The events on this day in history for our heritage companies are noted below.
The earliest event was in 1960, the latest was in 2022
Two milestone events (5 to 65+ years ago)
Human Spaceflight:
1968 – Success of Apollo 7 mission in October leads to a final decision on this date to make Apollo 8 a lunar orbit mission
Military and Classified Programs:
1973 – LAUNCH: Classified mission, MM Titan 23D, SLC4E, VAFB
1979 – Design work completed on MM Titan 34D facilities at CCAFS – MILESTONE: 45 years ago
2000 – LAUNCH: LM GPS IIR-6 (SVN 41), Delta 7925-9.5, LC17A, CCAFS
Exploration and Interplanetary Programs:
NONE
Earth-Monitoring and Civil Weather Satellite programs:
1967 – LAUNCH: RCA ESSA-6, Thor Delta E1, SLC2E, VAFB
2022 – LAUNCH: JPSS-2 (NOAA-21), ULA Atlas V 401, SLC-3E, VSFB – Final Atlas V flight from VAFB/VSFB
Commercial Programs:
1984 – LAUNCH: RCA Spacenet F2 (also MARECS 2), Ariane 3, ELA1, Kourou, French Guiana – MILESTONE: 40 years ago
Test, ICBM, FBM programs:
1960 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Polaris A2, LC25A, CCAFS
1961 – LAUNCH FAILURE: GD Atlas E, LC13, CCAFS – sustainer engine
1967 – LAUNCH: GD Atlas F, 576-A1, VAFB
1986 – LAUNCH (4): MM Pershing 1A, Fort Bliss, Texas
1992 – LAUNCH (4): Lockheed Trident D-5, SSBN734, ETR
1997 – LAUNCH (2): LM Trident D-5, SSBN737, ETR
Other:
NONE
The photo today is a dramatic image of the last Atlas V launch at VSFB in 2022 (an Atlas V 401) with the JPSS (Joint Polar Satellite System)/NOAA-21 spacecraft with the moon in the background. Here is the caption from the ULA Flickr Site and the credits.
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS)-2 civilian polar-orbiting weather satellite for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) lifts off from Space Launch Complex-3 on Nov. 10 at 1:49 a.m. PST. Photo Credit: United Launch Alliance © All Rights Reserved.
This photo is being used for historical and non-commercial purposes for retirees of LMA and ULA.
