OTD…April 9 and STS-59

#OTD in 1989…Columbia launched with a classified communications satellite for the Defense Department

#OTD…The first launch of Challenger in 1983 and Columbia’s shortened Spacelab mission in 1997

Apollo 16 launched to the Descartes Highlands of the moon on this day in 1972 with John Young, Charlie Duke and Ken Mattingly.