Almost 40,000 students polished mirrors that flew into orbit 25 years ago today. On 30 September 2001, an Athena 1 lifted off from Kodiak, Alaska, carrying Starshine 3 and its 1,500 mirrors. It completed 7,434 orbits before burning up on 21 January 2003.

#Spaceflightpedia #Starshine3 #SpaceHistory

FUN FACT: Ever wonder what happens when satellites collide? In 2009, two hit at 11.7 km/s over Siberia, creating 2,000 fragments.

These fragments keep us on our toes today.

Read more on how we track them: orbitalradar.com/conjunctions

#SpaceDebris #SpaceHistory #SpaceFunFact

#OnThisDay 🔟 years ago, 30 September 2016, ESA's Rosetta mission ended with a landing on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, 12 years after its journey started 🧪🔭

@esa.int @science.esa.int @cnes.fr @dlr-de.bsky.social @operations.esa.int #Space #History #SpaceHistory

In September 2009, Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté became the first Canadian space tourist, on a $41,816,954 flight dedicated to water problems facing humankind. He spent 10 days, 21 hours and 17 minutes in space.

#Spaceflightpedia #GuyLaliberte #SpaceHistory #WaterAwareness

10 years ago today: Rosetta lands on its comet.

Rosetta was flown into the surface of comet 67P, photographing the ground until the signal stopped. 18 orbital launches have flown on this date.

https://www.playdeltav.space/r/on-this-day/09-30?s=bluesky&c=history

#SpaceHistory #OnThisDay

Tiangong-1, China's first space station, launched fifteen years ago today on 29 September 2011. It hosted Shenzhou 9 with China's first female astronaut, Liu Yang. On 2 April 2018 the 8,506 kg station reentered uncontrolled over the South Pacific.

#Tiangong1 #Spaceflight #SpaceHistory

49 years ago today: Soviet Space Program launched Salyut-6 on Proton.

https://www.playdeltav.space/r/on-this-day/09-29?s=bluesky&c=history

#SpaceHistory #OnThisDay

Leaning World — The quietest turning point: solstices happen where Earth’s tilt is most pronounced. One hemisphere receives its longest day while the other meets its shortest. The same sunlight, divided by a leaning world.

Cosmic t-Shirts

#SpaceHistory #CanadianSmallBusiness #Solstice

Over 20 tonnes of equipment, supplies and fuel reached Salyut 6 on 12 uncrewed Progress flights, making it the first space station resupplied by robotic cargo ships. Launched in 1977, it hosted 16 crews before deorbit in 1982.

#Salyut6 #SpaceHistory #Spaceflight

Luna 19 launched fifty-five years ago today, on September 28, 1971. The Soviet orbiter circled the Moon about 4,315 times, mapping its lumpy gravity, including hidden mass concentrations called mascons. Last contact: November 1, 1972.

#Luna19 #Moon #SpaceHistory #LunarScience

Britain’s dream of reusable spaceflight has a remarkable history.
Join us on Wed 9 Dec for the launch of Rob Coppinger’s HOTOL & Skylon: The Story of Britain’s Spaceplanes.
📍 BIS HQ, 27-29 South Lambeth Rd, London SW8 1SZ & online
🕖 1900 GMT/UTC
🔗 bis-space.com/events/

#HOTOL #Skylon #SpaceHistory

FUN FACT: Uranus was the first planet discovered with a telescope, by William Herschel on 13 March 1781. Before that, it was just a 'dim star' on astronomers' charts—a dozen times!

Catch more quirks of the cosmos here: orbitalradar.com/academy

#Uranus #SpaceHistory #Astronomy

18 years ago today: Falcon 1 reaches orbit.

On its fourth attempt Falcon 1 became the first privately developed liquid-fuelled rocket to reach orbit. 29 orbital launches have flown on this date.

https://www.playdeltav.space/r/on-this-day/09-28?s=bluesky&c=history

#SpaceHistory #OnThisDay

Falcon 1: перший приватний крок на земну орбіту
buymeacoffee.com/valdeloir/fa...

#Falcon1 #Космонавтика #ІсторіяКосмосу #ПриватнийКосмос #Ракета #Falcon1 #Spaceflight #SpaceHistory #PrivateSpaceflight #Rocket

Years later, Zhai would return to space aboard Shenzhou 13 and perform additional spacewalks. But September 27, 2008 remains the day he became the first Chinese person to step outside a spacecraft while in orbit.

#ZhaiZhigang #Shenzhou7 #SpaceHistory #China #SpaceExploration #OnThisDay

The First Spacecraft to Hit the Moon

AI-narrated, sourced explainer.

#SpaceHistory #SovietSpaceProgram #UnusualHistoricalEvents

59 years ago today: Soviet Space Program launched Soyuz 7K-L1 No.4L on Proton.

The flight is recorded as failure.

https://www.playdeltav.space/r/on-this-day/09-27?s=bluesky&c=history

#SpaceHistory #OnThisDay

A 1966 estimate said Alouette 1 could stay in orbit for 1,000 years. It worked for 10 years and 1 day.

Launched September 29, 1962, it made Canada the third nation to build its own satellite. Switched off September 30, 1972, it is still in orbit.

#Alouette1 #SpaceHistory #CanadianSpace

Falcon 1 failed on its first three launches, in 2006, 2007 and August 2008. On September 28, 2008, Flight 4 carried RatSat, a 165 kg dummy spacecraft, making Falcon 1 the first privately funded and developed, fully liquid-propelled rocket to reach orbit.

#Falcon1 #SpaceX #SpaceHistory