The events on this day in history for our heritage companies are noted below.
The earliest event was in 1957, the latest event was in 2009
Two milestone events (5 to 65+ years ago)
Human Spaceflight:
1973 – Skylab 3 splashes down, Pacific near California, USS New Orleans
Military and Classified Programs:
1989 – LAUNCH: Fltsatcom 8, GD Atlas G/Centaur, LC36B, CCAFS – MILESTONE: 35 years
2006 – LAUNCH: LM GPS IIR-15M, Delta 7925-9.5, LC17B, CCAFS
2009 – LAUNCH: USA 208, 209, ULA Delta 7920-10C, LC17B, CCAFS – MILESTONE: 15 years ago
Exploration and Interplanetary Programs:
1960 – LAUNCH FAILURE: Pioneer P30, GD Atlas Able, LC12, CCAFS – second stage exploded
1992 – LAUNCH: GE Mars Observer, MM Commercial Titan III, LC40, CCAFS – Last commercial Titan launch, Mars Observer lost contact near Mars orbital insertion
Earth-Monitoring and Civil Weather Satellite programs:
NONE
Commercial Programs:
NONE
Test, ICBM, FBM programs:
1957 – LAUNCH FAILURE: GD Atlas A, LC14, CCAFS
1958 – LAUNCH: Martin Bold Orion, B-47 aircraft, CCAFS
1963 – LAUNCH FAILURE: GD Atlas E, 576-A1, VAFB
1968 – LAUNCH: GD Atlas F/Trident, 576-A3, VAFB
1972 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Poseidon C3, SSBN643, ETR
Other:
NONE
The photos today are of the launch of Mars Observer on the last Commercial Titan and the spacecraft (which was lost before orbital insertion at Mars) during manufacturing at GE Astrospace. Here are the captions for the photos:
Launch:
Titan III vehicle launched the Mars Observer spacecraft and the Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on September 25, 1992. Managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), TOS will fire to send the Observer on an 11-month interplanetary journey to the Mars. The Observer failed to reach the Mars orbit in August 1993. Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC
Mars Observer:
In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the integrated Mars Observer/Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) payload is ready for encapsulation in the Titan III nose fairing. The TOS booster maiden flight was dedicated to Thomas O. Paine, a former NASA administrator who strongly supported interplanetary exploration and was an early backer of the TOS program. Launched September 25, 1992 from the Kernedy Space Flight Center aboard a Titan III rocket and the TOS, the Mars Observer spacecraft was to be the first U.S. spacecraft to study Mars since the Viking missions 18 years prior. Unfortunately, the Mars Observer spacecraft fell silent just 3 days prior to entering orbit around Mars. Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC
