OTD – Page 2 – Spaceflight Now

OTD…Final launch of Endeavour five years ago

May 16, 2016 Justin Ray

Shuttle Endeavour launched for the 25th and final time on this date in 2011.

OTD…May 15 and Faith 7

May 15, 2016 Justin Ray

The final manned Mercury mission was launched atop an Atlas rocket on this day in 1963 with Gordon Cooper aboard Faith 7 for a 34-hour, 22-orbit flight.

OTD…May 14 and Skylab

May 14, 2016 Justin Ray

NASA’s first space station — the Skylab orbital workshop — was launched atop a Saturn 5 rocket today, May 14, in 1973.

55 years ago today: America entered human spaceflight arena

May 5, 2016 Justin Ray

The U.S. launched its first man into space on this date, May 5, 1961, as Alan Shepard rode the Freedom 7 capsule on a 15-minute suborbital flight to 116.5 miles in altitude and 303 miles downrange to splashdown.

On this date…April 16 and Apollo 16

April 16, 2016 Justin Ray

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

April 14, 1981: Landing of Columbia on STS-1

April 14, 2016 Justin Ray

VIDEO: The winged spaceship Columbia returned to Earth with a pinpoint landing at Edwards Air Force Base on this day 35 years ago, concluding the maiden flight of the space shuttle.

April 12, 1981: 35 years since the maiden space shuttle launch

April 12, 2016 Justin Ray

America’s first space shuttle launched on this day 35 years ago as the reusable flying machine, Columbia, lifted off from Kennedy Space Center with John Young and Bob Crippen aboard.

OTD…March 9 and STS-133 landing

March 9, 2016 Justin Ray

Today in 2011, shuttle Discovery made a graceful landing at Kennedy Space Center, returning from her final voyage after a remarkable three-decade life of service.

OTD…March 6 and Kepler

March 6, 2016 Justin Ray

NASA’s Kepler planet-finder began its mission to discover Earth-like worlds orbiting other stars in the galaxy today in 2009, successfully launching aboard a Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral.

OTD…March 3 and Apollo 9

March 3, 2016 Justin Ray

Today in 1969, the launch of Apollo 9 and the first manned flight of all lunar hardware in Earth orbit.