In 1958, the US launched Gordo the squirrel monkey 300 miles above Earth; he endured 8.3 minutes of weightlessness and 40 g during re-entry, but died after his capsule sank at seaIn the historic space flight of 1958, Gordo, a courageous squirrel monkey, faced intense conditions that ultimately validated human surviva...
28 Aug, 2026, 03.50 PM IST
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...
28 Aug, 2026, 12.38 AM IST
Quote of the day by Stephen Hawking: 'It is very important for young people keep their sense of wonder and keep asking why.' Life lessons from motivational quote on curiosity, continuous learning, constant questioning, innovation, human discovery, scientific progress and exploring the unknownQuote of the day by Stephen Hawking asks young people to keep their sense of wonder and continue asking why. The message connects curiosity...
28 Aug, 2026, 12.07 AM IST
In 1963, New York abandoned an island where Typhoid Mary had been quarantined; 63 years later, 25 decaying buildings remain closed to the publicNorth Brother Island ultimately stands as one of New York City’s most unusual historical landscapes because its ruins tell several stories ...
27 Aug, 2026, 01.44 AM IST
In 1958, NASA launched a spacecraft Able 2 for the first time to the Moon but the mission failed after a small error and the probe reentered Earth's atmosphere about 43 hours after launchIn 1958, NASA launched Able 2, later known as Pioneer 1, on a mission to study the Moon. The spacecraft failed to reach lunar orbit after a...
26 Aug, 2026, 10.37 PM IST
NASA sent 3 aluminum LEGO figures on a 1.7 billion mile journey; by 2016, the figurines of 2 Roman gods and 1 famous scientist had become the fastest and farthest-traveling toys in history. Still orbiting Jupiter, they now face a fiery fateNASA's ambitious Juno mission made history by sending three aluminum LEGO figures to Jupiter, marking them as the fastest LEGO items ever c...
26 Aug, 2026, 11.40 AM IST
In 1958, US Air Force launched an Able 1 spacecraft to the Moon in humanity’s first attempt to send a spaceship anywhere beyond Earth orbit but the mission lasted only 73.6 secondsIn 1958, US Air Force launched an Able 1 spacecraft to the Moon in humanity’s first attempt to send a spaceship anywhere beyond Earth orbit...
26 Aug, 2026, 01.26 AM IST
In 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts found a white rock later identified as part of the Moon's ancient crust; the "Genesis rock" was estimated to be around four billion years oldIn 1971, the Apollo 15 mission led astronauts to discover a remarkable lunar rock, affectionately termed the 'Genesis rock' due to its age ...
25 Aug, 2026, 04.46 PM IST
In 1986, Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff; 36 years later, a TV dive team found a shuttle artifact with 8-inch tiles off FloridaDivers found a large, tiled object while filming a documentary series. This unexpected discovery was later identified as space shuttle Chal...
25 Aug, 2026, 01.00 PM IST
In 2011, a 320-gram Martian meteorite discovered in Sahara Desert reveals red planet Mars once had waterIn 2011, a 320-gram Martian meteorite discovered in Sahara Desert revealed evidence that Mars once had water. Known as Black Beauty or Nort...
25 Aug, 2026, 01.03 AM IST
In 1968, Apollo 8 photographed the famous Earthrise during its fourth lunar orbit; decades later, NASA used time-lapse images and LRO maps to reconstruct when and where it happenedThe forgotten camera aboard Apollo 8 inadvertently captured the Earthrise photo, highlighting an extraordinary moment for humanity. Utilizi...
24 Aug, 2026, 06.50 PM IST
In 1963, France sent a stray cat 154 km into space; Félicette survived the flight, was euthanized for research, and honoured with a bronze statueIn 1963, France sent stray cat Félicette 154 km into space, making her the first and only cat to travel beyond Earth. She survived the flig...
24 Aug, 2026, 05.42 PM IST
In 1969, she helped Apollo 11 carrying Neil Armstrong land on the moon. Indiana woman wrote the code that made it happen. She was MIT's first female programmerMargaret Hamilton, a computer scientist from Indiana, played a crucial role in NASA’s Apollo programme by leading the team that developed t...
24 Aug, 2026, 02.32 PM IST
From Thumba to tomorrow: Indian space programme is preparing for its biggest leap yetIndia's space program began with a small rocket range in 1962. It progressed to launching its first satellite and developing indigenous lau...
24 Aug, 2026, 01.25 PM IST
Quote of the Day by American art historian George Kubler: ‘Actuality is when the lighthouse is dark between flashes, it is the instant between the ticks of the watch…’ - why the moments when nothing is happening may matter mostQuote of the Day: George Kubler draws attention to the quiet essence of times when it seems like nothing is unfolding. In our rapid-paced s...
23 Aug, 2026, 10.26 AM IST
In 1973, Skylab lost its heat shield and reached 130°F; NASA cooled the station with a parasol built from fishing rods and foil-like fabricIn 1973, Skylab, the United States' first space station, suffered from overheating just after its launch. Ingenious engineers quickly came ...
22 Aug, 2026, 06.30 PM IST
In 1972, Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke left a photo of his wife and two sons on the Moon with a touching message from ‘Planet Earth’ that has remained there for more than 50 yearsIn 1972, Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke left a framed photo of his wife and two sons on the Moon, along with a touching message identifyi...
22 Aug, 2026, 12.46 AM IST