on this day in space

On Oct. 14, 1947, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time! Here's why it mattered.

On Oct. 13, 1773, a French astronomer named Charles Messier discovered the "Whirlpool Galaxy," also known as Messier 51, or M51. Here's why it mattered.

On Oct. 12, 1964, the Soviet Union launched Voskhod 1, a 24-hour crewed mission that achieved several "firsts" for human spaceflight. Here's why it mattered.

On. Oct. 11, 1968, Apollo 7 launched into space with NASA astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele and Walter Cunningham. Here's why it mattered.

On Oct. 10, 1967, the international Outer Space Treaty on how countries can use outer space ratified. Here's why it mattered.

On Oct. 9, 1992, a space rock the size of a bowling ball fell out of space and crash landed on a woman's Chevy Malibu in Peekskill, New York. Here's why it mattered.

On Oct. 8, 1992, NASA's Pioneer 12 spacecraft burned up in the atmosphere of Venus. Here's why it mattered.

On Oct. 7, 2002, the space shuttle Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-112 to build up the backbone of the International Space Station. Here's why it mattered.

On Oct. 6, 1992, the United States and Russia signed an agreement to share astronauts and cosmonauts on human spaceflight missions. Here's why it mattered.

On. Oct. 5, 1962, the European Southern Observatory was born! Here's why the network of telescopes atop Chile's Atacama Desert matter.