Significant historical activities for MSFC in FY2013

55 years ago 1958 January 31, 1958: Launch of Explorer I on a Jupiter C rocket built by Von Braun team in 55 years ago, April 2, 1958: President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposes establishing NASA in a message to Congress. 55 years ago July 2, 1958: White House decision for manned spaceflight program to go to civilian space agency, Washington, D.C. 55 years ago , July 29, 1958: President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, Washington, D.C 50 years ago May 15, 1963: Mercury/Atlas-9 (Faith 7), astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper launched, 8:04 a.m., EST, Cape Canaveral, Fla. First U.S. flight exceeding 24 hours First live television broadcast from a U.S. spacecraft. 45 years ago: January 22, 1968 Apollo 5 launched by Saturn 1B, 5:48 p.m., EST, KSC, unmanned test. First Earth orbital test (robotic) of Apollo spacecraft Lunar Module (LM) ascent and descent stages 40 years ago May 14, 1973: Skylab 1 space station launched aboard the last Saturn V rocket, 1:30 p.m., EDT, KSC Evans, and Harrison H. Schmitt. Last Apollo moon mission Blue Marble photograph taken by Apollo 17 crew. 40 Years ago May 25, 1973: : Skylab 2 mission launched aboard Saturn 1B. Astronauts: Charles Conrad, Jr., Paul J. Weitz, and Dr. Joseph P. Kerwin, 9:00 a.m., EDT, Cape Canaveral, Fla 40 years ago July 28, 1973: Skylab 3 launched by Saturn 1B, 7:11 a.m., EDT, KSC. Second manned visit to Workshop. Crew: Alan L. Bean, Owen K. Garriott, and Jack R. Lousma. Landed Sep 25, 1973. 40 years ago September 25,1973 : Skylab with astronauts Bean, Garriott, and Lousma, splashdown in Pacific Ocean, recovery ship USS New Orleans, 6:20 p.m., EDT. 40 years ago: December 7, 1973: : Apollo 17 launched aboard a Saturn V (SA-512) rocket from Cape Canaveral at 12:33 EST. Landed on Moon on December 11 in the Taurus-Littrow region. Crew: Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E. 35 years ago March 5, 1978 A complete Space Shuttle External Tank arrives in Huntsville for a series of structural tests at MSFC. The tank will be mated with the Orbiter Enterprise for testing in the Marshall Center Dynamic Test Stand 35 years ago March 13, 1978 The Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise arrives in Huntsville for a series of structural tests at MSFC. The orbiter will be mated with the External Tank for testing in the Marshall Center Dynamic Test Stand 30 years ago: June 18, 1983 : STS-7 (Space Shuttle Challenger) launched 7:33 a.m., EDT KSC. Crew: Robert L.Crippen, Frederick B.Hauck, John M.Fabian, Sally K.Ride, and Norman E.Thagard. Shuttle launched Anik C-2, Palapa B-1, and SPAS-01, subsequently retrieved by STS-7. First U.S. woman in space: Sally Ride. Landed June 24, 6:56 a.m. PDT, Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB). Mission Duration: 6 days, 2 hours and 23 minutes. 30 years ago June 13, 1983 : Pioneer 10 satellite became the first man-made object to leave the solar system. It was also the first spacecraft to visit an outer planet and the first to capture close-range images of Jupiter. Its final signal was sent to Earth in January 2003

30 years ago April 4, 1983:: STS-6 (Space Shuttle Challenger) launched, 1:30 p.m., EST, KSC. Crew: Paul J. Weitz, Karol J. Bobko, Donald H. Peterson and Story F. Musgrave. Landing: April 9, 10:53 a.m. PST, Edwards Air Force Base

(EAFB), CA. Mission Duration: 5 days, 0 hours, 23 minutesFirst flight of the orbiter Challenger. First Tracking and Data Relay Satellite successfully deployed. TDRS-1 launched from STS-6 the same day. The IUS stage malfunctioned leaving the TDRS satellite tumbling in a useless orbit. Still the satellite was put into a correct prbit thanks to its thrusters. First space walk of Shuttle program [D. Peterson & S. Musgrave]. First flight of the lightweight external tank and lightweight solid rocket booster casings. 30 Years Ago August 30, 1983 : STS-8 (Space Shuttle Challenger) launched, 2:30 a.m., EDT, KSC. Crew: Richard H.Truly, Daniel C. Brandenstein, Dale A. Gardner, William D. Thornton, and Guion S. Bluford. Insat 1B launched. Landed Sept. 5 at 12:40 a.m., PDT, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. (EAFB). Mission Duration: 6 days, 1 hour, 8 minutes. First African-American astronaut in space: Guion Bluford, First shuttle launch in the dark and first shuttle landing in the dark. 25 years ago September 29, 1988: (Space Shuttle Discovery) launched, 11:37 a.m., EDT, KSC. Crew: Frederick D.Hauck, Richard O.Covey, George D.Nelson, David C.Hilmers, and John M.Lounge. Return to flight after Challenger loss. TDRS 3 deployed successfully from cargo bay of orbiter Discovery. Landing October 3, 1988, 9:37 a.m. PDT, Runway 17, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Mission Duration: Four days, one hour, zero minutes. 20 years ago March 29, 1993 : SEDS-1 launched on a Delta II GPS-1 mission. It was the first successful 20 km space tether experiment. 20 Years Ago April 8 1993: STS-56 (Space Shuttle Discovery) launched 1:29 a.m. EDT, KSC. Crew: Kenneth D. Cameron, Stephen S. Oswald, C. Michael Foale, Kenneth D. Cockrell, and Ellen Ochoa. Carried Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science-2 (ATLAS-2). Landed April 17, 7:37 a.m. EDT, KSC. Mission duration 9 days, 6 hours, 8 minutes First Hispanic female astronaut to fly in space. (E. Ochoa) 20 years ago, June 21, 1993 STS-57 (Space Shuttle Endeavour) launched 9:07 a.m. EDT, KSC. Crew: Ronald J. Grabe, Brian Duffy, G. David Low, Nancy J. Sherlock, Peter J. Wisoff, and Janice E. Voss. First flight of the Spacehab module ([SPACEHAB-1). EURECA retrieval. Landed July 1, 1993, 8:52 a.m. EDT, KSC. Mission Duration 9 days, 23 hours, 44 minutes 20 years ago, July 1, 1993The Hubble Space Telescope first captured images of fragments of comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 with its planetary camera. One year later, the comet fragments collided with Jupiter. This was the first observed collision of bodies in our solar system.

15 years ago: January 29, 1998: Fifteen countries met in Washington to sign an agreement to establish the framework for cooperation among the partners on the design, development, operation, and utilization of the International Space Station. 15 years December 4, 1998 STS-88 International Space Station Unity Node Delivery 4. Built by Boeing at MSFC 15 years ago March 27, 1998: Hubble Space Telescope captured the first images of a planet outside our solar system. 15 years ago, June 2, 1998: STS-91 (Space Shuttle Discovery) launched 6:06 p.m. EDT, KSC. Crew: Charles J. Precourt, Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie, Wendy B. Lawrence, Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Janet L. Kavandi, and cosmonaut Valery Victorovitch Ryumin (Russia). Marked the final Shuttle/Mir Docking Mission and first use of the super lightweight external tank (SLWT).

10 years ago January 16, 2003 : STS-107 (Space Shuttle Columbia) launched at 10:39 a.m. EST, KSC. Crew:: Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson Kalpana Chawla, David M. Brown, Laurel B. S. Clark, and Ilan Ramon (Israel). As a research mission, the crew was kept busy 24 hours a day performing various chores involved with science experiments. KSC landing was planned for Feb. 1 after a 16-day mission but, Columbia and crew were lost during reentry over East Texas at about 9 a.m. EST, 16 minutes prior to the scheduled touchdown at

KSC. Mission Duration: 15 days, 22 hours, 20 minutes, 22 seconds. First Israeli astronaut to fly in space - Ilan Ramon. 10 years ago: February 1, 2003: After a 16-day mission, the Space Shuttle Columbia began its reentry but communications failed at 9:00 a.m. EST when the shuttle was at an altitude of 60 km with a speed of 20,100 km/hr. Columbia disintegrated and the STS-107 crew were lost over western Texas. It was the 28th mission for the shuttle, Columbia. Following an extensive investigation, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board identified the primary reason for the accident: damage to Columbias left wing caused by a piece of insulating foam.

10 years ago July 29, 2003: : The 1,000 consecutive day of people living and working aboard the International Space Station. 10 Years Ago August 2003: Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) report released. It explored the impact of NASAs organizational history and practices on Shuttle safety, as well as the roles of public expectations and national policy-making. This report concluded with recommendations to be implemented before return to flight.