Latest about on this day in space
On this day in space! Aug. 8, 1977: Soviet Union's Salyut 5 reconnaissance space station burns up in Earth's atmosphere
Salyut 5 was a Soviet space station and part of the highly-secretive Almaz military space station program.
On this day in space! Aug. 7, 1980: NASA's Viking 1 Mars orbiter shuts down 4 years into a 90-day mission
On Aug. 7, 1980, NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft orbiting Mars ended its epic and historic mission to the Red Planet. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Aug. 6, 2012: NASA lands huge Curiosity rover on Mars with a rocket-powered sky crane
On Aug. 6, 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover successfully touched down on the Martian surface in a way never attempted before: a rocket-powered sky crane. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Aug. 5, 2011: NASA's Juno spacecraft launches to Jupiter
On Aug. 5, 2011, NASA launched the Juno spacecraft on a mission to study Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Aug. 4, 2007: NASA launches Phoenix Mars lander to Red Planet
On Aug. 4, 2007, NASA launched its Phoenix Mars Lander on a mission to touch down in the Martian arctic for the first time. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Aug. 3, 2004: NASA launches MESSENGER spacecraft to orbit Mercury
NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft aimed to orbit Mercury for the first time to hunt for clues of water on the tiny, innermost planet.
On this day in space! Aug. 2, 1971: Apollo 15 makes 1st-ever televised liftoff from the moon
On Aug. 2, 1971, a lunar liftoff was televised for the first time on NASA's Apollo 15 mission, one giant leap for live TV from the moon.
On this day in space! July 31, 1971: Apollo 15 astronauts drive on the moon for 1st time
On July 31, 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts drove on the moon for the first time. Here's how it happened and why it mattered.
