BellaOnline Forums Education Astronomy 10 Fascinating Facts about Space Exploration

Who was really the first to orbit Earth? What is Snoopy's role in the manned space program? What sent an Australian teenager rushing to San Francisco? Which stars are Dnoces, Navi and Regor? Find out all of this . . . and more!

The article is updated and with new images.

10 Fascinating Facts about Space Exploration

July 11, 1979: Exactly 42 years ago yesterday, NASA's Skylab came crashing to Earth in an uncontrolled re-entry. How did an Australian teenager get $10,000 out of it? To find out, have a look at 10 Fascinating Facts about Space Exploration.

Something I didn't know about, but was told by someone who read my article, is the Snoopy cap. It's the communication cap worn as part of a space suit by American astronauts. It got the name because the black and white panelling resembled the Snoopy character. It has two earphones and two microphones so that there's a backup if one fails. Here's Neil Armstrong with his Snoopy cap.