"This date in history"

[karimisss]

Dear Friends!

Be with us in this topic for reading the past activities & events in astronomy & space sciences.

Such as successes & failures in missions ,observations ,solving problems & etc.

Thank you

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On This Date in History - January 27

Astronomy & Space Word of The Day

zodiacal light: a faint glow from light scattered off of interplanetary dust along the plane of the ecliptic.

Who Was Born Today?

1940: Brian T O'Leary, born in Boston, Massachusetts, astronaut

Who Died Today?

1967: Edward Higgins White II, Lt Col USAF/astronaut (Gemini 4), age 36; Roger B Chaffee, astronaut, age 31; Virgil I (Gus) Grissom, astronaut, age 40 all died in Apollo I fire.

Today in History:

1908 Pasiphae, a satellite of Jupiter, discovered by Melotte

1967: Treaty banning military use of nuclear weapons in space, signed

1958: Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, Director of the NACA, in a speech to the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences, stressed the importance of a well-planned and logical space program embracing both civilian and military uses. He stated that the national space program should be under the joint control of the Department of Defense, the NACA, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Science Foundation; in addition to research flights, the NACA would coordinate and conduct research in space technology in its own laboratories and by contract in support of both military and nonmilitary projects.

1967: The crew of Apollo/Saturn 204 (more commonly known as Apollo 1 mission) were training for the first crewed Apollo flight, an Earth orbiting mission scheduled to be launched on 21 February. On board were astronaut Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, (the second American astronaut to fly into space) astronaut Edward H. White II, (the first American astronaut to "walk" in space) and astronaut Roger B. Chaffee, (a "rookie" astronaut on his first space mission). A fire broke out during the test and spread quickly through the cabin. The crew most likely perished within the first 30 seconds from smoke inhalation or burns. Resuscitation efforts were futile.

1985: 15th Space Shuttle (51-C) Mission-Discovery 3 returns to Earth

From: About.com

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On This Date in History - January 28

Astronom & Space Word of The Day

Chicxulub crater: a very large impact crater near the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The effects of this particular impact may have been responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

Who Was Born Today?

1608: Giovanni Alfonso Borelli, Naples, mathematician/astronomer

1611: Johannes Hevelius, Danzig, astronomer, star cataloger

1884: Lucien H d'Azambuja, France, astronomer, chromosome of sun

1939: John M Fabian, Goosecreek, Texas, Col USAF/astronaut, STS 7, STS 51G

1948: Mamoru Mohri, Yoichi-machi Hokkaido Japan, astronaut, STS 47

1950: David Carl Hilmers, Iowa, Col USMC/astronaut, STS 51-J, 26, 36, 42

1951: Leonid Konstantinovich Kadenyuk, Kkishkov Ukraine, astronaut, STS 87

Who Died Today?

1687: Johannes Hevelius, astronomer (star cataloger), dies on 76th birthday

1986: Christa McAuliffe, astronaut; Ellison S Onizuka, Hawaii, Mjr USAF/ast; Francis R Scobee, Wash, USAF/astronaut; Judith Arlene Resnik, Akron Oh, astronaut; Michael J Smith, Beaufort NC, Cmdr USN, astronaut; Ronald E McNair, Lake City SC, astronaut die in Challenger disaster

Today in History:

1613: Galileo may have unknowingly viewed undiscovered planet Neptune

1959: Nike-Cajun successfully launched 12-foot-diameter test inflatable sphere to a height of 75 miles over NASA Wallops Island, the sphere inflating satisfactorily.

1986: The Space Shuttle Challenger flew nine successful missions before that fateful day. Shuttle mission 51L was much like most other missions. The Challenger crew consisted of mission commander Francis R. Scobee; pilot Michael J. Smith; mission specialists Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, and Judith A. Resnik; and payload specialists Gregory B. Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe, the first of a new program, TISP, the Teacher In Space Program. Seventy three seconds into the mission, the Challenger exploded, killing the entire crew.

From: About.com

[karimisss]

On This Date in History - January 29

Quote Of The Day

We travel together, passengers on a little space ship, dependent on its vulnerable reserves of air & soil; all committed for our safety to its security & peace; preserved from annihilation only by the care, the work, and, I will say, the love we give our fragile craft. We cannot maintain it half fortunate, half miserable, half confident, half despairing, half slave—to the ancient enemies of man—half free in a liberation of resources undreamed of until this day.
No craft, no crew can travel safely with such vast contradictions. On their resolution
depends the survival of us all.

Adlai Stevenson 1900–65

Who Was Born Today

1939: O P Kolomitsev, cosmonaut
1942: Arnaldo Tamayo-Mendez, Cuba, cosmonaut, Soyuz 38

Who Died Today

Today in History

1959: First jet passenger service across the United States begun by American Airlines with Boeing 707's.

1964: Unmanned Apollo 1 Saturn launcher test attains Earth orbit

1976: Zeiss planetarium in Hague destroyed by fire

1984: Space Shuttle 41-B (STS-11) Challenger launched

From: About.com

[karimisss]

On This Date in History - January 30

Astronomy & Space Fact

Before NASA was formed, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was started by President Woodrow Wilson to supervise and direct the scientific study of the problems of flight. The NACA determined which problems should be experimentally worked on and discussed their solutions and their application to practical questions. The NACA also directed and conducted research and experiments in aeronautics.

Who Died Today

1948: Orville Wright died in Dayton, Ohio, at the age of 76.

Today in History

1889: John Herschel uses camera obscura to photograph 48" (120cm) telescope

1964: Ranger 6 - USA Lunar Hard Lander launched. Cameras failed; lunar probe impacted the surface of the Moon.

1989: Phobos 2 - USSR Phobos Flyby/Lander (July 12, 1988) arrived at Mars and was inserted into orbit. The orbiter moved within 800 kilometers of Phobos and then failed. The lander never made it to Phobos.

1992: Space Shuttle STS-42 (Discovery 15) lands

From: About.com

[karimisss]

On This Date in History - January 31

Astronomy & Space Word of The Day

radiation: Energy that is emitted in the form of electromagnetic waves. The electronics of spacecraft camera system are sensitive to radiation. Radiation can affect the images a spacecraft sends - similar to "snow" on a television with poor reception - which is referred to as "noise."

Today in History

1862: Telescope maker Alvin Clark discovers dwarf companion of Sirius

1958: Explorer 1, the first U.S. Earth-orbiting satellite, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch vehicle was an Army Jupiter-C rocket. Explorer 1 orbited the Earth every 115 minutes. Its orbit carried it from a low of about 220 miles to a high of nearly 1,600 miles.

1961: Ham is 1st primate in space (158 miles) aboard Mercury/Redstone 2

1961: USAF launches Samos spy satellite to replace U-2 flights

1966: Luna 9 - USSR Lunar Soft Lander launched. Luna 9 landed on the lunar surface and retuned the first photographs from the surface.

1971: Apollo 14 - USA Lunar Manned Lander (January 31 to February 8, 1971) launched. Crew: Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, Stuart A. Roosa. Shepard and Mitchell landed on the moon on February 5, 1971, in the Fra Mauro highlands, located at 3°40' S and longitude 17°28' E. They collected 42.9 kilograms of lunar samples and used a hand-held cart to transport rocks and equipment.

1972: US launches HEOS A-2 for interplanetary observations (396/244,998)

From: About.com

[karimisss]

On This Date in History - February 1

Astronomy & Space Word of The Day

Undae: Dunes (literally 'waves').

Who Was Born Today

1935: Vladimir Viktorovich Aksyonov, U.S.S.R., cosmonaut, Soyuz 22, T-2

1961: Daniel M Tani, Ridley Park, Maryland, astronaut

Who Died Today

2003 David Brown, astronaut, mission specialist; Ilan Ramon, astronaut, first Israeli in space, mission specialist, age 48; Kalpana Chawla, astronaut, first Asian Indian woman in space, payload specialist, age 41; Laurel Clark, astronaut, physician, age 41; Michael Anderson, astronaut, payload specialist, age 42; Rick Husband, astronaut, commander; William McCool, astronaut, pilot, age 41; Michael P. Anderson, American Astronaut die aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-107

Today in History

1949: 200" (5.08-m) Hale telescope 1st used

1971: Apollo 14 - USA Lunar Manned Lander (January 31 to February 8, 1971) Crew: Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, Stuart A. Roosa. Shepard and Mitchell landed on the moon on February 5, 1971, in the Fra Mauro highlands, located at 3°40' S and longitude 17°28' E. They collected 42.9 kilograms of lunar samples and used a hand-held cart to transport rocks and equipment.

1989: Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 at perihelion

2003: The day started on a bright note for the crew of STS-107 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. They were awakened by a rousing rendition of Scotland the Brave in honor of mission specialist Laurel Clark’s Scottish heritage. Mission Control followed the wake-up tune with news the astronauts had been waiting for. It was time to come home. The seven members of the crew (commander Rick Husband, pilot Willie McCool and mission specialists Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark, Mike Anderson, David Brown and Israeli payload specialist Ilan Ramon) were coming to the end of a 16 day mission of scientific experimentation.

Shortly after 9:00AM EST, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated in the skies above Texas, killing all crew members aboard.

From: About.com

[stargazer]

On This Date in History - February 2

Astronomy & Space Word of The Day

Crater Density: The number of craters on a surface per unit area.

Today in History:

1962: 8 of 9 planets align for 1st time in 400 years (Note: In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided that Pluto is not a planet, reducing the number of known planets in our solar system to 8.)

1971: Apollo 14 - USA Lunar Manned Lander (January 31 to February 8, 1971) Crew: Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, Stuart A. Roosa. Shepard and Mitchell landed on the moon on February 5, 1971, in the Fra Mauro highlands, located at 3°40' S and longitude 17°28' E. They collected 42.9 kilograms of lunar samples and used a hand-held cart to transport rocks and equipment.

1977: Burn up of Salyut 4 Space Station (U.S.S.R.)

1995: U.S. space shuttle Discovery launched

From: About.com

[karimisss]

On This Date in History - February 3


Astronomy & Space Word of The Day

Photosphere: The visible surface of the Sun; sunspots and faculae are observed in the photosphere.

Who Was Born Today

1938: Vladimir Grigoryevich Fartushny, Russia, cosmonaut
1939: Vladimir Yevgenyevich Preobrazhensky, Russian cosmonaut
1958: Joe Frank Edwards, Jr., Richmond, Virginia, Cmdr USN/astronaut, STS 89

Who Died Today

1862: Jean-Baptiste Biot, French physicist/astronomer, dies at 87

Today in History

1965: Orbiting Solar Observatory 2 launches into Earth orbit (552/636 km)

1966: 1st operational weather satellite, ESSA-1 launched US

1966: 1st soft landing on Moon (Soviet Luna 9)

1971: Apollo 14 - USA Lunar Manned Lander (January 31 to February 8, 1971) Crew: Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, Stuart A. Roosa. Shepard and Mitchell landed on the moon on February 5, 1971, in the Fra Mauro highlands, located at 3°40' S and longitude 17°28' E. They collected 42.9 kilograms of lunar samples and used a hand-held cart to transport rocks and equipment.

1984: 10th Space Shuttle Mission (41B)-Challenger 4 launched

1994: STS-60 (Discovery) launches into orbit

1995: STS 63 (Discovery 19), launches into orbit

From: About.com

[karimisss]

On This Date in History - February 4


Quote Of The Day

Every formula which expresses a law of nature is a hymn of praise to God.
Maria Mitchell(1818–1889)

Who Was Born Today

1906: Clyde William Tombaugh, U.S., astronomer, discovered Pluto

Who Died Today

Today in History

1961: Sputnik 7 launches into Earth orbit; probable Venus probe failure

1967: U.S. launches Lunar Orbiter 3

1971: Apollo 14 - USA Lunar Manned Lander (January 31 to February 8, 1971) Crew: Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, Stuart A. Roosa. Shepard and Mitchell landed on the moon on February 5, 1971, in the Fra Mauro highlands, located at 3°40' S and longitude 17°28' E. They collected 42.9 kilograms of lunar samples and used a hand-held cart to transport rocks and equipment.

1993: Russian space agency tests a 82' wide space mirror

From: About.com

[karimisss]

On This Date in History - February 5



Astronomy & Space Word of The Day

Aurora Borealis :The "Northern Lights"; caused by the interaction between the solar wind, the Earth's magnetic field and the upper atmosphere. A similar effect happens in the southern hemisphere where it is known as the aurora australis.

Who Was Born Today

1947: Mary Louise Cleave, Southampton, New York, PhD/astronaut, STS 61-B, STS 30
1949: Maidarjabyn Ganzorig, Mongolia, cosmonaut, Soyuz 39 backup

Who Died Today

Today in History

1958: Vanguard TV-3 back-up launches into Earth orbit; reaches 6 km

1962: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn within 16 degrees

1963: Soviet lunar probe failure

1967: Lunar Orbiter 3 - USA Lunar Orbiter launched. Orbited the moon, photographed the far side for potential Apollo 12 landing sites, then impacted on command.

1971: Apollo 14 - USA Lunar Manned Lander (January 31 to February 8, 1971) Crew: Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, Stuart A. Roosa. Shepard and Mitchell landed on the moon on February 5, 1971, in the Fra Mauro highlands, located at 3°40' S and longitude 17°28' E. They collected 42.9 kilograms of lunar samples and used a hand-held cart to transport rocks and equipment.

1974: Mariner 10 - USA Mercury/Venus Flyby - 526 kg - (November 3, 1973 - March 24, 1975) flew past Venus for a gravity assist to the planet Mercury. Mariner 10 was the first dual planet mission. Mariner 10 was the first spacecraft to have an imaging system. It recorded circulation in the Venusian atmosphere and showed the temperature of the cloud tops to be -23°C. Mariner 10 flew past Mercury 3 times on March 29, 1974, September 21, 1974, and March 16, 1975. These three encounters produced over 10,000 pictures with 57% planet coverage. It recorded surface temperatures ranging from 187°C to -183°C on the day and night sides. A weak magnetic field was detected but it failed to detect an atmosphere. Mariner 10 is now in a solar orbit.

1987: Soyuz TM-2 launches

1994: Clementine - USA Lunar Orbiter - (launched January 25, 1994) spent 70 days (between February 6 and May 5, 1994) in lunar orbit. The official name for Clementine is Deep Space Probe Science Experiment (DSPSE). It was a Department of Defense program used to test new space technology. Clementine was a new design using lightweight structure and propellant systems. Its four cameras mapped the surface of the Moon at 125-250 meters/pixel resolution. Clementine also used a laser to gather altimeter data which will make it possible to generate the first lunar topographic map

From: About.com