.svg)
Celebrate National Astronaut Day on May 5 and join the world in honoring astronauts and their amazing accomplishments! This day was created to commemorate the anniversary of Alan Shepard's first space flight in 1961. It's an incredible opportunity to recognize all of the brave men and women who have taken part in space exploration over the years, pushing our understanding of science further than ever before.
<div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1961</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Alan Shepard's Space Flight</div><div class='timeline-text'>Alan Shepard became the first American astronaut to travel into space, setting the stage for future space exploration.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1969</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Moon Landing</div><div class='timeline-text'>Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon as part of NASA's Apollo 11 mission.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1983</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>First American Woman in Space</div><div class='timeline-text'>Sally Ride made history as the first American woman to go into space, flying on the space shuttle Challenger.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1998</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>International Space Station</div><div class='timeline-text'>Construction began on the International Space Station (ISS), a home for astronauts during long-term space missions.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2012</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Private Space Transportation</div><div class='timeline-text'>SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft became the first commercial vehicle to deliver supplies to the ISS, marking a new era of private space flight.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2015</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>First National Astronaut Day</div><div class='timeline-text'>The first National Astronaut Day was celebrated to honor astronauts and their contributions to space exploration.</div></div></div>
<div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>1</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Watch a space movie</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>Gather some friends and have a space movie marathon. From classics such as The Right Stuff and 2001: A Space Odyssey to newer hits like Gravity and Interstellar, you’ll be sure to have a blast.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>2</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Read an astronaut autobiography</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>From Sally Ride’s “To Space and Back” to Neil Armstrong’s “First Man”, there are plenty of autobiographies written by astronauts that provide incredible insight into their experiences in space.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>3</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Visit a museum</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>Many museums around the world have astronaut related exhibits, from the Apollo 11 Command Module at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum to a full scale replica of the International Space Station at the Kennedy Space Center.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>4</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Take a virtual tour of the ISS</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>The European Space Agency has created an interactive 360° tour of the International Space Station where you can explore each module as if you were really there.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>5</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Attend a space launch</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>If you’re lucky enough to live near one of NASA’s launch sites, attending a rocket launch is an experience you won't forget. With an online ticket reservation system it has never been easier to attend one.</p></div></div>
<div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>A</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Reminds us of the importance of space exploration</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>National Astronaut Day is an opportunity to celebrate and recognize astronauts who explore outer space. It also serves as a reminder of why space exploration is important, as it helps humanity gain a better understanding of our place in the universe and further our knowledge about galaxies, stars, and planets that are located far beyond Earth.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>B</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Celebrates human achievements</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>National Astronaut Day is a celebration of the amazing feats achieved by humankind in space exploration. Being able to leave Earth’s atmosphere and explore other galaxies is something few humans have done, and this day serves as a reminder that humans can do incredible things when we work together.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>C</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Promotes scientific literacy</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>Celebrating Space Exploration Day can help promote scientific literacy among the younger generation - especially those interested in astronomy. Learning about spacemen, their mission journeys, and the discoveries they make will open up their minds to new possibilities and could even inspire them to pursue a career in STEM fields.</p></div></div>
<div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>1</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Russian Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova was the First Woman in Space</h3><p class='facts-content'>In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to journey into space, orbiting Earth 48 times over nearly three days in her Vostok 6 spacecraft.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>2</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Astronauts Lose Bone Density in Space</h3><p class='facts-content'>Due to the prolonged weightlessness in space, astronauts can lose up to 1% of their bone mass each month, making their regimens before and after space travel especially vital.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>3</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Eileen Collins was the First Female Space Shuttle Pilot and Commander</h3><p class='facts-content'>Groundbreaking astronaut Eileen Collins was the first woman to pilot a Space Shuttle on mission STS-63 in 1995, and later became the first woman to command a shuttle mission for STS-93 in 1999.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>4</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Feet can get Soft in Space</h3><p class='facts-content'>Since astronauts use their feet differently (mostly to grab onto things for stability), the lack of pressure on the feet can make the skin get soft and peel.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>5</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>An Astronaut’s Height Changes in Space</h3><p class='facts-content'>The lack of gravity in space causes you to stretch. An astronaut can grow up to two inches during a long mission.</p></div></div>
National Astronaut Day is celebrated on May 5 every year. In 2024 National Astronaut Day will occur on a Sunday.
2023
May 5
Friday
2024
May 5
Sunday
2025
May 5
Monday
2026
May 5
Tuesday
2027
May 5
Wednesday
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
