7.2K views · 177 reactions | Mariner 2 was launched to Venus #OnThisDay in 1962 and became the first spacecraft to successfully reach another planet in the history of humanity. It's first up-close look at Venus revealed that it was not what we expected: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mariner-2/ | NASA History | Facebook

NASA's first space photos restored in stunning detail 👩🏻‍🚀📸 ON 20 February 1962, @NASA astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth, but there were signs of trouble. As Glenn’s Friendship 7 spacecraft returned from its historic flight, a warning light indicated its heat shield had unlatched, risking complete incineration. This image captures Glenn at the moment he reenters Earth’s atmosphere, pieces of the burning spacecraft casting a fiery orange glow on his face. Fortunate