OTD…April 5 launches of STS-37 and 131

Scott Carpenter launched atop an Atlas rocket to become the second American to orbit the Earth today in 1962, flying for 4 hours and 39 minutes aboard Aurora 7 while making three revolutions of the globe.

Today in 1986…Space shuttle Challenger and her seven astronaut crew were lost during launch.

#OTD in 1983…Challenger launched with America’s first woman astronaut. Watch the launch: