April 15

James Clark Ross was born in London in 1800 into a naval family and joined the Royal Navy at age 11. He served under his uncle Sir John Ross on Arctic expeditions before leading his own voyages. From 1839 to 1843, he commanded HMS Erebus and HMS Terror on an Antarctic expedition that charted vast coastlines. Ross discovered and named the Ross Sea, Victoria Land, and the towering Ross Ice Shelf. He also conducted important studies of Earth's magnetic fields during his journeys. After returning to England, he was honored by the Royal Society and awarded the Founder's Medal for his achievements. His work laid the foundation for future polar research and exploration.

Born in Fedorivka, Ukraine, Georgy Beregovoy served as a fighter pilot during World War II before rising through the Soviet Air Force ranks. Selected as one of the first cosmonauts in 1960, he flew the solo Soyuz 3 mission in 1968, testing spacecraft rendezvous techniques in orbit. Beregovoy’s leadership and experience contributed to the advancement of the Soviet space program during the height of the Space Race. After his spaceflight, he held senior military and governmental positions, promoting aerospace research and veterans’ affairs until his death in 1995.

John L. Phillips joined NASA in 1996 and flew on the Space Shuttle mission STS-100 in 2001, contributing to the installation of the Canadarm2 on the International Space Station. He later served as a flight engineer on ISS Expedition 11, spending six months in orbit and performing multiple spacewalks. A captain in the U.S. Air Force, Phillips holds degrees in engineering and physics. His research on microgravity processes has supported scientific experiments aboard the ISS and advanced understanding of human spaceflight.

Marsha Ivins was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1984, becoming one of the early female space fliers. She flew on missions STS-32, STS-46, STS-62, STS-81, and STS-98, logging over 50 days in space. Ivins operated robotic arms to deploy satellites and handle cargo transfers between the Shuttle and the ISS. Before her NASA career, she earned a degree in mechanical engineering and worked on Space Station design concepts. Her pioneering missions contributed to international collaboration in space exploration and technology development.