Voyager Spacecraft 30 Years Later
As the twin Voyager spacecraft prepare to embark on an extended mission to explore interstellar space in 2006, project scientist Ed Stone of California Institute of Technology recaps the major discoveries the Voyagers have made since their launch in 1977.
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Voyager Spacecraft 30 Years Later
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As the twin Voyager spacecraft prepare to embark on an extended mission to explore interstellar space in 2006, project scientist Ed Stone of California Institute of Technology recaps the major discoveries the Voyagers have made since their launch in 1977.
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First American Woman in Space
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Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space when the shuttle Challenger takes off on June 18, 1983. The historical moment is noted in communication just after liftoff.
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First Space Shuttle Launched
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On April 12, 1981, NASA launched the world's first reusable manned spacecraft. In the minutes before takeoff, Kennedy Space Center launch control communicates with astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen as they prepare to take Columbia on its first test flight into space and back.
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Viking 1 Lands on Mars
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On July 20, 1976, NASA's Viking 1 becomes the first spacecraft to send back detailed pictures from the surface of Mars. A NASA control room recording captures the excitement of the moment.
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Monkeys Travel to Space
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On May 28, 1959, in an experiment that would lead the way to manned space flight, the United States launched two monkeys to an altitude of 300 miles. A Voice of America news report details the travels of the two primates who survived the space flight and were the first in history to return safely to Earth.
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George W. Bush on the Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster
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On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia was 16 minutes away from touchdown after completing its 28th mission when a damaged heat protection tile caused the shuttle to incinerate, killing all seven crew members. Later that day, President George W. Bush informs the nation about the terrible disaster.
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Cause of Challenger Disaster Revealed
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William P. Rogers, head of the special commission appointed by President Ronald Reagan to investigate the January 28, 1986, explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, reports his findings at a press conference on June 9, 1986.
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Apollo 1 Tragedy
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At a press conference the day after the January 27, 1967, Apollo 1 accident, a NASA spokesperson explains the cause of the flash fire that broke out inside the cabin of the spacecraft during a launch pad test. The vehicle was being prepared for the first piloted space flight. The tragedy ended in the deaths of all three astronauts on board: Lt. Col. Virgil I. Grissom, Lt. Col. Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee.
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Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster
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On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia was returning from its 28th mission when, 16 minutes to touchdown, the shuttle incinerated and broke apart over Texas. Communication between the Columbia crew and Mission Control captures the last moments of the flight.
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Ford Phones Apollo Astronauts
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On July 17, 1975, President Gerald Ford speaks by telephone to the Apollo astronauts following their rendezvous and docking with the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. This was the first joint orbital mission between the two superpowers, and it helped pave the way for further cooperation in the exploration of space.
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