una ▁reaches ▁Earth ▁orbit ▁but ▁fails ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁moon . ▁ ▁May ▁ 1 5 ▁– ▁Mercur y ▁program : ▁NASA ▁launch es ▁the ▁last ▁mission ▁of ▁the ▁program ▁Mercur y ▁ 9 . ▁( On ▁June ▁ 1 2 ▁NASA ▁Administr ator ▁James ▁E . ▁Web b ▁tells ▁Congress ▁the ▁program ▁is ▁complete .) ▁ ▁July ▁ 2 6 ▁– ▁Roy ▁K err ▁subm its ▁for ▁publication ▁his ▁discovery ▁of ▁the ▁K err ▁metric , ▁an ▁exact ▁solution ▁to ▁the ▁Ein stein ▁field ▁equation ▁of ▁general ▁relativ ity , ▁predict ing ▁a ▁rot ating ▁black ▁hole . ▁ ▁October ▁ 1 8 ▁– ▁A board ▁the ▁French ▁V ér on ique ▁AG I ▁ 4 7 ▁sound ing ▁ro cket , ▁a ▁b icol or ▁cat ▁designated ▁C ▁ 3 4 1 , ▁later ▁known ▁as ▁F é lic ette , ▁becomes ▁the ▁first ▁cat ▁in ▁space . ▁ ▁November ▁ 1 ▁– ▁The ▁A reci bo ▁Observ atory , ▁with ▁the ▁world ' s ▁largest ▁single - d ish ▁radio ▁teles cope , ▁officially ▁opens ▁in ▁A reci bo , ▁Puerto ▁Rico . ▁ ▁First ▁definite ▁identification ▁of ▁a ▁radio ▁source , ▁ 3 C ▁ 4 8 , ▁with ▁an ▁optical ▁object , ▁later ▁identified ▁as ▁a ▁qu as ar , ▁is ▁published ▁by ▁All an ▁Sand age ▁and ▁Thomas ▁A . ▁Matt he ws ; ▁also ▁Ma arten ▁Schmidt ▁publish es ▁significant ▁observations ▁on ▁ 3 C ▁ 2 7 3 . ▁ ▁Bi ology ▁ ▁Gen etic