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SPACECRAFT EXPERIMENTS
In 1996, Endeavour released a coffee-table-size package that inflated into a 46-foot antenna; the tennis-court-size structure worked for several hours in spaceIn 1996, NASA's Endeavour shuttle achieved a significant milestone by launching an inflatable antenna experiment that expanded to the dimen...- In 2005, NASA flew five thick-toed geckos aboard Foton-M2 for 16 days without food or water; all were recovered with no apparent negative health effectsFive geckos orbited Earth for sixteen days without food or water. Researchers studied how weightlessness affects these cold-blooded animals...
- In 1987, Bion 8 carried monkeys Yerosha and Dryoma for 13 days; Yerosha escaped part of his restraints before the capsule landed 1,850 miles off targetThe Soviet Bion program studied weightlessness effects using rhesus macaques. Bion 8 launched in 1987 with two monkeys, Yerosha and Dryoma....
- In 1974, Skylab 4 astronauts returned after 84 days in orbit; flipped circuit breakers cut pitch-and-yaw control before Carr used backup mode for reentryThe Skylab 4 mission set a new record with astronauts spending 84 days in space, where they conducted crucial scientific experiments while ...
- In 1972, NASA sealed 3 astronauts inside a 20-foot chamber for 56 days to rehearse Skylab; the ground experiment exposed hardware and medical problems before launchIn 1972, three astronauts conducted a remarkable ground simulation, residing in a sealed chamber for a staggering 56 days. This experiment ...
- In 1984, a 33-year-old NASA astronaut stepped outside challenger. She became the first American woman to walk in spaceKathryn Sullivan etched her name in history in 1984 when she became the first American woman to walk in space during her pivotal Challenger...
- In 2009, NASA sent four painted lady caterpillars to the ISS; reports said all four completed metamorphosis and emerged as adult butterflies in microgravityIn 2009, four painted lady caterpillars made their way to the International Space Station, embarking on a unique journey. In the absence of...
- In 1962, NASA packed 22,900 gallons of water into a Saturn I rocket and deliberately released it 65 miles above Earth to see how water behaved in the upper atmosphereNASA scientists have long explored recycling resources for extended space travel. Plants and microorganisms could help regenerate vital sup...
- In 2021, a spacecraft was launched on a first-ever suicide mission to try to deflect an asteroid on impact in space in the revolutionary planetary defense experiment: How NASA’s DART mission changed an asteroid’s orbitIn 2021, a spacecraft was launched on a first-ever suicide mission to try to deflect an asteroid on impact in space in the revolutionary pl...
- NASA's Apollo 12 survived two lightning strikes, then astronaut Alan Bean accidentally pointed its TV camera at the Sun, ending live broadcasts from the MoonDuring Apollo 12’s lunar mission, an incident occurred shortly after the astronauts landed on the Moon. Alan Bean unintentionally aimed the...
- NASA sent Pseudomonas aeruginosa on shuttle Atlantis to space, where it formed denser biofilms with an unusual “column-and-canopy” structureIn groundbreaking space experiments, bacteria grown in synthetic urine were sent aboard the Atlantis space shuttle on two occasions. These ...
- In 1968, two Russian steppe tortoises travelled around the Moon before humans did. They survived a punishing 20G force while returning to EarthIn a remarkable journey, two Russian steppe tortoises embarked on a mission aboard Zond 5, orbiting the Moon in September 1968. This pionee...
- In 1997, NASA launched Columbia to study undercooled molten metals in microgravity; the STS-83 mission also carried experiments on sintering and fire behaviorThe 1997 mission of space shuttle Columbia was cut short due to problems with fuel cells. However, the crew managed to perform crucial micr...
- In 2015, NASA astronauts ate space-grown lettuce in orbit for the first time; fresh food may also help support crew morale on long missionsAstronauts aboard the International Space Station made history by eating lettuce that was grown in microgravity. This significant event sho...
- In 1965, an astronaut secretly smuggled corned-beef sandwich into space, creating a '$30 million' problem for NASAIn 1965, astronaut John Young secretly carried an unauthorized corned-beef sandwich aboard NASA’s Gemini 3 mission. The sandwich created pr...
- In 1964, NASA first tracked a satellite with lasers; the method later helped measure sea-level rise and ice lossIn 1964, NASA researchers made history by tracking a satellite for the first time using a laser beam. Leveraging spare radar components and...
- In 1968, two Afghan tortoises who beat humans to the Moon lost 10% of their weight - They flew around the moon on Soviet Zond 5 and returned alive 3 months before Apollo 8In September 1968, two tortoises made history as the first animals to orbit the Moon and safely return to Earth aboard the Soviet Zond 5 sp...
- In 1975, Soviet Union sent a cannon to space and tested it from Salyut 3 station, just six months before US and Soviet astronauts met in orbit for the Apollo-Soyuz mission during the Cold WarIn January 1975, the Soviet Union fired a 23mm cannon from its Salyut 3 military space station as a test of its orbital defence system. The...
- At 7, Jammy-born boy entered Guinness records as world’s youngest male webmaster. Now 20, he’s raised $4.3 million to fix a major space communication problemJammu-born Onkar Singh Batra is building a space communication network. His startup Apolink aims to keep satellites connected beyond ground...
- In 1966, Michael Collins lost a camera and a micrometeorite experiment during a Gemini X spacewalk; both drifted away into orbitDuring the Gemini X mission in 1966, astronaut Michael Collins faced setbacks when he lost both his camera and a scientific experiment duri...
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