The Sombrero Galaxy, known as M104, has tidal streams. The October 5, 2026 Astronomy Picture of the Day brings those streams into focus, paired with a brief explanation by a professional astronomer.

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Two first-grade classmates became the first women to fly in space together. Forty-two years ago today, Kathryn Sullivan and Sally Ride launched aboard Challenger on STS-41-G. On October 11, 1984, Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space.

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A satellite designed to last 2 years kept working for 21. Today in 1984, Challenger released ERBS with a stuck solar panel. Sally Ride shook the satellite with the robotic arm and moved the panel into sunlight, where it opened.

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At full power, the Space Shuttle main engine's high-pressure fuel turbopump generated about 77,000 horsepower, spinning at more than 37,000 rpm. The engine gets the attention, but its fuel pump is striking spaceflight machinery in its own right.

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Four maps meant for navigation became a replacement fender for Apollo 17’s lunar rover. On the Moon, astronauts held the maps together with duct tape and secured the makeshift right rear fender with two clamps.

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Sixty-one years ago today, on October 4, 1965, the Soviet Union launched Luna 7 to attempt a soft Moon landing. Its optical sensor, set at the wrong angle, lost sight of Earth, and the main engine never fired. It crashed west of Kepler crater on October 7. #Spaceflightpedia #Luna7 #SpaceHistory

A selfie at Vera Rubin Ridge brings the landscape into the portrait in “Selfie at Vera Rubin Ridge,” the Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 3, 2026.

APOD pairs a daily cosmic image with a brief explanation by a professional astronomer.

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Sixty-six years ago today, Courier 1B launched, the world's first active repeater communications satellite. After 17 days and 228 orbits, it stopped answering its own ground controllers, most likely because its clock-based access codes fell out of sync. #Spaceflightpedia #SpaceHistory #Courier1B

Sputnik’s 26-metre rocket stage outshone the satellite itself. Sixty-nine years ago today, on 4 October 1957, Sputnik 1 launched. The 83.6 kg sphere shone at sixth magnitude. Its R-7 core stage, fitted with reflective panels, appeared at first magnitude.

#Sputnik1 #SpaceHistory #Spaceflightpedia

On 4 October 1959, Luna 3 launched carrying American-made 35mm film the Soviets recovered from downed US Genetrix spy balloons. On 7 October it took 29 pictures covering 70% of the Moon’s far side, developed the film on board and radioed about 17 photos back to Earth. #Spaceflightpedia #Luna3

869 F, or 465 C, was the temperature NASA’s DAVINCI team reached during a thermal evaluation of its yoga ball-sized probe vessel. The engineering development unit was placed in a ceramic-lined chamber with heat-scorched walls.

#DAVINCI #NASA #Venus #Spaceflightpedia

Forty-one years ago today, on October 3, 1985, Space Shuttle Atlantis made its first launch on STS-51-J, a classified military mission. Commander Karol Bobko became the first astronaut to fly on three different shuttle orbiters.

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On 3 October 1967, William J. 'Pete' Knight flew the X-15A-2 to Mach 6.7, 4,520 mph (7,274 km/h), at 102,100 feet (31,120 m). Fifty-nine years later, it remains the official world speed record for a crewed, powered aircraft.

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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 is scheduled to return from the ISS in early October. NASA’s Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA’s Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos’ Andrey Fedyaev close a mission centered on research supporting benefits on Earth and future missions.

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Sixty-eight years ago today, on October 1, 1958, NASA began operating with 8,000 employees inherited from NACA and three research laboratories. It also took in Project Vanguard, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and von Braun's Army Ballistic Missile Agency.

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Chang'e 2 flew past asteroid Toutatis at just 3.2 km. Launched 16 years ago today, on 1 October 2010, to map the Moon, it left lunar orbit on 8 June 2011, reached Earth–Sun L2, then passed Toutatis on 13 December 2012 at 10.73 km/s.

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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.

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NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station at 11:10 a.m. EDT Thursday, Oct. 1, from Space Launch Complex 40. NASA will stream live coverage from prelaunch through docking.

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NASA added Blue Origin's New Glenn 9×4 to the NASA Launch Services II contract under its on-ramp clause, making it a launch option for future NASA missions. No specific mission is named.

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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