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Category Archives: History
Apollo 13: 50 Years On
Last month marked the fiftieth anniversary of Apollo 13, which launched on 11th April 1970, intended as the third manned mission to land on the Moon. Its commander, Jim Lovell, would be the first man to fly in space four … Continue reading
Posted in History, Science
Tagged Apollo 13, Fred Haise, Jack Swigert, Jim Lovell, Space exploration
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Apollo 11: 50 Years On
On 16th July 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin blasted off in a Saturn V rocket from Cape Kennedy in Florida, headed for the Moon. Four days later, Armstrong and Aldrin – in their lunar … Continue reading
Posted in History, Science
Tagged Apollo 11, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, Moon landing, Neil Armstrong
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Hillsborough: 30 Years On
Last Monday, the fifteenth of April, saw the thirtieth anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, when what should have been an enjoyable day out for thousands of football fans turned into a horrific and avoidable catastrophe that saw ninety-six people dead … Continue reading
The Black Arrow: When Britain Launched A Satellite
In the news this week, the battered first stage of a Black Arrow rocket has arrived in Scotland, after spending over forty-seven years resting in the Australian outback, where it crashed down following its successful launch. But what’s so special about this … Continue reading
Disasters: The Kegworth Air Disaster
This week has marked the thirtieth anniversary of the Kegworth air disaster, a plane crash on British soil caused by a long chain of mistakes. At 7:52pm on Sunday 8th January 1989, British Midland Flight 092 – a new Boeing … Continue reading
Posted in History
Tagged British Midland Flight 92, disasters, Kegworth air disaster, plane crash
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Apollo 8: 50 Years On
Fifty years ago, the Apollo 8 mission gave the world an especially exciting Christmas, as it became the first ever manned space flight to leave Earth orbit and travel to the Moon. The crew of Apollo 8 consisted of commander … Continue reading
Posted in History
Tagged Apollo 8, Bill Anders, Christmas, Earthrise, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, space travel
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R.I.P. Alan Bean
Yesterday, it was announced that another Apollo moonwalker has sadly passed away: Apollo 12 lunar module pilot, Alan LaVern Bean. Born in Wheeler, Texas in 1932, Bean was a US Navy test pilot when he was selected for NASA’s third … Continue reading
Explorer 1: 60 Years On
I’ve already talked about the first two artificial satellites in history, Sputnik 1 and Sputnik 2, both launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. But what about the Soviets’ Cold War rivals, the United States? Their first successful satellite, Explorer … Continue reading
R.I.P. John Young
Today, I was deeply saddened to learn that one of my favourite astronauts, John Young, has passed away at the age of 87. And in this post, I’d like to briefly go over what a truly exceptional career he had. … Continue reading
Sputnik 2: 60 Years On
On 3rd November 1957, a month after Sputnik 1, the Soviet Union launched the second man-made satellite into Earth orbit: Sputnik 2. It was a very different construction from its predecessor: cone-shaped, 4 metres tall and weighing 508kg, it also … Continue reading
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