The events on this day in history for our heritage companies are noted below.
The earliest event was in 1961, the latest event was in 2006.
Two milestone events (5 to 65+ years ago)
Human Spaceflight:
1966 – LAUNCH: Gemini B simulator, MOL (Manned Orbiting Laboratory) mockup, Experiments, MM Titan IIIC, LC40, CCAFS – Complex mission testing Gemini B MOL simulator, MOL mockup using Stage 2, and deployment of eleven experiments
1975 – MM X-24B flight 61, Dryden Lake – Pilot: Thomas McMurtry
1994 – LAUNCH: STS-66 (Atlantis), LC39B, KSC – 6 person crew, ATLAS laboratory (atmospheric experiments) – MILESTONE: 30 years ago. Crew: Donald McMonagle, Curtis Brown, Ellen Ochoa, Joseph Tanner, Jean-Francois Clervoy (CNES – France), Scott Parazynski
Military and Classified Programs:
1968 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Corona 129, Thorad SLV-2G/Lockheed Agena D, SLC3W, VAFB
1971 – LAUNCH: DSCS II 01, 02, MM Titan IIIC, LC40, CCAFS
Exploration and Interplanetary Programs:
1973 – LAUNCH: Mariner 10, GD Atlas SLV-3D/Centaur, LC36B CCAFS – Mercury and Venus fly-by mission
2006- LM Mars Global Surveyor shuts down after 10 years of operations – attributed to a software parameter error during solar array adjustments
Earth-Monitoring and Civil Weather Satellite programs:
NONE
Commercial Programs:
NONE
Test, ICBM, FBM programs:
1961 – LAUNCH (3): Lockheed Polaris A1, SSBN608, ETR
1969 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Poseidon C3, LC25C, CCAFS – MILESTONE: 55 years ago
1990 – LAUNCH (4): Lockheed Trident D-5, SSBN734, ETR
Other:
NONE
The photo today is the Titan IIIC MOL mission (Titan IIIC-9) launch in 1966. The vehicle carried a Gemini B simulator (reuse of Gemini spacecraft #2) and Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) mockup and had other experiments on-board and was the only launch associated with the MOL program. Photo Credits: NASA (from NASA archives on the MOL program).
