Chronology of Space Exploration

Copyright © 2007-2024 Ken Polsson
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URL: http://kpolsson.com/space/

References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2023 December 20.


1990

January 9
  • 64th US manned space mission STS 32 (Columbia 10) launches into orbit. [1]
January 20
  • US 64th manned space mission STS 32 (Columbia 10) returns from space. [1]
January 24
  • Japanese MUSES-A (Hiten) launched towards moon. [1]
February 9
  • Galileo flies by Venus. [1]
February 14
  • Space probe Voyager 1 takes photograph of entire solar system. [1]
February 19
  • Soyuz TM-9 lands. [1]
February 28
  • US 65th manned space mission STS 36 (Atlantis 6) launches into orbit. [1]
March 4
  • US 65th manned space mission STS 36 (Atlantis 6) returns from space. [1]
April 20
  • STS-31: The Hubble Space Telescope is launched aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. [42] (April 24 [1])
April 25
  • Hubble space telescope is placed into orbit by shuttle Discovery. [1] [5] (April 24 [42])
April 30
  • US 66th manned space mission STS 31 (Discovery 10) returns from space. [1]
May 20
  • Hubble Space Telescope sends first photographs from space. [1]
June 20
  • The asteroid Eureka is discovered. [5]
August 10
  • American Magellan spacecraft lands on Venus. [1] [5]
October 6
  • US 67th manned space mission STS 41 (Discovery 11) launches into orbit. [1]
October 10
  • US 67th manned space mission STS 41 (Discovery 11) returns from space. [1]

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November 15
  • US 68th manned space mission STS 38 (Atlantis 7) launches into orbit on a classified military mission. [1] [42]
November 20
  • US 68th manned space mission STS 38 (Atlantis 7) returns from space. [1]
December 2
  • US 69th manned space mission STS 35 (Columbia 11) launches into orbit. [1]
December 8
  • Galileo Earth-1 Flyby. [1]
December 10
  • Soyuz TM-10 lands. [1]
December 11
  • US 69th manned space mission STS 35 (Columbia 11) returns from space. [1]

1991

March 9
  • US 70th manned space mission STS 39 (Discovery 12) launches into orbit. [1]
April 5
  • Space Shuttle STS 37 (Atlantis 8) launched. [1]
April 7
  • Compton Gamma Ray Observatory orbits Earth. [1]
April 11
  • Space Shuttle STS 37 (Atlantis 8) lands. [1]
April 28
  • Space Shuttle STS 39 (Discovery 12) is launched. [1]
May 6
  • Space Shuttle STS 39 (Discovery 12) lands. [1]
May 18
  • USSR launches two cosmonauts to MIR space station. [1]
June 5
  • Space Shuttle STS 40 (Columbia 12) launched. [1]
June 14
  • Space Shuttle STS 40 (Columbia 12) lands. [1]
July 11
  • A total solar eclipse is seen in Hawaii and Mexico. [1] [5]
August 2
  • Space shuttle STS 43 (Atlantis 9) launched. [1]
August 11
  • Space shuttle STS 43 (Atlantis 9) lands. [1]
August 28
  • The first email message is sent from space to Earth, sent by the crew of space shuttle STS-43 Atlantis, using an Apple Macintosh Portable computer and AppleLink software. [637.147]
September 12
  • Space shuttle STS 48 (Discovery 14) is launched. [1]
September 18
  • Space shuttle STS 48 (Discovery 14) lands. [1]
October 29
  • The American Galileo spacecraft makes its closest approach to 951 Gaspra, becoming the first probe to visit an asteroid. [41]
November 24
  • US 75th manned space mission "STS 44" Atlantis 10 launched. [1]
December 1
  • US 75th manned space mission STS 44 Atlantis 10 lands. [1]

1992

January 1
  • International Space Year begins. [1]
January 22
  • STS-42: Dr. Roberta Bondar becomes the first Canadian woman in space, aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. [1] [5] [33]
January 25
  • Hubble space telescope optics finds NGC3862/3C264. [1]
January 30
  • Space Shuttle STS-42 (Discovery 15) lands. [1]
February 8
  • Ulysses spacecraft passes Jupiter. [1]
March 17
  • Russian manned space craft TM-14, launches into orbit. [1]
March 24
  • First Belgian in the space, Dirk Frimout on Atlantis Space Shuttle STS-45 (Atlantis 11) launches into space. [1]
March 25
  • Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev returns to Earth aboard TM-14 after a ten-month stay aboard the Mir space station. [1] [5]
April 2
  • Space Shuttle STS-45 (Atlantis 11) lands. [1]
April 14
  • First light on the Keck 1 telescope with fully-filled mirror. [33]
May 7
  • US space shuttle STS-49 launched (maiden voyage of Endeavour). [1]
May 13
  • Three astronauts simultaneously walk in space for the first time. [1]
May 16
  • US space shuttle STS-49 lands (maiden voyage of Endeavour). [1] [5] [33]
May 20
  • India launches its first satellite independently. [1]
May 22
  • India launches its Agni rocket. [1]
(month unknown)
  • Richard C. Hoagland briefs United Nations officials on mathematical and geometric linkage connecting siting of Mars pyramids and face to Egyptian location of pyramids and sphinx. [861.173]
September 12
  • NASA launches Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-47, the 50th shuttle mission. [5] [33]
December 7
  • Galileo spacecraft passes North Pole of Moon (Peary Crater). [1]
December 8
  • Galileo's nearest approach to Jupiter (303 km). [1]

1993

January 6
  • Jean Mueller discovers comet Mueller/1993a. [1]
January 13
  • STS-54 (Endeavour) launches into orbit. [1]
January 19
  • STS-54 (space shuttle Endeavour) lands. [1]
January 24
  • Soyuz TM-16 launches. [1]
February 1
  • Soyuz TM-16 lands. [1]
February 4
  • Russian space agency tests a 82-foot wide space mirror. [1]
March 28
  • Type II supernova detected in M81 (NGC 3031). [1]
April 8
  • STS-56 (Discovery) launches into orbit. [1]
April 17
  • STS-56 (Discovery) lands. [1]
April 20
  • Uranus passes Neptune (this occurs once every 171 years). [1]
April 26
  • STS-55 (Columbia) launches into orbit. [1]
May 6
  • STS-55 (Columbia) lands. [1]
May 20
  • Ten-metre meteor comes within 150,000 km of Earth (1993KA). [1]
August 21
  • NASA loses radio contact with the Mars Observer orbiter three days before the spacecraft is scheduled to enter orbit around Mars. [5] [31]
December 2
  • NASA launches the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a mission (STS-61) to repair an optical flaw in the Hubble Space Telescope. [1] [31]
December 5
  • Astronauts begin repair of Hubble telescope in space. [1]
December 13
  • Space shuttle STS-61 (Endeavour 5) lands. [1]

1994

January 8
  • Russian manned space craft TM-18 is launched into orbit. Valeri Polyakov begins his 437.7 day orbit on the Mir space station, eventually setting the world record for days spent in orbit. [1] [30]
January 14
  • Russian manned space craft TM-17 lands. [1]
January 25
  • The Clementine deep space probe is launched by the USA. [1] [5]
February 1
  • Large meteorite falls near Kusaie, Pacific Ocean. [1]
February 3
  • STS-60 (Discovery) launches into orbit. [1]
February 11
  • Space shuttle STS-60 (Discovery 18), lands. [1]
March 4
  • Space shuttle STS-62 (Columbia 16), launches into orbit. [1]
March 14
  • Soyuz TM-21 launches with V Dezyurov, G Strekalov and N Thagard. [1]
March 18
  • Space shuttle STS-62 (Columbia 16) lands. [1]
March 22
  • Soyuz TM-21 lands. [1]
April 9
  • STS-59 (Endeavour) launches into orbit. [1]
April 20
  • Space shuttle STS-59 (Endeavour 6), lands. [1]
May 3
  • US space probe Clementine launched. [1]
May 10
  • An annular eclipse of the sun is visible across much of North America. [30]
May 29
  • Great comet-iceball seen above North Sea. [1]
July 15
  • (to July 21) The planet Jupiter is hit by 21 large fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. [5] [30] [521]
October 12
  • NASA loses radio contact with the Magellan spacecraft as the probe descends into the thick atmosphere of Venus (the spacecraft presumably burns up in the atmosphere either October 13 or October 14). [30]
December 9
  • 13m diameter asteroid 1994XM1 passes within 100,000km of Earth. [1] [526.213]

End of 1990-1994. Next: 1995.

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A list of references to all source material is available.


Last updated: 2023 December 20.
Copyright © 2007-2024 Ken Polsson (email: ken@kpolsson.com).
URL: http://kpolsson.com/space/
Link to Ken P's home page.

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