On July 26, 1971, Apollo 15 was launched, bringing the fourth American crew to the Moon’s surface. Apollo 15 would become the first of three extended missions to the moon, known as K missions. The mission was more focused on science than previous landings had been. It also marked the first use of the lunar rover.
On June 29, 1995, the US Space Shuttle Atlantis docked the Russian space station Mir for the first time. The mission, STS-71, was the third in the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir program. It began on June 27, 1995, when the Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This was the 100th US human space launch from Cape Canaveral.
On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth aboard his Friendship 7 capsule.
On February 18, 1930, Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto after nearly a year of searching. It would be another 85 years before the US sent its first space probe there – inspired by a postage stamp!
On January 31, 1961, Mercury-Redstone 2 launched Ham the Chimp into space. It was an important step in a program aimed at getting the first American in space.
Johannes Kepler was born December 27, 1571 in Weil der Stadt, Germany. Kepler was one of the leading figures in an era that has been called the “Scientific Revolution.”
On December 25, 1758, Halley’s Comet became the first comet to be seen after the accurate predicting of its passage. The comet was named after Royal Astronomer Sir Edmond Halley, who correctly predicted the comet’s return.
On September 9, 1969, the US Post Office issued its first ever jumbo-sized commemorative stamp. Honoring the Moon landing, the stamp was produced in secret and wasn’t announced until a week before the Apollo 11 launch.
On July 20, 1976, Viking 1 became the first man-made object to land on Mars. It was one of the first spacecraft to conduct prolonged scientific studies on the surface on another planet.