Docendo Discimus
December 13, 1971, marked a significant moment in the annals of space exploration. It was on this day that the crew of Apollo 17, NASA's last Apollo moon mission, embarked on their final moonwalk, an event etched deeply in the chronicles of space history. Before delving into the details of this final excursion, it is... Continue Reading →
On December 2, 1993, NASA embarked on one of the most challenging and significant missions in the history of space exploration - the STS-61 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. This mission was critically important as it aimed to repair the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), which, since its launch in 1990, had been plagued with... Continue Reading →
The N-1 rocket, a symbol of the Soviet Union's ambitious yet ultimately ill-fated lunar aspirations, met its final demise on November 23, 1972, marking a critical juncture in the space race and altering the trajectory of space exploration history. In the heat of the space race against the United States, the Soviet Union embarked on... Continue Reading →
Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. was born on November 18, 1923, in East Derry, New Hampshire, USA. He grew up in a family with a strong military tradition, which influenced his early interest in aviation and ultimately led him to a distinguished career in both the United States Navy and NASA. Shepard graduated from the United... Continue Reading →
In the annals of space exploration, few moments stand out as distinctly as the inaugural flight of NASA's Saturn family of rockets. On October 27, 1961, a monumental milestone was achieved with the launch of the first Saturn booster, known as Saturn I, marking a pivotal step in America's bid to explore beyond our planet.... Continue Reading →
The Galileo mission, one of NASA's most ambitious planetary exploration endeavors, embarked on a remarkable journey to study Jupiter and its moons, providing invaluable insights into our solar system's largest planet. From its planning to its final moments, this mission stands as a testament to human ingenuity and our unquenchable thirst for knowledge. The concept... Continue Reading →
From the vast cosmic shores of the Cosmos, where stars are born and galaxies whirl in the grand cosmic dance, humanity extended its reach, embarking on a journey of discovery with robotic emissaries. One of these quests to quench our thirst for knowledge was the Viking 2 mission to our neighboring world, Mars. Launched on... Continue Reading →
The Voyager missions, particularly Voyager 2, have shaped our understanding of the outer solar system in ways that were once thought to be the stuff of dreams for astrophysicists like myself. The excitement surrounding the craft's approach to Saturn in 1981 and later Neptune in 1989 was palpable, reshaping our cosmic perspective with every image... Continue Reading →
The story of human exploration of the Moon is often dominated by the Apollo missions, the American flags planted on the lunar surface, and that iconic "giant leap for mankind." Yet, amidst the narratives of the American lunar program, a series of important missions by the Soviet Union often get overshadowed. One such mission was... Continue Reading →
In 1975, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) brought together the United States and the Soviet Union in a historic collaborative mission. This essay explores the background of the mission, the significance of the Apollo-Soyuz rendezvous, and its impact on space exploration and international relations. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union... Continue Reading →
Columbia disaster, breakup of a U.S. space shuttle orbiter on February 1, 2003, that killed all seven astronauts on board. Source: Columbia disaster | History & Crew | Britannica Columbia disaster, breakup of the U.S. space shuttle orbiter Columbia on February 1, 2003, that claimed the lives of all seven astronauts on board just minutes... Continue Reading →
Source: November 7, 1957 Nuke the Moon – Today in History Out of the mess of the Space race emerged an idea destined to go down in the Hare-Brain Hall of fame, if there is ever to be such a place. A show of force sufficient to boost domestic morale while showing the Russkies, we... Continue Reading →
Source: The Best Books About the Apollo Program and Landing on the Moon | Science | Smithsonian Magazine https://thumbs-prod.si-cdn.com/naaxNIVBZTTiQCn2oeTjQ_ujbWw=/800x600/filters:no_upscale()/https://public-media.si-cdn.com/filer/59/a2/59a21cd0-0f33-40b4-bad2-62785a47b66d/as11-40-5949b_0.jpg The United States space program before and during Apollo, including the first time humankind landed on the moon on July 20, 1969, during Apollo 11, is one of the most written about subjects in history. Much... Continue Reading →
On this day in 1971, the crew of Apollo 14 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean. The astronauts had just become the third NASA crew to walk on the moon. Remarkably, the Apollo 14 crew undertook their mission having just witnessed the “successful failure” that was Apollo 13. The latter mission, you may recall, nearly... Continue Reading →
On this day in 1967, the first manned Apollo mission ends in heartbreak. Apollo 1’s crew had been at Kennedy Space Center, preparing for their upcoming launch. Unfortunately, they never made it into space. Instead, all three astronauts were tragically killed during what should have been a simple launch rehearsal. Source: This Day in History:... Continue Reading →
On this day in 1969, Apollo 9 launches into space. It has been called one of the “lost and forgotten missions” in the Apollo program. Such a pity. Without Apollo 9, Apollo 11 never would have gone to the moon in the first place. Apollo 9’s crew was the first to test the lunar module... Continue Reading →
In October of 2005, the United States Air Force closed a significant chapter in their nuclear book with the space launch of the last Titan IV out of Vandenberg Air Force Base (AFB), California. The story of the Titan had first begun in 1959 as it stood on alert as a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile... Continue Reading →
Dave Does History 
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