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On this day – March 3

Posted on March 3, 2025February 16, 2025 By Barb Sande

The events on this day in history for our heritage companies are noted below.

The earliest event was in 1955, the latest event was in 1980

Three milestone events (5 to 65+ years ago)

Human Spaceflight:

1965 – MM X-24 lifting body announced by USAF as follow-on to the Asset Spaceplane – MILESTONE: 60 years ago

1969 – LAUNCH: Apollo 9 mission, Saturn V, LC39A, KSC – earth orbit testing of Apollo CSM and LM; Crew: Jim McDivitt, Dave Scott, Rusty Schweickart. 

Military and Classified Programs:

1980 – LAUNCH: Classified missions, Atlas F/MSD, SLC3W, VAFB – MILESTONE: 45 years ago

Exploration and Interplanetary Programs:

1972 – LAUNCH: Pioneer 10, GD Atlas SLV-3C/Centaur, LC36A, CCAFS – Jupiter flyby, long duration (Pioneer 10 communicated with Earth for over 30 years)

Earth-Monitoring and Civil Weather Satellite programs:

NONE

Commercial Programs:

NONE

Test, ICBM, FBM programs:

1955 – Alternative configuration ICBM (Martin Titan I) to be authorized for development – MILESTONE: 70 years ago

1961 – LAUNCH FAILURE: Martin Titan I, LC20, CCAFS

1966 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Polaris A3, USBN644, ETR

Other:

NONE

The photos today are from two missions.  First, an Atlas SLV-3C/Centaur launched Pioneer 10 in 1972, which went on to do a flyby of Jupiter.   Photo Credit: NASA

Second, the Apollo 9 mission was launched in 1969 and the photos include that launch on a Saturn V and a photo of the crew.  Apollo 9 performed tests of the command and lunar modules in Earth orbit.   Photo Credits: NASA. 

March 3 – Pioneer 10 launched on Atlas SLV-3C. Photo Credit: NASA.
March 3 – Launch of Apollo 9. Photo Credit: NASA.
March 3 – Crew of Apollo 9 (Jim McDivitt, Dave Scott, Rusty Schweickart). Photo Credit: NASA.
On This Day

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