US/Russian STS 74 Atlantis space shuttle was launched from Kennedy Space Center.
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The Soviet Union's Vega 1 Space Probe began sending back images of Halley's Comet.
After seven months of travel, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter arrived safely to Mars.
The US Mariner 9 was launched – it went on to become the first satellite to orbit Mars.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope began the multi-day process of unfurling its sunshield.
The first weather satellite (ESSA-1) was launched into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
