BBC ON THIS DAY

Photograph Of Edwin Aldrin stepping onto the moon from the Eagle landing craft

21 July
1969: Man takes first steps on the Moon

American Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to walk on the Moon.

28 January
1986: Seven dead in space shuttle disaster
The American space shuttle Challenger explodes killing all seven astronauts on board.

1 July
2004: Cassini captures Saturn's rings
International space probe Cassini-Huygens reaches Saturn and sends back the closest photographs yet of the planet's rings.

9 December
1993: Astronauts put Hubble back in action
A record-breaking mission to repair the faulty Hubble telescope in outer space is declared an unqualified success.

Space


04 Oct	1957: Sputnik satellite blasts into space

03 Nov	1957: Russians launch dog into space

13 Dec	1958: Monkey lost after space flight

28 May	1959: Monkeys survive space mission

12 Sep	1959: Soviets launch rocket at the Moon

26 Oct	1959: World glimpses far side of the Moon

14 Mar	1960: Radio telescope makes space history

31 Jan	1961: Chimp returns safely after space flight

12 Apr	1961: Soviets win space race

05 May	1961: Shepard becomes first US astronaut

25 May	1961: Kennedy pledges man on Moon

06 Aug	1961: Russian cosmonaut spends day in space

20 Feb	1962: US spaceman orbits Earth

26 Apr	1962: First US rocket lands on Moon

14 Dec	1962: 'Music of spheres' hails Venus fly-by

16 Jun	1963: Soviets launch first woman into space

24 Mar	1965: Millions watch space probe crash into Moon

29 Aug	1965: Gemini V returns to Earth

03 Feb	1966: Soviets land probe on Moon

02 Jun	1966: First US space probe lands on Moon

27 Jan	1967: Three astronauts die in Apollo 1 tragedy

24 Apr	1967: Russian cosmonaut dies in space crash

05 May	1967: First all-British satellite 'Ariel 3' launched

18 Oct	1967: Soviets glimpse beneath clouds of Venus

19 Oct	1967: US probe flies by hot and windy Venus

24 Dec	1968: First astronauts orbit Moon

22 May	1969: Apollo 10 gets bird's eye view of Moon

16 Jul	1969: Apollo 11 takes off for the Moon

19 Nov	1969: Second Apollo mission lands on Moon

14 Apr	1970: Critical explosion cripples Apollo 13

20 Sep	1970: Soviet probe collects moon rock

06 Feb	1971: Man plays golf on the Moon

30 Jun	1971: Space mission ends in tragedy

01 Aug	1971: Apollo 15 finds rock from birth of Moon

13 Nov	1971: American probe orbits Mars

20 Apr	1972: Apollo 16 safely on Moon after engine crisis

14 Dec	1972: Last Moon mission returns

08 Feb	1974: Americans end outer space marathon

20 Jul	1976: Pictures of Mars from Viking ship

11 Jul	1979: Skylab tumbles back to Earth

24 Dec	1979: Europe launches first rocket

12 Nov	1980: Saturn's rings caught on film

24 Jun	1983: US astronaut Sally Ride returns

20 Feb	1986: Soviets launch space station Mir

29 Sep	1988: Shuttle blasts US back into space

25 Aug	1989: Voyager spacecraft reaches Neptune

24 Apr	1990: Hubble telescope takes off for space

10 Aug	1990: Magellan starts mapping Venus

18 May	1991: Sharman becomes first Briton in space

09 Feb	1995: Space pioneers take first small steps

29 Jun	1995: US shuttle docks with Russian space station

06 Apr	1997: Fault cuts short space shuttle mission

06 Jul	1997: Mars buggy starts exploring Red Planet

07 Nov	1998: Oldest astronaut back on Earth

28 Apr	2001: First space tourist blasts off

01 Feb	2003: Columbia shuttle disintegrates killing seven

15 Oct	2003: China sends first man into space

25 Dec	2003: Mars space probe disappears

25 Jan	2004: Nasa rover looks for water on Mars

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