The events on this day in history for our heritage companies are noted below.
Please see the announcement on December 11 about the cessation of events posting on the MARS website after December, 2025.
The earliest event was in 1956, the latest event was in 2004
No milestone events (5 to 65+ years ago)
Human Spaceflight:
1974 – MM X-24B flight 46, Dryden Lake – Pilot: Michael Love
1979 – First full-duration Space Shuttle Main Engine Test, NASA Stennis Center, MS – 554 seconds (three engines)
2001 – LANDING: STS-108 (Endeavour), KSC
Military and Classified Programs:
1962 – LAUNCH FAILURE: Classified mission, GD Atlas/Lockheed Agena B, SLC3E, VAFB
Exploration and Interplanetary Programs:
NONE
Earth-Monitoring and Civil Weather Satellite programs:
NONE
Commercial Programs:
2002 – LAUNCH: LM NSS-6, Ariane 44L, ELA2, Kourou, French Guiana
2004 – LAUNCH: LM AMC-6, LM Atlas V 521, LC41, CCAFS
Test, ICBM, FBM programs:
1956 – Navy Special Projects office authorizes Lockheed to begin development of the Polaris program
1957 – LAUNCH: GD Atlas A, LC14, CCAFS – first successful test launch
1963 – LAUNCH: MM Titan II, 395-D, VAFB
1971 – LAUNCH: Lockheed Poseidon C3, SSBN636, ETR
Other:
NONE
The photo today is the landing of STS-108 at KSC in 2001. Photo Credit: NASA.
Note also that on this day in 1956 the Navy authorized Lockheed to begin development of the Polaris sub-launched ICBM program.
