History Extra logo
  • Subscribe
  • Columnists
  • Newsletters
  • Historical TV and Film
  • Today in history
History Extra logo
The official website for BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed
  • Period
    • Back to Main menu
    • Roman
    • Viking
    • Anglo-Saxon
    • Medieval
    • Tudor
    • Second World War
    • View all Periods
  • People
    • Back to Main menu
    • Tutankhamun
    • Richard III
    • Henry VIII
    • Elizabeth I
    • Queen Victoria
    • Winston Churchill
    • View all People
  • Topics
    • Back to Main menu
    • Kings and queens
    • Weird and wonderful
    • Sex and love
    • Social history
    • Religious history
    • Women's history
    • Historical Q&As
    • Heritage visits
    • History hero
    • Historical recipes
    • Turning points in British history
    • View all Topics
  • Podcast
    • Back to Main menu
    • All podcasts
    • Podcast series
      • Back to Podcast
      • The end of Roman Britain
      • The Black Death
      • Salem witch trials
    • Transcripts
  • Video
    • Back to Main menu
    • Tudor Royal Women
    • Medieval Masterclass with Dan Jones
    • Monarchy Masterclass with Tracy Borman | History video series
  • Quizzes
  • Masterclasses
  • Magazines
    • Back to Main menu
    • BBC History Magazine
    • BBC History Revealed
    • BBC World Histories Magazine
    • Subscriber downloads
    • Special editions
    • About us
    • Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Columnists
  • Newsletters
  • Historical TV and Film
  • Today in history
  1. Home
  2. Space

Space

A United Arab Emirates postage stamp issued in 1971 commemorating Laika, the Soviet dog who in 1957 became the first animal in orbit
20th Century

Animals in space: the creatures who paved the way for human travel beyond Earth

An old man penetrating the earth's firmament to see the workings of the universe beyond
General History

A brief history of astronomy

The Apollo 8 crew in a capsule during training
20th Century

Apollo 8: why NASA’s Christmas mission to the Moon was a bright end to a dark year

Advertisement
Stephen Walker tells Rhiannon Davies about the history of animals in space, from fruit flies and monkeys to Laika the Soviet space dog. (Image by Getty Images)
20th Century

Animals in space: from Laika to jellyfish & tortoises 

Dr David Clarke explains how the idea of extra-terrestrials in mysterious flying saucers developed from its origins in the Cold War to become an enduring modern myth. (Image by Getty Images)
20th Century

The history and mystery of UFOs

On the evening of 13 March thousands of people in Phoenix, Arizona, and surrounding areas see a triangular formation of lights drifting above the city. Fife Symington, the governor of Arizona at the time, was one of the witnesses and he described the UFO as “otherworldly”. This image shows something similar to what was reported at the time. (Photo by Alamy)
General Modern

A brief history of UFOs: top 10 sightings & timeline

A UFO photographed in New Mexico by a government employee. The image was released by the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization after careful study. It is unknown what the image shows.(Photo by Getty Images)
General Modern

How UFOs conquered the world – without firing a shot

The Earth above the lunar horizon, seen from Apollo 11's command module before the successful landing (Photo by NASA/Newsmakers)
20th Century

In their own words: the team behind Apollo 11 describe the 1969 mission to the Moon

In 1961 cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to journey into space. Stephen Walker delves into the supercharged battle between the Soviets and Americans to reach this milestone. (Image by Getty Images)
20th Century

Sending the first man into space

Advertisement
The space race: everything you wanted to know
20th Century

The space race: everything you wanted to know

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the moon's surface
20th Century

The history of the moon landing: everything you need to know

Peter Mayhew, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness and Mark Hamill, on-set of the film Star Wars
General Modern

Star Wars: why did the film make history?

Astronauts being lifted from the Apollo 13 spacecraft after splashdown in the South Pacific,1970. (Photo by Alamy)
20th Century

Apollo 13

Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. (Photo by Getty Images)
20th Century

Yuri Gagarin: 8 things you (probably) didn’t know about the first man in space

Miniature from an Apocalypse of Cambrai depicting the opening of the sixth seal: an earthquake occurs and the sun becomes black. Municipal library, Cambrai, France. (Photo by Leemage/Corbis via Getty Images)
General ancient history

Written in the stars: 7 celestial events that may have changed history

  • You're currently on page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Next

Sign up for the weekly HistoryExtra newsletter

Sign up to receive our newsletter!

Thanks! You're now subscribed to our newsletter.

Already have an account with us? Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences

Sign in
Register

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HistoryExtra terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Jubilee 22 footer
Subscribe AND receive a book!

Save up to 30% when you subscribe to either BBC History Magazine or History Revealed AND receive a book worth up to £30!*

Subscribe now
US banners July 21 Hist
USA Subscription offer

Try 3 issues for just $9.95!

Subscribe now
HEX_Podcast_100x100
HistoryExtra podcast

Listen to the latest episodes now

Listen here
History Extra logo
  • Visit us on Facebook
  • Visit us on Twitter
  • Visit us on Instagram
  • Visit us on Rss
  • About Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Code of Conduct
  • History Magazine Subscriptions
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Vacancies
  • Licensing
  • Find Us
  • Manage Privacy Settings
null Logo
History Extra is owned and published by Immediate Media Company Limited. BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed are published by Immediate Media Company Limited under licence from BBC Studios Distribution.© Immediate Media Company Ltd. 2022