History: February 17 (#3)

History: February 17 (#3)
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
20th Century Politics & Power Science & Discovery
February 17, 1996 NASA's Discovery Program begins as the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft lifts off on the first mission ever to orbit and land on an asteroid, 433 Eros.

Commentary

Commentary

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
On February 17, in the year 1996: NASA's Discovery P rogram begins as the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft lifts off on the first mission ever to orbit and land on an asteroid, 433 Eros. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.

Commentary

Source: Internal
Why February 17, 1996 matters: NASA's Discovery Program begins as the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft lifts off on the first mission ever to orbit and land on an asteroid, 433 Eros. 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: February 17, 1996 The 20th century brought change at a pace unprecedented in history: t wo world wars, the rise 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: NASA's Discovery Program begins as the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft lifts off on the first mission ever to orbit and land on an asteroid, 433 Eros. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)