November 23

Astronomer Edwin Hubble used Cepheid variable stars to measure the distance to the Andromeda nebula. His observations proved it lay far outside the Milky Way, establishing the existence of other galaxies. Although initially detailed in professional journals, the discovery reached the public via The New York Times. Hubble’s work revolutionized cosmology by expanding the known size of the universe. It laid the foundation for the concept of an expanding universe and modern extragalactic astronomy. Andromeda’s reclassification reshaped humanity’s view of its place in the cosmos.

The N1 was the Soviet counterpart to America’s Saturn V, designed for crewed lunar missions. After three previous failures, the fourth and last test flight took place at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on November 23, 1972. The rocket suffered a catastrophic failure shortly after liftoff, destroying the vehicle and scattering debris across the launch complex. The series of setbacks led Soviet leadership to cancel the N1 program and abandon plans for a crewed Moon landing. Despite its disastrous track record, the N1 represented an ambitious leap in rocket engineering and propulsion technology. Insights from its development informed later Soviet and Russian space launchers. The program’s demise underscored the fierce competition of the Space Race era.

On November 23, 1978, the Geneva Frequency Plan of 1975 took effect across Europe, standardizing longwave and mediumwave radio frequencies. Developed during the 1975 International Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva, the plan sought to reduce cross-border interference among broadcasters. Under the new allocations, dozens of stations adjusted their transmitters to comply with the revised channel assignments. National regulatory bodies coordinated the transition, ensuring a smooth switch and minimizing downtime for listeners. The rearrangement improved reception clarity, particularly in border regions plagued by static and signal overlap. This historic reallocation effort laid the groundwork for modern spectrum management and clearer international broadcasting.

The IBM Simon Personal Communicator combined mobile phone capabilities with a touchscreen interface and PDA features. Unveiled at the COMDEX technology expo in Las Vegas, it boasted email, calendar, and fax functions—unprecedented in a single device. Developed in partnership with Mitsubishi Electric, Simon weighed over half a pound and featured a monochrome LCD screen. Though battery life and processing speed were limited, it set the blueprint for future smartphones. AT&T later released Simon commercially in 1994, demonstrating consumer appetite for integrated mobile computing. Simon’s introduction marked a pivotal moment in telecommunications, foreshadowing the modern mobile era.

Mission STS-113 marked Endeavour’s 16th flight and the first assembly mission of the ISS for the P1 truss segment. Astronauts delivered essential structural support to the station, enhancing its power and thermal control systems. Endeavour docked with the ISS on November 25, and crew members conducted three spacewalks to install and activate the P1 truss. The shuttle also exchanged the Expedition 5 crew for Expedition 6 during a flawless handover. After 13 days in orbit, Endeavour returned safely to Earth, completing a key step in assembling humanity’s first orbiting outpost. STS-113 underscored international collaboration in space exploration and laid groundwork for future station modules.

On November 23, 2015, Blue Origin achieved a milestone by launching New Shepard to space and landing it vertically. The unmanned suborbital rocket reached an altitude above the Kármán line at 100 kilometers. After separation, the booster returned under precise guidance, touching down softly on the launch pad. This flight demonstrated the feasibility of reusable launch vehicles to reduce space travel costs. Founded by Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin competed with other private firms in the emerging commercial space race. The success paved the way for future crewed missions and routine space tourism.