The events on this day in history for our heritage companies are noted below.
The earliest event was in 1954, the latest event was in 2016
Three milestone events (5 to 65+ years ago)
Human Spaceflight:
2000 – LAUNCH: STS-106 (Atlantis), LC39B, CCAFS – 7 person crew, ISS operations & logistics. Crew: Terrence Wilcutt, Scott Altman, Edward Lu, Richard Mastracchio, Daniel Burbank, Yuri Malenchenko (RKA – Russia), Boris Morukov (RKA – Russia) – MILESTONE: 25 years ago
Military and Classified Programs:
1984 – LAUNCH: GPS Block 1 (SVN 10), GD Atlas E/SGS-2, SLC3W, VAFB
2001 – LAUNCH: USA 160, LM Atlas IIAS, SLC3W, VAFB
2009 – LAUNCH: USA 207, ULA Atlas V 401, LC41, CCAFS
Exploration and Interplanetary Programs:
1967 – LAUNCH: Surveyor 5, GD Atlas SLV-3C/Centaur, LC36B, CCAFS
2004 – LANDING PARTIAL FAILURE: LM Genesis spacecraft returns to Earth – PARTIAL FAILURE – parachute does not deploy due to incorrectly installed accelerometers. Spacecraft was heavily damaged, but science was mostly recovered
2016 – LAUNCH: LM OSIRIS-REx, ULA Atlas V 411, LC41, CCAFS – Asteroid sample return mission to Bennu
Earth-Monitoring and Civil Weather Satellite programs:
NONE
Commercial Programs:
1983 – LAUNCH: RCA Satcom 7, Delta 3924, LC17B, CCAFS
1988 – LAUNCH: GE GSTAR 3 (also SBS-5), Ariane 3, ELA2, Kourou, French Guiana
1996 – LAUNCH: LM (GE) GE1, LM Atlas IIA, LC36B, CCAFS – first A2100 bus
1998 – LAUNCH (5): LM (Motorola) Iridium, Delta 7920-10C, SLC2W, VAFB
Test, ICBM, FBM programs:
1954 – Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation selected to perform Systems Engineering and technical direction functions for Project Atlas
1956 – LAUNCH FAILURE: Lockheed X-17, LC3, CCAFS
1961 – LAUNCH: Martin Titan I, LC19, CCAFS
1962 – 851st squadron (nine MM Titan I missiles) declared operational at Beale AFB, California
1967 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Polaris A3, SSBN602, ETR
1970 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Poseidon C3, SSBN629, ETR – MILESTONE: 55 years ago
1974 – LAUNCH: GD Atlas F, 576-A1, VAFB
Other:
1960 – NASA Marshall Space Flight Center founded – MILESTONE: 65 years ago
1966 – First episode of Star Trek (The Original Series) airs!
The photos today are of the launch of OSIRIS-REx in 2016 and the spacecraft being prepared for launch. OSIRIS-REx obtained samples from asteroid Bennu and the sample return capsule came back successfully on 09/24/2023! The mission continues for the spacecraft (OSIRIS-APEx) as it will fly by asteroid 99942 Apophis in April 2029.
The photos were found on PICRYL, the largest archive of public domain photos. Here are the official captions for the two photos:
The 45th Space Wing supported NASA’s successful launch of the OSIRIS REx spacecraft aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 here September 8 at 7:05 p.m. ET. This is the first U.S. mission that will travel to near-Earth asteroid Bennu to collect surface samples. As planned, the spacecraft will reach its asteroid target in 2018 and return a sample to Earth in 2023, according to NASA. (Courtesy photo/United Launch Alliance). Public Domain Dedication. Public Use Notice of Limitations: https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright
Inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the agency’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is prepared for encapsulation in its payload fairing. Targeted for liftoff Sept. 8, 2016, OSIRIS-Rex will be the first U.S. mission to sample an asteroid, retrieve at least two ounces of surface material and return it to Earth for study. The asteroid, Bennu, may hold clues to the origin of the solar system and the source of water and organic molecules found on Earth. Photo Credit: NASA, released to public domain.
