Latest about on this day in space
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.
On this day in space! July 30, 1610: Galileo sees Saturn's rings for the 1st time
On July 30, 1610, the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei became the first to observe rings around the planet Saturn. Here's why it matters centuries later.
On this day in space! July 29, 1982: Soviet Salyut 6 space station falls to Earth
On July 29, 1982, the Salyut 6 space station fell out of space and safely burned up in Earth's atmosphere along the way. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! July 28, 1851: The 1st photo of a total solar eclipse was taken by a Prussian daguerreotypist
On July 28, 1851, the first-ever photo of a total solar eclipse was recorded by a Prussian daguerreotypist named Johann Julius Friedrich Berkowski. It changed solar astronomy.
