The events on this day in history for our heritage companies are noted below.
The earliest event was in 1954, the latest event was in 2011
Three milestone events (5 to 65+ years ago)
Human Spaceflight:
1959 – NASA GD Atlas vehicle plan approved for project Mercury – MILESTONE: 65 years ago
2008 – LAUNCH: STS-123 (Endeavour), LC39A, KSC – 7 person crew, ISS Kibo logistics module, Dextre Robotics system. Crew: Dominic Pudwill Gorie, Gregory Johnson, Robert Behnken, Michael Foreman, Richard Linneman, Takao Doi (JAXA), Garrett Reisman (to ISS Expedition 16), Léopold Eyharts (ESA/France, from ISS Expedition 16).
Military and Classified Programs:
1964 – LAUNCH: Classified mission, GD Atlas/Lockheed Agena D, SLC4W, VAFB – MILESTONE: 60 years ago
2003 – LAUNCH: LM (GE) DSCSIII A-3, Delta 4M, LC37B, CCAFS
2011 – LAUNCH: USA 227, ULA Delta 4M+(4,2), LC37B, CCAFS
Exploration and Interplanetary Programs:
NONE
Earth-Monitoring and Civil Weather Satellite programs:
NONE
Commercial Programs:
1988 – LAUNCH: GE Spacenet F3R (also Telecom 1C), Ariane 3, ELA1, Kourou, French Guiana
2005 – LAUNCH: Inmarsat-4 F1, LM Atlas V 431, LC41, CCAFS
Test, ICBM, FBM programs:
1954 – Plan released by USAF/SAC General Schriever outlining acceleration goals for GD Atlas ICBM program – MILESTONE: 70 years ago
1957 – LAUNCH: Lockheed X-17, LC3, CCAFS
1960 – LAUNCH FAILURE: GD Atlas D, LC13, CCAFS
Other:
NONE
The photos today of the STS-123 mission on the pad in 2008 with a Thunderbirds flyover, the crew of that mission and work at ISS with the Japanese Logistics Module. This mission stayed at ISS the longest of any shuttle mission.
Note also on this day 65 years ago (1959), NASA selected the Atlas launch vehicle for the Mercury program.