In 1951, Yorick the monkey and 11 mice rode an Aerobee rocket to 236,000 feet; the flight showed animals could survive launch and landing, though Yorick died after touchdownIn 1951, a rhesus monkey named Yorick embarked on a groundbreaking mission aboard a rocket, soaring nearly forty-five miles above the New M...
29 Aug, 2026, 06.40 PM IST
In 1984, NASA sent about 3,300 honeybees into space to test comb-building without gravity; the colony built about 31 square inches of honeycombIn 1984, honeybees traveled aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger for a unique student experiment. These bees successfully built honeycomb an...
29 Aug, 2026, 04.22 PM IST
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
In 1961, NASA sent Ham the chimpanzee 157 miles above Earth to test whether a primate could work in space; he completed a 16-minute flight and returned safelyChimpanzee Ham made history in 1961 when he soared into space aboard a Mercury-Redstone rocket. His mission aimed to assess the capabilitie...
28 Aug, 2026, 01.30 PM IST
In 1989, the space shuttle Discovery carried 32 fertilized chicken eggs for 5 days; all 16 early embryos died, while 8 older embryos later hatched without anatomical malformationsIn 1989, the space shuttle Discovery transported thirty-two fertilized chicken eggs into microgravity. Although younger embryos did not end...
28 Aug, 2026, 01.00 PM IST
Quote of the day by Aristotle: 'The value of life lies in the power of contemplation and not mere survival.' Life lessons from inspirational quote on true happiness, distraction, awareness, existence, deep thinking and self-awarenessQuote of the day by Aristotle focuses on the value of life through awareness and contemplation. The quote says that existence alone does no...
28 Aug, 2026, 01.20 AM IST
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 ...
27 Aug, 2026, 02.50 PM IST
NASA maps where Earth microbes could survive on the Moon for days and finds unexpected refuges near the lunar polesNASA scientists found some Earth microbes could survive on the Moon. Protected lunar polar areas offer refuge from harsh radiation and temp...
27 Aug, 2026, 02.25 PM IST
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...
26 Aug, 2026, 10.37 PM IST
In 2023, NASA grew tomatoes for 100 days aboard the space station; ground plants produced more than 100, while the space crop yielded 12 and was not eatenNASA's tomato experiment on the International Space Station faced major hurdles in microgravity, where watering issues resulted in uneven m...
26 Aug, 2026, 02.40 PM IST
In 2014, NASA sent 800 ants to the International Space Station to study how they search without gravity; some spent seconds tumbling through the airResearchers sent ants to the International Space Station to investigate their behavior under microgravity. This unique environment posed ch...
25 Aug, 2026, 09.49 PM IST
In 2014, NASA sent young and older mice into space; within 9 to 11 days, the younger ones began running group laps in zero gravityIn 2014, NASA launched a group of twenty mice to the International Space Station for groundbreaking research. Remarkably, the young mice ex...
25 Aug, 2026, 07.54 PM IST
In 1977, NASA placed a gold-plated copper record on each Voyager; it carries 115 images, greetings in 55 languages, and instructions for playing itIn 1977, NASA embarked on a monumental quest by launching the Voyager spacecraft, which was equipped with a Golden Record meant to communic...
25 Aug, 2026, 03.30 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 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...
24 Aug, 2026, 01.36 PM IST
Why NASA's latest moon discovery creates a major dilemma for Artemis astronautsMicrobes from Earth can survive on the Moon's surface for days. New research shows shadowed lunar craters offer protective microclimates fo...
20 Aug, 2026, 09.05 PM IST
On August 7, Elon Musk feared SpaceX’s Ship 40 was lost at sea. 11 days later, it became the first Starship upper stage ever recovered after returning from spaceSpaceX has made a remarkable achievement by successfully retrieving Starship Ship 40 from the depths of the Indian Ocean. The spacecraft em...
19 Aug, 2026, 07.34 PM IST