Read the latest positive news, breakthroughs, and inspiring stories about space history, curated daily by BrightWire.
Fifty years ago, humanity saw the surface of another planet for the first time when NASA's Viking 1 landed on Mars and sent back images that changed our understanding of the universe forever. The July 20, 1976 landing gave us our first real glimpse of the Red Planet's rocky, dusty surface.
Fifty years ago, a grainy black and white photo changed how we see the universe. NASA's Viking 1 lander snapped the first close-up image of Mars on July 20, 1976, opening the door to decades of Red Planet exploration.
A quarter century ago, humanity achieved something extraordinary: landing a spacecraft on an asteroid hurtling through space. The NEAR Shoemaker mission gave us our first close-up look at these ancient space rocks.
The Washington Monument transformed into a glowing birthday beacon on New Year's Eve, kicking off yearlong celebrations for America's 250th anniversary. NASA captured the rare moment when the iconic obelisk displayed "250" against the winter sky.