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1930: Pluto Discovered, Controversy Ensues
On this date in 1930, the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered. Here are some things you may not have known about what was once considered the ninth planet in the solar system. Although it wasn’t discovered until 1930, astronomers had predicted in the late 19th century that something besides the newly discovered Neptune was disturbing…
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Bonus Episode: Apollo 1 Disaster, 50 Years Ago
On this date in 1967, three American astronauts died in a training accident on the launch pad in Florida. Here are some things you may not have known about Apollo 1. Following the successes of the Mercury and Gemini programs, the next step in landing a man on the moon was the three-man Apollo program.…
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The Last Man on the Moon — So Far
On this date in 1972, Eugene Cernan became the last man to walk on the moon. Here are some things you may not have known about Apollo 17. Apollo 17 was the first mission to be commanded by someone who was not a test pilot. Gene Cernan was a fighter pilot in the navy, and…
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Skylab: America’s First Space Station
On this date in 1973, the third and final crew of the U.S. space station Skylab launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Here are a few things you may not have known about Skylab and other space stations. Skylab was the first American space station. The station itself was launched during an unmanned…
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NASA Inventions: From Space to You
On this date in 1958, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the National Space and Aeronautics Act, which authorized the formation of NASA. Here are a few technologies that you may not have known were created or developed for the American space program. Grooved pavement was developed to increase runway safety in the rain. The technology has…
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Asteroids: A Threat from Space
Today is Asteroid Day, marking the anniversary of the 1908 Tunguska Event, the largest asteroid impact on earth in recent history. Here are some things you may not have known about both of them. On the morning of June 30, 1908, an explosion over eastern Siberia flattened 770 square miles of forest. It’s believed that…
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Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space
55 years ago today, Yuri Gagarin became the first person to travel into outer space. Here are some things you may not have known about Gagarin and his flight. Yuri Gagarin was born in 1934 near the border between Russia and Belarus. During World War II, his family was displaced from their home and forced…
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Apollo 1: The Space Race Reality Check
On this date in 1967, three American astronauts died in a training accident on the launch pad in Florida. Here are some things you may not have known about Apollo 1. Following the successes of the Mercury and Gemini programs, the next step in landing a man on the moon was the three-man Apollo program.…