1970s Space (By Kira, Nhi, Cesar)

Apollo 13

Apr 11, 1970

Apollo 13 is launched,but the SM oxygen tank explodes. Its Moon landing is aborted, and the crew return safely.

Soviet Luna 16

Sep 12, 1970

Soviet Luna 16 is launched, conducting the first successful return of lunar soil samples by an automatic spacecraft.

Mariner 9

May 30, 1971

The United States launches Mariner 9, which becomes the first spacecraft to survey Mars from orbit.

Apollo 15

Jul 30, 1971

Apollo 15 astronauts David Scott and James Irwin drive the first moon rover.

American Mariner 9

Nov 13, 1971

American Mariner 9 is the first spacecraft to orbit another planet, Mars. Over the next year, it maps 100 percent of the Martian surface.

Pioneer 10

Mar 2, 1972

Pioneer 10 is launched on an Atlas/Centaur/TE364-4 towards Jupiter by the U.S., designed to familiarize alien life with humans. It returns the first close-up images of Jupiter in 1973.

Cygnus X-1

Dec 11, 1972

First Black Hole Candidate Astronomers designate Cygnus X-1 as the first probable black hole This binary star system emits strong bursts as X-rays as matter is crushed out of existence by the black hole.

Pioneer 11

Apr 5, 1973

Pioneer 11 is launched on an Atlas/Centaur/TE364-4, flying past Jupiter in 1974, and Saturn in 1979, where it discovers new rings.

American Mariner 10

Nov 3, 1973

American Mariner 10 is launched, on the first dual-planet mission. Over the next year, it returned photographs of Venus and Mercury.

SMS-1

May 17, 1974

NASA launches the first Synchronous Meteorological Satellite, SMS-1.

Soviet Salyut 3

Jun 24, 1974

Soviet Salyut 3, their first military space station, is launched. It remains in orbit until January 1975.

American Apollo (18) and Soviet Soyuz (19)

Jul 17, 1975

American Apollo (18) and Soviet Soyuz 19 dock, the first international spacecraft rendezvous.

Soviet Venera 9 and 10

Oct 25, 1975

Soviet Venera 9 and 10 send the first pictures of the Venusian surface to Earth.

Viking 1

Jul 30, 1976

Pictures of the Martian surface are taken by Viking 1, the first U.S. attempt to soft land a spacecraft on another planet.

Viking 2

Sep 3, 1976

Viking 2 lands on Mars on the Plain of Utopia, where it discovered water frost.

Voyagers 1 and 2

Aug 20, 1977

August-September, 1977 - Voyagers 1 and 2 leave Earth to meet with Jupiter in 1979 and Saturn in 1980.

Soviet Salyut 6

Sep 29, 1977

Soviet Salyut 6 space station is launched. Its crews include members from Czechoslovakia, Poland, GDR, Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam, Cuba, Mongolia, and Romania.

Einstein Observatory

Nov 13, 1978

The Einstein Observatory begins its 30-day mission.

Two Pioneer spacecraft

Dec 2, 1978

Two Pioneer spacecrafts reach Venus. One drops four probes into the atmosphere, while the other maps the surface.

Pioneer 11

Sep 1, 1979

Pioneer 11 reaches Saturn, flying to within 13,000 miles and taking the first close-up photographs.