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What Happened to the World’s Most Famous Spacecrafts?

NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory /Wikipedia

Man has long been curious about space and the realities of what lies beyond our atmosphere. Over the years, several spacecraft have journeyed far from Earth on daring missions, capturing the attention of the world. Here, we reveal what became of some of the world’s most famous space machines.

Luna 2

NASA/NSSDCA (public domain) /Wikipedia

Crashing onto the Moon was always the plan for Luna 2. On September 13, 1959, this Soviet spacecraft became the first made by humans to touch an object outside the Earth. The contact between the Luna 2 and the Moon occurred at the east of the Mare Imbrium and scattered Soviet pennants across the Moon. 

Freedom 7

NASA – Marshall Image Exchange (image link)/Wikipedia

Freedom 7, piloted by Alan Shepard, made history on May 5, 1961, as the first American spacecraft to carry a human into space. This Mercury capsule completed a 15-minute suborbital flight before splashing into the Atlantic Ocean. Today, Freedom 7 is displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington. 

Ariel 1

Stephencdickson /Wikipedia

Launched on April 26, 1962, this British-built satellite became the first international satellite to be sent into orbit by NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration). The satellite operated successfully for several months before its mission was unexpectedly damaged by the Starfish Prime nuclear test on July 9, 1962. 

Sputnik 1

Музей Космонавтики from Россия, cropped, color correct, and sharpened by Kees08/Wikipedia

Beeping its way into history, Sputnik 1 kicked off the space age on October 4, 1957. This Soviet satellite, 184 lb heavy, orbited Earth for three weeks before its batteries died. Its final act came on January 4, 1958, when it fell back to Earth, burning in the atmosphere. 

Vanguard 1

NASA /Wikipedia

Launched on March 17, 1958, Vanguard 1 became the fourth artificial satellite to orbit Earth and is the oldest human-made object still in space. Although its batteries ceased functioning in 1964, Vanguard 1 continues to orbit our planet silently as a quiet sentinel from the early space age.

Venera 7

Emerezhko/Wikipedia

Until the Venera 7, no other spacecraft had successfully landed on the surface of another planet and transmitted data. The probe descended through Venus’s dense atmosphere in December 1970 and managed to transmit data for about 20 minutes after landing before failing to Venus’s harsh conditions.

Salyut 1

Godai/Wikipedia commons

The world’s first space station, Salyut 1, began its journey on April 19, 1971. After 175 days in orbit, Salyut 1’s mission came to an end. On October 11, ground controllers deliberately de-orbited the station and it broke up over the Pacific Ocean.

Mariner 2

Eric Long/Smithsonian/Wikipedia

The Mariner 2 pioneered a successful flight by another planet. On December 14, 1962, it passed within 34,773 km of Venus, providing new data about the planet’s atmosphere. Shortly after its flyby, communication with Mariner 2 was lost, and the project was later decommissioned. 

Vostok 1

HPH at German Wikipedia/Wikipedia

Blazing a trail for human spaceflight, Vostok 1 carried cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into orbit on April 12, 1961. The spacecraft completed a single orbit around Earth in 108 minutes, making Gagarin the first human in space. After its historic flight, Vostok 1’s capsule parachuted safely back to Earth, near Engels.

Explorer 1

NASA /Wikipedia

The United States answered the Soviet challenge with Explorer 1, launched on February 1, 1958. Pencil-shaped, this satellite made the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts. On March 31, 1970, Explorer 1 met a fiery end after completing 58,400 orbits. It re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrated over the Pacific Ocean. 

Telstar 1

Science Museum Collections/Wikipedia

The spherical marvel became the first satellite to relay television signals across the Atlantic Ocean. Despite its initial success after the launch in 1962, Telstar 1 fell victim to the heightened radiation levels caused by nuclear tests, which led to its failure in 1963. Today, it continues to orbit Earth.

Columbia

NASA/Wikipedia

The Columbia was the first space shuttle to fly in space. Over its 22-year career, Columbia completed 27 missions, covering a range of scientific and military operations. Tragically, on February 1, 2003, during its 28th mission (STS-107), Columbia disintegrated upon reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in the loss of all crew members.

Mariner 4

NASA/Wikipedia

Mariner 4’s journey to Mars began on November 28, 1964. The machine made history by capturing the first close-up images of another planet’s surface. And though communication with the Mariner 4 was terminated in December 1967, it remains in solar orbit to this day. 

Gemini 3

NASA/Wikipedia

It was the first crewed flight of the Gemini program, launched on March 23, 1965, with astronauts Gus Grissom and John Young on board. After its successful splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean, the Gemini 3 capsule was recovered and is now on display at the Grissom Memorial in Mitchell, Indiana.

Saturn V

NASA/Wikipedia

NASA used the Saturn V rocket for 13 missions, including all the Apollo lunar landings. The last Saturn V launch occurred on May 14, 1973, sending the Skylab space station into orbit. Today, three remaining Saturn V rockets are on display at NASA visitor centers in Florida and Texas. 

Skylab

NASA (Crew of Skylab 4)/Wikipedia

The story of Skylab began with its first launch on May 14, 1973. After its final crew departed in February 1974, Skylab orbited Earth unoccupied until its orbit decayed. On July 11, 1979, Skylab made an uncontrolled reentry and scattered debris over the Indian Ocean and parts of Western Australia. 

Written by Gabriel Rickles

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