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On This Day

A date in history of medicine, science, environmental study, space exploration of benefit to our knowledge of earth and life sciences of interest.

Brightening Ideas

Brightening Ideas

On April 16, 1682, English mathematician and instrument maker John Hadley was born. He developed precision mirrors to improve the accuracy and power of the reflecting telescope. Until Hadley, telescopes used mirrors that were spherical in shape. These were often blurry and/or distorted the…

The First International Microgravity Laboratory

The First International Microgravity Laboratory

Twenty-eight years ago on January 22, 1992, STS-42 carried the first International Microgravity Laboratory [IML-1], dozens of experiments, and seven space shuttle crew members into orbit. Over 200 scientists from 13 countries contributed to the crew’s onboard research tasks in the physical and life…

STS-42 Mission Patch