Morgan Jones Planetarium

HAPPY 14 YEARS ON MARS, CURIOSITY!

14 Earth years ago, humanity held its breath as a car-sized rover made a terrifying, high-stakes descent through the thin atmosphere of Mars. Suspended beneath a rocket-powered "sky crane," NASA’s Curiosity Rover touched down safely inside Gale Crater—and science was never the same again!

Fourteen years (and close to 5,000 Martian sols!) later, our favorite robotic geologist is still climbing mountains and making history.

Look at what Curiosity has accomplished so far:

- Over 23 miles (37+ km) of rocky Martian terrain explored.

- Proven Habitability: Discovered ancient stream beds, lake systems, and organic building blocks—confirming that Mars once had conditions suitable for life!

- Drilled dozens of rock samples, uncovering a rich chemical history of the Red Planet.

Happy 14th Anniversary to Curiosity and the brilliant team at NASA JPL who keep this lone explorer roving!

Drop a 🤖 in the comments to wish Curiosity a happy Marsiversary!

On this day (July 23) in 1969, the Apollo 11 crew was coasting back home after their historic lunar landing. Hurtling through the void during their trans-Earth coast, they captured this breathtaking view of a crescent Earth hanging in the blackness of space.

Here is a quick look at their journey home:

After launching on July 16 and spending 21 hours and 36 minutes on the surface of the Moon, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins were preparing for their July 24 splashdown.

Their homeward journey required only one midcourse correction, which occurred on July 22.

The crew safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, 13 miles from the recovery ship USS Hornet.

This historic mission took place between July 16 and July 24, 1969. This stunning photograph is a beautiful reminder that Apollo 11 wasn't just about reaching the Moon—it was also about looking back and seeing our home planet in a completely new way!

15 Years Ago Today: The Final Touchdown of the Space Shuttle Program

On this day (July 21) in 2011, at 5:57 AM EDT, Space Shuttle Atlantis glided through the dark morning sky and touched down at Kennedy Space Center for the final time.

That touchdown marked the end of STS-135—and the official completion of NASA’s incredible 30-year Space Shuttle Program.

30 Years of Cosmic Milestones:

- 135 Missions: From its first launch in 1981 to its final landing in 2011, the shuttle fleet served as humanity's workhorse in low Earth orbit.

- Launching Icons: The shuttles deployed legendary observatories like the Hubble Space Telescope and Magellan.

- Building the ISS: Piece by piece, the shuttles constructed the International Space Station—a football-field-sized laboratory that remains inhabited to this day.

When CAPCOM call sign Houston radioed to Atlantis, "Having fired the imagination of a generation... the Space Shuttle has earned its place in history," millions around the world felt the emotion of that final landing.