This Day In Space History: August 24

With one new planet and one 'old' planet, we've got some pretty cool stuff happening today in the world of space...check it out!

1966

The Soviet Union's orbiter Luna 11 is launched. Read about the mission here: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/luna_11/indepth

1985

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-51I.html
Due to poor weather conditions, STS 51-I is cancelled at T-5 minutes and rescheduled.

1981 & 1989

http://www.yearinspace.com/the-week-in-space
Launched a few days ago in 1977, Voyager 2 -the spacecraft we've been following the past couple days- flies by Saturn and in 1989, flies by Neptune.

2006

The conclusion of the 26th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) made the conclusion that the planet Pluto would now be considered a Dwarf Planet, as they refined their definition of what a "planet" is. I remember watching the news with in my parents' room when this happened. A sad day for those who support Pluto's existence as a planet! The excerpt below is from the press release which can be read here: https://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau0603/

The IAU members gathered at the 2006 General Assembly agreed that a "planet" is defined as a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.

This means that the Solar System consists of eight "planets" Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. A new distinct class of objects called "dwarf planets" was also decided.

2016

A telescope at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile discovered an Earth-like exoplanet called Proxima B, which orbits Proxima Centauri, our closest star (besides our Sun). While the planet is closer to its sun than Mercury is to ours, it has the potential to have liquid water, but the potential for life would also depend on radiation from its sun and whether or not it has an atmosphere. These are two among a list of unknowns which can be found here: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/eso-discovers-earth-size-planet-in-habitable-zone-of-nearest-star  Who knows, maybe this discovery will be the push we needed to get a spacecraft out there, into another solar system!



For a complete list of today’s Space History, see  http://www.astronautix.com/a/august24.html

This Day In Space History: August 22

1963

Joe Walker, a civilian test pilot for NASA, breaks the altitude world record at 354,200 feet in the X-15 rocket plane. This record remained unbroken until 2004. Read the article to find out why Walker didn't get his astronaut wings until after his death: https://theaviationist.com/2014/08/07/x-15-altitude-record/

1964

http://www.astronautix.com/a/august22.html

The Soviet Union's first communications satellite, Cosmos 41, is launched

1976

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/luna24.html
Luna 24 lands in Moscow after a 13-day mission and returned 170.1 grams of soil from the moon.

1989

Contrary to researchers' predictions and expectations,Voyager 2 detects a complete ring around Neptune. Read the original article from the LA Times here: http://articles.latimes.com/1989-08-22/news/mn-1082_1_complete-ring




For a complete list of today’s Space History, see  http://www.astronautix.com/a/august22.html

This Day In Space History: August 21

1972

The Orbiting Astronomy Observatory 3, "Copernicus" is launched. Read about the mission here: https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1972-065A

1989

Launched twelve years ago yesterday, Voyager 2 flies by Neptune's moon Triton. Read about Neptune's largest moon, and its encounter with the Voyager spacecraft here: https://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2009/08/dayintech_0821/

1993

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2017/08/21/this-day-in-history-august-21-2017.html

NASA loses contact with the Mars Observer orbiter before its entry into Martian orbit.

2017

A total solar eclipse is visible over North America, the first time in 38 years!!!

For a complete list of today’s Space History, see  http://www.astronautix.com/a/august21.html

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 11

1960

https://www.space.com/37183-today-in-space.html
The satellite Discoverer 13 becomes the first space capsule to be recovered from Earth's orbit. It landed in the Pacific Ocean, was airlifted by a Navy helicopter to a ship to Pearl Harbor.

1962

http://www.yearinspace.com/the-week-in-space
The USSR launches Vostok 3.

1989

Voyager 2 discovers Neptune's partial rings.

read the news report here: http://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/08/11/Voyager-2-discovers-partial-rings-around-Neptune/5083618811200/

1999

http://www.onthisday.com/events/august/11

A total solar eclipse is seen in much of the northern hemisphere for a total of 2 minutes and 23 seconds.

For a complete list of today’s Space History, see  http://www.astronautix.com/a/august11.html