Historical Events tagged with "jet propulsion laboratory"
Turns out history loves a label—battles, breakthroughs, and the occasional disaster, all neatly tagged for your browsing pleasure. Because sometimes you just need every weird invention in one place.
NASA Loses Contact with Mars Observer
NASA's Mars Observer spacecraft lost contact with mission control just three days before it was set to begin its science operations in orbit around Mars. The spacecraft, launched in 1992, was intended to study the Martian atmosphere and geology. Despite all efforts from ground control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, contact could not be re-established, leaving the fate of the mission in question.
Continue ReadingExplorer 1 Concludes 12-Year Space Mission
Explorer 1, America's first satellite, re-entered Earth's atmosphere after 12 years in orbit. Launched on January 31, 1958, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, it was instrumental in the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts. After its mission, the satellite's re-entry marked a significant milestone in the evaluation of artificial satellites and their longevity in space. The re-entry debris landed in the Pacific Ocean, confirming the satellite's completion of its mission objectives.
Continue Reading