March 30, 2020 - All Eyes on Earth

All Eyes on Earth  Although the dawn of the Space Age focused attention beyond Earth, one of the main reasons for going into space was, and still remains, to learn more about our home planet. The Television Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS-1), the first Earth-monitoring satellite, was launched 60 years ago this week. TIROS-1 was operational for only 78 days, but its pioneering video system relayed thousands of pictures containing cloud-cover views of Earth, and made space-based remote sensing a reality. In 2018, the latest generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-17) captured this detailed multi-spectral image of the Western Hemisphere. GOES-17 provides valuable information for monitoring dust, haze, smoke, clouds, fog, winds, and vegetation.

Image credit: NOAA / NASA

Weekly Calendar

March 30 - April 5, 2020

Holidays - Sky Events - Space History

 

Monday 30

2017: SpaceX launches SES-10 satellite, first reflight of orbital-class rocket

Tuesday 31

Mars 0.9° south of Saturn

1962: NASA approves final design of Gemini spacecraft
1987: Kvant-1 module launched to Mir space station
1997: Pioneer 10 mission officially ends

Wednesday 1

First Qtr Moon 6:21 AM ET

1960: TIROS 1 launched
1997: Comet Hale-Bopp’s closest approach to Sun
1998: TRACE launched

Thursday 2

Juno at opposition

1845: First photograph of Sun taken
2010: Soyuz TMA-18 launched carrying ISS Expedition 23/24 crew

Friday 3

Mercury 1.4° south of Neptune

1966: Luna 10 becomes first spacecraft to orbit the Moon
1973: Salyut 2 space station launched

Saturday 4

1930: American Rocket Society founded
1968: Apollo 6 launched
1983: STS-6 Challenger launched
1997: STS-83 Columbia launched
2000: First commercial mission to Mir
2011: Soyuz TMA-21 launched carrying ISS Expedition 27/28 crew

Sunday 5

1973: Pioneer 11 launched
1975: Soyuz 18-1, first in-flight abort
1990: Pegsat launched
1991: STS-37 Atlantis launched
2010: STS-131 Discovery launched