Daily Extra :
vastitas: Widespread lowlands.
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Today in History:
1965: Ranger 8 - USA Lunar Hard Lander launched. Ranger 8 arrived at the moon on February 20, 1965. It sent back high-resolution pictures until it impacted in Mare Tranquillitatis.
1966: French satellite Diapason D-1A launch into Earth orbit
1967: Kosmos 140 (Soyuz Test) launches into Earth orbit
1996: NEAR - USA Asteroid Orbiter launched. The main scientific purpose of NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) is to orbit near Earth asteroid 433 Eros. The spacecraft is scheduled to study the asteroid for one year after entering orbit in February 1999. NEAR imaged Comet Hyakutake in March 1996 and will fly within 1,200 kilometers of asteroid 253 Mathilde on June 27, 1997. This is the first of NASA's Discovery missions.