The farthest human-made object is now so distant that even light takes nearly 24 hours to reach it; exactly 49 years after NASA launched Voyager 1 to explore Jupiter and Saturn, the spacecraft is still in interstellar space and sending data back to EarthThe Voyager 1 probe, launched in 1977, is now over 15.9 billion miles away. This spacecraft has ventured into interstellar space, sending v...
06 Sep, 2026, 09.07 AM IST
In 1951, two female stray dogs named Dezik and Tsygan became the first mammals to successfully cross the border of space and return aliveIn 1951, two female stray dogs named Dezik and Tsygan became the first mammals to successfully cross the border of space and return alive. ...
06 Sep, 2026, 01.35 AM IST
In 2005, ESA exposed two kinds of lichen to space for 14.6 days; both remained metabolically active and recovered after returning to EarthIn a groundbreaking experiment, two lichen species, Rhizocarpon geographicum and Xanthoria elegans, showcased extraordinary durability by s...
05 Sep, 2026, 01.20 PM IST
In 1984, NASA left Bacillus spores in space for nearly 6 years; after LDEF returned to Earth, 1–2% of the exposed spores were still aliveDuring an extensive six-year voyage aboard the LDEF satellite, soil bacteria spores demonstrated remarkable resilience, surviving the rigor...
05 Sep, 2026, 01.10 PM IST
In 2015, Japan exposed bacteria outside the ISS for 3 years; some clumps survived, while thicker ones were estimated to last longerJapanese researchers launched the resilient bacteria Deinococcus into orbit aboard the International Space Station. Remarkably, these micro...
05 Sep, 2026, 01.00 PM IST
In 1948, a male rhesus monkey named Albert was launched on a V-2 rocket by the US towards space but the mission failed and the animal did not survive the flightIn 1948, a male rhesus monkey named Albert was launched on a V-2 rocket by the US towards space in an early animal flight test. Albert I re...
04 Sep, 2026, 05.07 PM IST
In 1947, the military sent fruit flies 67 miles into space to test radiation risks. 11 years later, NASA was founded in 1958, with animal flights underway in America now1947 mission was part of a larger American effort to understand whether living organisms could survive the journey into space. Beginning in...
03 Sep, 2026, 08.59 PM IST
In 1983, NASA flew six rats in Challenger’s crew cabin for a 6-day test; the cage kept them healthy, but engineers called for a 20% more water safety marginIn 1983, six brave rats embarked on an experimental journey aboard the Challenger shuttle. Their specially designed enclosure ensured prote...
03 Sep, 2026, 02.00 PM IST
In 1990, the USSR sent six Japanese tree frogs to the Mir space station for an eight-day experiment, where researchers watched them float with all four legs stretched out and their bodies bent backward - then found the frogs improved their ability to land after jumping in microgravitySix Japanese tree frogs journeyed to the Soviet space station Mir in 1990. They spent eight days in microgravity, which allowed researchers...
03 Sep, 2026, 11.56 AM IST
In 2010, NASA launched a 12-pound, loaf-of-bread-sized satellite with two Bacillus populations; radiation exposure reached about 15 times that of the ISS orbitNASA's O/OREOS mission embarked on an exciting journey to observe how bacteria withstand the rigors of space radiation. The compact satelli...
02 Sep, 2026, 02.30 PM IST
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...
31 Aug, 2026, 07.54 PM IST
In 1960, NASA launched rhesus monkey Miss Sam to test Mercury's escape system, and she reached 1,800 mph and 9 miles, then returned in overall good conditionMiss Sam, a rhesus monkey, played a pivotal role in NASA's launch escape system testing, demonstrating the system's ability to safely eject...
31 Aug, 2026, 06.30 PM IST
A 1994 study placed tire reefs in concrete canals in California and Arizona; invertebrate densities tripled, and fish densities rose 20-fold near reefsConcrete canals, while conserving water, harmed aquatic ecosystems. Researchers tested old tires to create habitats for canal wildlife. Inv...
30 Aug, 2026, 04.20 PM IST
In 2013, Bion-M1 carried land snails in orbit for 30 days; hardware failures killed many other animals, but the snails survivedIn a space mission conducted by Russia in 2013, a tragic outcome ensued as most of the aboard animals, including mice, gerbils, and fish, c...
30 Aug, 2026, 04.00 PM IST
In 1959, Able and Baker survived a 300-mile Jupiter rocket flight; Able died during surgery four days later, while Baker lived to 27In 1959, two brave monkeys named Able and Baker embarked on a historic space mission. Tragically, Able passed away just four days post-miss...
29 Aug, 2026, 07.20 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
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