History: January 12 (#5)

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20th Century Arts & Culture Science & Discovery

January 12, 1997 Space Shuttle program: Atlantis launches from the Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-81 to the Russian space station Mir, carrying astronaut Jerry M. Linenger for a four-month stay on board the station, replacing astronaut John E. Blaha.

Commentary

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

On January 12, in the year 1997: Space Shuttle program: Atlantis launches from t he Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-81 to the Russian space station Mir, carrying astronaut Jerry M. Linenger for a four-month stay on board the station, replacing astronaut John E. Blaha. Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russian Federation.

Commentary

Source: Internal

Why January 12, 1997 matters: Space Shuttle program: Atlantis launches from the Ken nedy Space Center on mission STS-81 to the Russian space station Mir, carrying astronaut Jerry M. Linenger for a four-month stay on board the station, replacing astronaut John E. Blaha. What began on this day left a lasting mark on history. The effects were felt immediately and continued to shape events, ideas, and lives long afterwards.

Commentary

Source: Internal

Historical context: January 12, 1997 The 20th century brought change at a pace unprecedented in history: two world wars, the r ise and fall of fascism and communism, decolonisation, the Cold War, the space race, and revolutions in science, technology, and human rights all compressed into one hundred years. The event on this day: Space Shuttle program: Atlantis launches from the Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-81 to the Russian space station Mir, carrying astronaut Jerry M. Linenger for a four-month stay on board the station, replacing astronaut John E. Blaha. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)