The events on this day in history for our heritage companies are noted below.
The first event was in 1955, the latest event was in 1998.
Six milestone events (5 to 65+ years ago)
Human Spaceflight:
1971 – MM X-24A flight 22, Dryden Lake – Pilot Cecil Powell
Military and Classified Programs:
1960 – LAUNCH FAILURE: Lockheed Discoverer 9, Thor/Lockheed Agena A, SLC1W, VAFB – Agena upper stage – MILESTONE: 65 years ago
1970 – LAUNCH: SERT2, Thorad SLV-2G/Lockheed Agena D, SLC2E, VAFB – MILESTONE: 55 years ago
Exploration and Interplanetary Programs:
NONE
Earth-Monitoring and Civil Weather Satellite programs:
NONE
Commercial Programs:
1998 – LAUNCH: LM (RCA) Inmarsat 3 F5 (also Brasilsat B3), Ariane 44LP, ELA2, Kourou, French Guiana
Test, ICBM, FBM programs:
1955 – LAUNCH: Martin Viking 12 re-entry vehicle, LC33, White Sands, New Mexico – final launch of a Viking sounding rocket – reached an altitude of 143.5 miles – MILESTONE: 70 years ago
1959 – LAUNCH: GD Atlas B, LC11, CCAFS – last Atlas B at Cape
1960 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Polaris A1, LC29A, CCAFS – MILESTONE: 65 years ago
1963- LAUNCH (2): Lockheed Polaris A2, SSBN599, ETR
1970 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Polaris C3, EAG-154, ETR – MILESTONE: 55 years ago
1971 – LAUNCH (2): Lockheed Polaris A3, SSBN598, ETR
1980 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Poseidon C3, SSBN654, ETR – MILESTONE: 45 years ago
1989 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Trident C-4, SSBN654, ETR
Other:
NONE
The photos today are of the Viking 12 sounding rocket full-scale model that Martin Marietta donated to the Smithsonian, a photo of Earth from the last Viking sounding rocket flight on this day in 1955 and a drawing showing the two Viking configurations. The photos and drawing were found on Wikipedia.
Here is the caption for the photo of the Viking 12 at the Smithsonian:
Looking up at “Rocket Row” in the Space Hall at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. “Rocket Row” is a grouping of famous missiles and rockets. When the Air & Space Museum was in smaller quarters behind the Smithsonian Castle (prior to the opening of its current building in 1976), these stood in a row outdoors. They are now grouped in a major exhibit in the Space Hall.
Left to right, they are: Jupiter-C (the “UE” marking), Viking (with hull cutaway to show interior), and Scout-D (with “United States” markings). Photo Credit: Tim Evanston, licensed as follows (the photo was not changed):
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The diagram is credited to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum (government agency – in the public domain).
The photo from the Viking launch has the following caption:
Viking 12 infrared photo of the Earth taken 4 February 1955 from an altitude of 143.4 miles; released by Department of Defense August 1955.
