1986:
Japan’s Sakigake science satellite performs a flyby of Halley’s Comet. The interstellar space probe launched Jan. 8, 1985, from Japan’s Uchinoura Space Center.
1970:
Germany’s Wika Earth science satellite is launched on a French Diamant-B rocket from Kourou, French Guiana.
2006:
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter arrives at the red planet. The space probe launched Aug. 12, 2005, from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on an Atlas 5 rocket.
March 11
1988:
An Ariane 3 rocket launches the U.S. communications satellite Spacenet 3 and France Telecom’s communications satellite Telecom 1 C from Kourou, French Guiana.
2006:
An Ariane 5 rocket launches Spainsat, Spain’s military communications satellite, and Eutelsat‘s Hot Bird 7A direct-to-home television broadcasting satellite from Kourou, French Guiana.
2007:
An Ariane 5 rocket launches India’s Insat 4B telecommunications satellite and Britain’s Skynet 5A military communications satellites from Kourou, French Guiana.
March 13
1781:
German-born, British astronomer Sir William Herschel discovers the planet Uranus. It is the first planet discovered with a telescope.
2004:
International Launch Services launches the Japanese-Korean MBSat from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on an Atlas 3 rocket.
March 14
1931:
German rocket pioneer Johannes Winkler launches a liquid-fueled rocket in Dessau, Germany. It is the first liquid-fueled rocket test launch in Europe.
March 15
2004:
EADS Astrium’s W3A telecommunications satellite launches on a Proton rocket from BaikonurCosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
March 16
1961:
NASA’s Gemini 8 docks with the Agena target rocket, the first manned docking procedure successfully performed in space. The spacecraft was launched earlier that day, along with astronauts Dave Scott and Neil Armstrong, on a Titan rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
