SPACE — On January 22, 2003, NASA’s Pioneer 10 spacecraft sent its final data transmission back to Earth. Pioneer 10 was NASA’s first mission to an outer planet.
Pioneer was the first spacecraft to fly through the asteroid belt, the first to visit Jupiter, and the first to travel beyond an outer planet. The spacecraft is currently on its way out of the solar system and has traveled more than 10 billion miles away from Earth.
Although originally only intended to last for 21 months, the Pioneer 10 continued to collect and transmit data for more than 30 years. His radioisotope power supply then failed, and NASA could no longer contact him.
Miss Sam the Rhesus Monkey Launched into Space
On January 21, 1960, a monkey named Miss Sam was launched on a Little Joe rocket. Image: NASA
On January 21, 1960, a monkey named Miss Sam was launched on a Little Joe rocket to help NASA test the launch escape system for the new Mercury spacecraft. This spacecraft would eventually carry the first American astronauts into space.
Also Read: Today’s History: Soviet Union Launches Luna 21, 2nd Lunar Explorer
Miss Sam didn’t fly far into space; the rocket only reached a height of about 9 miles. To test her psychomotor performance during the flight, Miss Sam was trained to pull a lever using a light as a signal.
He succeeded in the test during the 8.5-minute flight, and his escape system worked as planned. Source: Space.com
2024-01-22 17:11:00
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