Satellite News

Photos of NASA’s first space shuttle launch STS-1 aboard Columbia on April 12, 1981.

On April 12, 1961, a human went to space for the first time! See how it happened in our “On This Day In Space” series!

Gagarin became the first of humankind to blast off into space on April 12, 1961, but rumors continue to circulate that another cosmonaut had beaten him to the punch days before.

Gagarin became the first of humankind to blast off into space on April 12, 1961, but rumors continue to circulate that another cosmonaut had beaten him to the punch days before.

If spaceflight used to be viewed as a race between the Soviet Union and the United States, the language today tilts towards imperfect diversity.

If spaceflight used to be viewed as a race between the Soviet Union and the United States, the language today tilts towards imperfect diversity.

When cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly in space, he also became an instant celebrity, a diplomatic icon of the Soviet Union around the world.

When cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly in space, he also became an instant celebrity, a diplomatic icon of the Soviet Union around the world.