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 2010
Five milestone events (5 to 65+ years ago)
Human Spaceflight:
1963 – Gemini/MM Titan II Improvement Board recommendations released – detailed areas to upgrade to man-rate the Titan II vehicle
1975 – MM X-24B flight 50, Dryden Lake – Pilot Michael Love – MILESTONE: 50 years ago
1985 – LANDING: STS-51-B (Challenger), Edwards AFB – MILESTONE: 40 years ago
1991 – LANDING: STS-39 (Discovery), KSC
2010 – TEST: LM Orion launch abort test, White Sands, New Mexico – MILESTONE: 15 years ago
Military and Classified Programs:
1965 – LAUNCH: LES2/LCS1, MM Titan IIIA, LC20, CCAFS – maneuverability tests of MM Transtage – MILESTONE: 60 years ago
Exploration and Interplanetary Programs:
NONE
Earth-Monitoring and Civil Weather Satellite programs:
NONE
Commercial Programs:
NONE
Test, ICBM, FBM programs:
1960 – LAUNCH FAILURE: GD Atlas D, 576-B2, VAFB – MILESTONE: 65 years ago
1962 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Polaris A1, SSBN608 (USS Ethan Allen), Remote Pacific – Frigate Bird test – Part of Operation Dominic
Other:
NONE
There are photos today from three missions. First, there are photos of the Polaris A1 launch and detonation in 1962 in a remote area of the Pacific; this was the only live warhead test of an FBM as part of the Frigate Bird test (Operation Dominic). Photo Credits: USN/Released/Public Domain. Here’s more about the photo of the detonation from Wikipedia:
Seen through the periscope of USS Carbonero (SS-337), submerged 25 miles from the aim point, this graphic illustration shows Frigate Bird’s mushroom-shaped cloud boiling skyward from its original burst altitude of 11,000 feet. The range clock at the upper right indicates 1433, which was the local time at the launching point. (Local time at the aim point was one hour earlier.)
The dictionary describes the frigate bird – sometimes called the man’o’war bird – as “any of several rapacious totipalmate sea birds of the genus Fregata, noted for their powers of flight.” Indeed with a wingspan up to 90 inches and the male’s ability to inflate his bright-red pouch during courtship in a spectacular display, the frigate bird is a unique animal. Equally unique was a nuclear test of that same name conducted near Christmas Island in the Pacific during May 1962. Even now, the Frigate Bird test remains the only end-to-end system test of a strategic nuclear missile – from launch to detonation – ever carried out by either side during the Cold War. And the Frigate Bird Test was a Submarine Force demonstration, featuring a Polaris A-2 missile fired from USS Ethan Allan (SSBN-608).
Second, there is a photo of the Orion launch abort test in 2010 at White Sands. Photo Credit: NASA.
Third, there is a photo that was found on the USAF/USSF photo archives of the Titan IIIA launch in 1965. The photo is released as public domain with the following descriptions and disclaimers:
Titan IIIA-6 with upper stage Transtage 4 rises from Launch Complex 20 at Cape Canaveral on 6 May 1965. This was the fourth and last launch of a Titan IIIA, the developmental configuration of the Titan III. (USAF photo).
Non-Commercial Use Authorized. Except in cases where productions are authorized for DoD assistance, DoD VI [Visual Information] may be distributed, copied, and used, for non-commercial, personal use, as well as historical and newsworthy purposes or activities. Display of the non-DoD endorsement disclaimer is requested.
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