Titan-Centaur Fails First Test, Yet Mission Successful

Centaur RocketFebruary 11, 1974

The first Titan-Centaur rocket test launch fails. However the test was successful enough that no more tests were performed and this rocket design was used 6 more times successfully. Scientists are strange.

Osumi!

OsumiFebruary 11, 1970

Japan launches Osumi, their first satellite. By doing so, Japan becomes the 4th nation to put a satellite in orbit.

Satellites Collide!

Iridium SatelliteFebruary 10, 2009

The communication satellites Iridium 33 and Kosmos-2251 collide in orbit, destroying both. This was the first major collision of satellites in Earth orbit.

Galileo Flies by Venus

GalileoFebruary 10, 1990

The spacecraft Galileo flies by Venus on its way to Jupiter. Galileo used the flyby of Venus along with two flybys of Earth as a “gravitational slingshot” in order to reach Jupiter with the least amount of fuel.

First Untethered Space Walk

First Untethered Space Walk

February 7, 1984

Astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart make the first untethered space walk using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU). McCandless became the first human Earth-orbiting satellite, venturing out 320 feet from the orbiter.

First Golf Ball Hit on Moon

Golf on the MoonFebruary 6, 1971

1971 – Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard hits the first golf ball on the Moon. He used a six-iron attached to a sample collection tool.

Apollo 14 Lands on Moon

Apollo 14February 5, 1971

Apollo 14, the 3rd US manned Moon expedition, lands near Fra Mauro. Alan Shepard & Edward Mitchell walk on the Moon for 4 hrs.

First Woman to Pilot the Space Shuttle

Commander Eileen CollinsFebruary 3, 1995

Astronaut Eileen Collins becomes the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle as mission STS-63 gets underway from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

First Soft Landing on Moon

Luna 9February 3, 1966

The unmanned Soviet Luna 9 spacecraft makes the first controlled rocket-assisted landing on the Moon. It was the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on any planetary body other than the Earth and to transmit photographic data to Earth. It was, however, the 12th attempt by the Soviets at a soft landing.

Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster

Crew of STS-107February 1, 2003

The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard. The cause of the disaster was a piece of foam insulation the size of a small briefcase that broke off the external tank during launch and struck the leading edge of the left wing. This damaged the Shuttle’s thermal protection system (TPS), which protected it from heat generated by the atmosphere during re-entry. The damage allowed hot gases to penetrate and destroy the internal wing structure, resulting in the in-flight breakup of the Columbia.