The events on this day in history for our heritage companies are noted below.
The earliest event was in 1963, the latest event was in 2021.
Two milestone events (5 to 65+ years ago)
Human Spaceflight:
1991 – LAUNCH: STS-37 (Atlantis), LC39B, KSC – 5 person crew, Deployed Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. Crew: Steven Nagel, Kenneth Cameron, Linda Godwin, Jerry Ross, Jerome Apt.
2010 – LAUNCH: STS-131 (Discovery), LC39A, KSC – 7 person crew, ISS completion (logistics and maintenance). Longest flight for Discovery. Crew: Alan Poindexter, James Dutton, Richard Mastracchio, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenberg, Stephanie Wilson, Yaoko Yamazaki (JAXA), Clayton Anderson – MILESTONE: 15 years ago
Military and Classified Programs:
NONE
Exploration and Interplanetary Programs:
NONE
Earth-Monitoring and Civil Weather Satellite programs:
NONE
Commercial Programs:
NONE
Test, ICBM, FBM programs:
1963 – LAUNCH: MM Titan I, 395-A1, VAFB
1965 – Final GD Atlas E missile retired from operational inventory, Fairchild AFB – MILESTONE: 60 years ago
1966 – LAUNCH: MM Titan II, 395-D, VAFB
1971 – LAUNCH: GD Atlas F, 576-A1, VAFB
Other:
2021 – LM completes a block buy of the ABL Space Systems small launch vehicle system. UPDATE as of 2025: ABL Space Systems has shifted from small launch vehicles to a missile defense line of products after limited success as a launch company. I could not find any information about further investments from LM.
The photos today are of the launch of STS-37, the crew and the deployment of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory in 1991. The Gamma Ray Observatory was one of the “great observatories” launched in the 1990s. It was built by TRW and was operational until the year 2000. Photo Credits: NASA.
