September 27

In 1822, French scholar Jean-François Champollion presented his decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs to the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. By comparing the Greek and hieroglyphic texts on the Rosetta Stone, he identified phonetic letters and translated royal names. This achievement marked a turning point in Egyptology and opened millennia-old inscriptions to modern scholarship. Champollion's work laid the foundation for understanding ancient Egyptian language and culture. His methods continue to influence linguistic and archaeological research today.

On 27 September 1956, USAF test pilot Captain Milburn G. Apt flew the Bell X-2 rocket plane to a record-breaking speed beyond Mach 3. Reaching Mach 3.1 over the Mojave Desert, he became the first human to surpass three times the speed of sound. Moments later, the X-2 entered a spin that Apt could not control, forcing him to eject. His parachute deployed improperly, and he was killed in the descent. The accident highlighted the extreme risks of high-speed flight research during the early space age. Insights gained from the flight led to improvements in escape systems and aerodynamic stability for future supersonic aircraft.

On September 27, 1964, the British Aircraft Corporation's TSR-2 XR219 took to the skies on its first flight. Developed as a high-speed, low-level strike aircraft for the Royal Air Force, the TSR-2 featured advanced avionics and terrain-following radar. The maiden flight demonstrated its powerful Rolls-Royce Olympus engines and sleek aerodynamic design. Despite impressive performance, escalating costs and political debate led to the cancellation of the TSR-2 program in 1965. Only two prototypes were completed, and XR219 was eventually scrapped, marking a controversial end to Britain's ambitious supersonic bomber project. The TSR-2 remains a symbol of mid-20th-century aerospace innovation and the challenges of military procurement.

On September 27, 2003, the European Space Agency launched the SMART-1 satellite aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana. This pioneering mission was the first to test solar-electric (ion) propulsion in deep space, demonstrating a more efficient method of spacecraft maneuvering. SMART-1 journeyed over 400,000 kilometers to reach lunar orbit in November 2004, where it conducted detailed remote sensing of the Moon’s surface. Equipped with advanced instruments, it mapped mineral composition and analyzed crater formations. The mission concluded in 2006 after providing valuable scientific data and validating new propulsion technologies for long-duration spaceflight.

Dawn lifted off from Cape Canaveral on an Atlas V rocket on September 27, 2007, marking the start of a groundbreaking mission to the asteroid belt. Using ion propulsion, the spacecraft navigated millions of kilometers to reach asteroid 4 Vesta in July 2011 and dwarf planet Ceres in March 2015. Dawn’s suite of instruments returned high-resolution images and spectroscopic data, revealing Vesta’s ancient basaltic crust and Ceres’ mysterious bright spots. The mission offered critical insights into the early solar system’s formation and the role of water in shaping planetary bodies. Dawn operated successfully until 2018, leaving a legacy of deep-space exploration achievements.

On September 27, 2008, CNSA astronaut Zhai Zhigang exited the Shenzhou 7 spacecraft and performed China’s inaugural extravehicular activity (EVA) in orbit. Wearing a domestically produced Feitian spacesuit, he floated in space for over 20 minutes, testing life-support systems and suit maneuverability. This historic milestone made China the third country to achieve a human spacewalk, following the Soviet Union and the United States. The EVA validated key technologies for future long-duration missions and paved the way for China’s planned space station. Zhai’s achievement symbolized China’s rapid ascent in human space exploration.