This Day In Space History: August 20

2

http://www.onthisday.com/events/august/20
A Venus-Jupiter conjunction occurs, believed to be the "Star of Bethlehem." It also happened one week earlier the following year, read my post here.

1913

http://www.onthisday.com/events/august/20
Adolphe Pegoud becomes the first pilot to parachute out of an airplane.

1975

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdloqU2bmcA
Viking 1 is launched to Mars' orbit and will become the first successful landing of a spacecraft on the Red Planet. learn about the mission here: https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1975-075C

1977

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdloqU2bmcA
Just 16 days before its twin Voyager 1 is launched, Voyager 2 is launched today from Cape Canaveral toward Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.



For a complete list of today’s Space History, see  http://www.astronautix.com/a/august20.html

This Day In Space History: August 7

1959

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/thismonth/this_month_aug09.html
Launched at 10:23 am EDT from the Easter Space and Missile Center, Explorer 6 sends the first TV images of space back to Earth.

1969

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/thismonth/this_month_aug09.html
Zond 7, of the Soviet Circumlunar Mission, is launched and sends back to Earth pictures of the Earth and Moon in color.

1976

http://www.onthisday.com/events/august/7
Almost a year after its launch, Viking 2 enters Mars' orbit.

1980

https://www.space.com/37183-today-in-space.html
Launched in 1975 and first craft to successfully land on Mars, Viking 1 is shut down.



For a complete list of today’s Space History, see  http://www.astronautix.com/a/august07.html