars Pathfinder lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, this morning and began speeding toward the red planet on a seven-month, 310 million-mile odyssey to deliver the first remotely controlled roving vehicle designed to traverse the landscape of another planet. Continue reading Mars Pathfinder speeds toward red planet 20 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 4 1996)
Video: 'Gemini XII Mission 1966 NASA (Gemini 12) Jim Lovell & Buzz Aldrin'
(Friday, November 11, 1966, at 20:46:33 UTC/3:46 p.m. EST; during Project Gemini) — Gemini 12 blasted off today on a four-day mission with astronauts James A. Lovell and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. aboard, steering their spacecraft to a successful rendezvous and linkup with an Agena target vehicle. Continue reading Astronauts chase Agena on final Gemini flight 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Nov 11 1966)
Video: 'Viking I Lands on Mars, ABC News, July 20, 1976'
(Tuesday, July 20, 1976, 11:53:06 UTC/7:53:06 a.m. EDT) — An explorer from Earth, the robot craft Viking 1, made the first successful landing on Mars today and transmitted spectacular photographs of a rocky, wind-scoured desert plain, the site for the first direct search for life on another world. Continue reading Viking 1 makes first successful landing on Mars 40 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (July 20 1976)
Video: 'AC-10: Surveyor 1 launch (30.5.66)'
(Monday, May 30, 1966, 14:41:01 UTC/10:41:01 a.m. EDT) — Surveyor 1, an unmanned spacecraft making the nation’s first attempt at a soft landing on the moon, streaked toward its target today with bullseye accuracy.
It carried a camera that will send thousands of pictures of the moon’s surface back to earth, if all does well.
Video: '1966: Gemini 8 (NASA)'
(Wednesday, March 16, 1966, 16:41:02 UTC) — Gemini 8 was launched today from Cape Kennedy, Florida, with astronauts Neil Armstrong and David Scott on a mission to rendezvous and dock with Agena, a target vehicle in orbit.
Although the docking was successful, the joined vehicles began spinning, forcing Gemini to disconnect and abort the flight.
Video: 'Venera 3'
(Tuesday, March 1, 1966, at 6:56 UTC/9:56 a.m. MSK) — The Soviet space probe Venera 3 crashed today on Venus, becoming the first spacecraft to land on another planet’s surface.
Although it was able to transmit to Earth, its data capture system had failed earlier in transit and was unable to record any data.
Video: 'STS-75 launch & landing (2-22-96)'
(Thursday, February 22, 1996, 3:18 p.m. EST/20:18:00 UTC) — The space shuttle Columbia blasted into orbit today on a mission to unreel a satellite on the end of a 12.8-mile tether. (The cord broke just before being extended to its full length.)
