The events on this day in history for our heritage companies are noted below.
The earliest event was in 1960, the latest event was in 2023
Three milestone events (5 to 65+ years ago)
Human Spaceflight:
1999 – LAUNCH: STS-103 (Discovery), LC39B, KSC – 7 person crew, HST servicing mission 3A – MILESTONE: 25 years ago. Crew: Curtis Brown, Scott Kelly, John Grunsfeld, Jean-Francois Clervoy (ESA – France), Michael Foale (USA/UK), Steven Smith, Claude Nicollier (ESA- Switzerland)
2019 – LAUNCH: Starliner Boe-OFT, ULA Atlas V N22, LC41, CCAFS – Starliner test flight only partially successful – MILESTONE: 5 years ago
2019 – United Space Alliance partnership (Lockheed Martin/Boeing for STS program) is dissolved – MILESTONE: 5 years ago.
2023 – LAUNCH (PARTIAL SUCCESS): LM Tantrum Technology Demonstration, Firefly FLTA004, SLC-2W, VSFB – Firefly second stage trajectory did not circularize, limiting the life of this demonstration
Military and Classified Programs:
1960 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Discoverer 19, Thor/Lockheed Agena B, SLC1E, VAFB
1972 – LAUNCH: Classified mission, GD Atlas SLV-3A/Lockheed Agena D, LC13, CCAFS
1996 – LAUNCH: USA-129, LM Titan IVA(404), SLC4E, VAFB
2007 – LAUNCH: LM GPS IIR-5M (SVN 61), ULA Delta 7925-9.5, LC17A, CCAFS
Exploration and Interplanetary Programs:
NONE
Earth-Monitoring and Civil Weather Satellite programs:
NONE
Commercial Programs:
1971 – LAUNCH: Intelsat 4 F3, GD Atlas SLV-3C/Centaur, LC36A, CCAFS
1997 – LAUNCH (5): LM (Motorola) Iridium, Delta 7920-10C, SLC2W, VAFB
2000 – LAUNCH: LM GE8 (also Astra 2D), Ariane 5G, ELA3, Kourou, French Guiana
Test, ICBM, FBM programs:
1960 – LAUNCH FAILURE: Martin Titan I, LC20, CCAFS
1961 – LAUNCH: GD Atlas E , LC13, CCAFS
1963 – 556th squadron operational, GD Atlas F ICBMs, Plattsburgh AFB, New York
1965 – LAUNCH: GD Atlas D, 576-B2, VAFB
1965 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Polaris A3, SSBN640, ETR
1983 – LAUNCH: MM Peacekeeper, TP-01, VAFB
Other:
2019 – The United States Space Force is established – MILESTONE: Five years ago.
The photos today are from two missions. First, there is a photo of the Boeing Starliner launch on Atlas V N22 in 2019. This first test of the Starliner crew system was only partially successful (the Atlas V N22 was successful). Here is the caption for the photo and credit (found on Wikipedia):
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft onboard launches from Space Launch Complex 41, Friday, Dec. 20, 2019, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. After a successful launch at 6:36 a.m. EST, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner is in an unplanned, but stable orbit. The team is assessing what test objectives can be achieved before the spacecraft’s return to land in White Sands, New Mexico. Photo Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
The second set of photos are from the STS-103 mission in 1999, with the Hubble Servicing Mission 3A and include the launch, the crew and work on Hubble. The third servicing mission was actually split into two missions (3A and 3B) due to the urgency of the situation with failures of gyroscopes on-board HST. Photo Credits: NASA.
