The events on this day in history for our heritage companies are noted below.
The earliest event was in 1956, the latest event was in 2022
Human Spaceflight:
1958 – Eleven corporations submitted proposals for Project Mercury, including Convair (GD), Martin Company and Lockheed
1972 – LANDING: Apollo 17 lands on the moon (LM Challenger, with Gene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt) – Taurus-Littrow region; Ron Evans orbits the moon in CM America
1990 – LANDING: STS-35 (Columbia), Edwards AFB
2000 – LANDING: STS-97 (Endeavour), KSC
2022 – SPLASHDOWN: Artemis I/LM Orion, ending first successful Artemis mission
Military and Classified Programs:
1977 – LAUNCH: Classified mission, GD Atlas SLV-3A/Lockheed Agena D, LC13, CCAFS
1978 – LAUNCH: GPS SVN04, GD Atlas F/SVS, SLC3E, VAFB
2012 – LAUNCH: USA-240 (X37B), ULA Atlas V 501, LC41, CCAFS
2020 – LAUNCH: NROL-44, ULA Delta 4H, LC37B, CCSFS – first launch from renamed Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Exploration and Interplanetary Programs:
1964 – LAUNCH: Surveyor SD-1, GD Atlas/Centaur, LC36B, CCAFS
1998 – LAUNCH: LM Mars Climate Orbiter, Delta 7425-9.5, LC17A, CCAFS – MCO failed at Mars orbit insertion on 9/23/1999
Earth-Monitoring and Civil Weather Satellite programs:
1966 – LAUNCH OV1-09, -10, GD Atlas D, 576-B3, VAFB – magnetosphere satellites
1970 – LAUNCH: RCA NOAA-1, Thor Delta N6, SLC2W, VAFB
1972 – LAUNCH: RCA Nimbus-5, Delta 0900, SLC2W, VAFB
2019 – LAUNCH: LM Pony Express I, nanosat rideshare on NASA Risk Reduction payload Tyvak 0129, PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) QL, Satish Dawan First Launch Pad, India – Technology demonstration
Commercial Programs:
1988 – LAUNCH: GE Astra1A (also Skynet 4B), Ariane 44LP, ELA2, Kourou, French Guiana
Test, ICBM, FBM programs:
1956 – LAUNCH: Lockheed X-17, LC3, CCAFS
1972 – LAUNCH (4): Lockheed Poseidon C3, SSBN629, ETR
2002 – LAUNCH: LM Trident D-5, SSBN733, ETR
Other:
NONE
The photos today are from the lunar operations of LM Challenger and the crew (Gene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt) for the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
