Daily Facts about space exploration

2013

India launches its first interplanetary mission, the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan).

2006

NASA launches the New Horizons spacecraft, initiating a mission to explore Pluto and the Kuiper Belt in our solar system.

2000

The first long-term crew, Expedition 1, arrives at the International Space Station (ISS),marking the beginning of continuous human presence in space.

2000

Soyuz TM-31 is launched, carrying the first resident crew to the International Space Station (ISS).

1986

The Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates just 73 seconds after liftoff, leading to the tragic loss of all seven crew members on board.

1980

Voyager 1, the spacecraft, makes its closest approach to Saturn, capturing stunning images and conducting scientific observations.

1972

Apollo 17, the final mission of NASA's Apollo program and the last crewed lunar landing to date, launches from Kennedy Space Center.

1972

NASA's Apollo 17 mission is launched, marking the final mission of the Apollo program and the last time humans walk on the Moon.

1970

The Soviet Union achieves a milestone in space exploration by successfully landing Lunokhod 1, the first remote-controlled robot, on the Moon.

1969

The Apollo 12 mission to the Moon is successfully launched, becoming the sixth crewed mission in the Apollo program.