Tag: space history

ON THIS DAY: Space Shuttle Challenger explodes (1986)

On this Day January 28, 2026 at 16:35

On January 28, 1986, the United States faced a heartbreaking space disaster when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after liftoff from...

ON THIS DAY: Apollo 8 Christmas Eve message from orbit (1968)

On this Day December 24, 2025 at 13:14

On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 became the first humans to orbit the Moon- and delivered one of the most memorable...

ON THIS DAY: Soviets mark space station Mir launch (1986)

On this Day December 2, 2025 at 17:00

On this day in 1986, the Soviet Union opened a new chapter in space exploration with the successful launch of space station Mir, unveiling...

ON THIS DAY: Halley first observed his eponymous comet (1682)

On this Day August 26, 2025 at 11:39

On 26 August 1682, English astronomer Edmond Halley personally observed a comet streaking across the night sky. It was not his first professional study,...