Astronomy Picture of the Day · March 2, 1996

Von Braun's Wheel

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for March 2, 1996 is “Von Braun's Wheel,” an image. It is credited to Credit: MSFC Historical Archives. The original explanation runs about 131 words.

From the explanation

“Orbiting 1,075 miles above the Earth, a 250 foot wide, inflated, reinforced nylon “wheel” was conceived in the early 1950s to function as a navigational aid, meteorological station, military platform, and way station for space exploration by rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun .”

— APOD editors, March 2, 1996

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: March 2, 1996
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: MSFC Historical Archives
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 131 words

All of March 1996 → · 1996 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

The Moon

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: March 2 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, March 2, 1996 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-1996-march-02-von-brauns-wheel

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.