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1981
Space Shuttle Columbia launched on 12 April 1981 and returned on 14 April, 54.5 hours later, having orbited the Earth 37 times. It was the first American manned space flight since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. -
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Space Exploration
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1989
In the summer of 1989, NASA's Voyager 2 became the first spacecraft to observe the planet Neptune. This is important because then we know it is possible to go beyond our solar system to see what is out there. -
1995
The Galileo spacecraft was launched Oct. 18, 1989, arrived at Jupiter on Dec. 7, 1995, and undertook its tour of Jupiter over the next two years. Now we know if Jupiter or other gas giants are able to withstand life. -
2015
July 2015 was the last original encounter with one of the nine major planets recognized in 1981. This is important because it might be a while before this happens again.
