OTD…April 12 and STS-1 and 51D

#OTD in 1985…Discovery launched on the first classified space shuttle mission for the Department of Defense. Watch the liftoff:

As a dress rehearsal mission for the moon landing, Apollo 10 launched today in 1969 with Cernan, Young and Stafford

#OTD in 1983…Challenger lifts off on the first nighttime shuttle launch…and Discovery launches on her inaugural Spaceflight