CHRONOLOGY – DECEMBER 2008
3/21/06
105 Years Ago – 1903
Dec. 17: Wright flyer makes first flight at
50 Years Ago -- 1958
Dec.13: Bioflight 1 –
Jupiter AM-13 - First
capsule containing living cargo, squirrel monkey, Gordo. Although not a NASA
mission, data was utilized in Project Mercury planning.
Dec.
18: Project Score launched, first message broadcast from space, voice of
President Eisenhower, 6:02 a.m., ESMC.
45 Years Ago -- 1963
Dec. 3: First flight of M-2 lifting body,
Col. Yeager at controls,
Dec. 10: Dyna Soar (X-20) cancelled by
Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara announcement,
Dec. 19: Explorer 19 launched at 10:49
a.m., PST. C.
Dec. 21: Tiros 8 launched, 4:30 a.m., EST,
ESMC.
40 Years Ago – 1968
Dec. 5: HEOS 1 launched, 1:55 p.m., EST, ESMC.
First satellite produced by
the ESTC for the European Space Research Organization [ESRO].
Dec. 7:OAO 2 launched, 3:40 a.m., EST,
ESMC.
Dec. 15:ESSA 8 launched, 12:22 p.m., EST,
WSMC.
Dec. 18:Intelsat III F-2 launched, 7:32
p.m., EST, ESMC.
Dec. 21-27:Apollo 8 launched, 7:51 a.m.,
EST, KSC. Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders.
First human
departure from Earth’s sphere of influence. First manned circumlunar flight. First crew assisted flight launched from
Launch Complex 39A.
First crew assisted spacecraft landing in
darkness.
First pictures of the Earth taken from the Moon.
First crew assisted flight to escape Earth’s
gravity.
First space vehicle to rocket out of lunar orbit.
First audio-video communication from lunar
distance.
First crew assisted Saturn V launch.
First crew to spend Christmas in space.
First humans to see far side of the Moon.
35 Years Ago – 1973
Dec. 3: Pioneer 10 passed Jupiter, 6:26
p.m., PST.
25 Years Ago -- 1978
Dec. 4: Pioneer Venus 1, Venus Orbit
Insertion.
Dec. 10: Navstar 4 launched, WSMC.
Dec. 13: DSCS II-11 and 12 launched, 7:40
p.m., EST, ESMC.
Dec. 15: nik 4 launched, 7:21 p.m., EST,
ESMC.
Dec. 21: Venera 12 (Soviet probe), Venus
Landing.
Dec. 25: Venera 11 (Soviet probe), Venus
Landing.
25 Years Ago -- 1983
Dec. 2:
STS 27 Atlantis launched, 9:30 a.m., EST, KSC. Launched DoD payload from
cargo bay.
Astronauts "Hoot" Gibson, Guy
Gardner, Mike Mullane, Jerry Ross, and Bill Shepherd. Landed at Edwards AFB, CA
Dec 6.
15 Years Ago – 1993
Dec. 2:
STS-61 Endeavour launched, 4:27 a.m. EST, KSC. First servicing of Hubble
Space Telescope (HST). Astronauts Richard O. Covey, Kenneth D. Bowersox, F.
Story Musgrave, Kathryn C. Thornton, Claude Nicollier, Jeffrey A. Hoffman, and
Thomas D. Akers. Landed at KSC December 13.
10 Years Ago -- 1998
Dec. 4: STS-88 Endeavour launched,
2:35 a.m. CST, KSC. Rendezvoused with the already launched Zarya Control Module and successfully attached the Unity
Node, providing the foundation for future station components. Astronauts Robert
D. Cabana, Frederick W. Sturckow, Nancy J. Currie, Jerry L. Ross, James H.
Newman , and Sergei K. Krikalev.
Anded at
KSC December 15 at 9:53 p.m. CST.
5 Years Ago -- 2003
Dec. 17: Ultra-High Frequency
Follow- on F11 satellite -- First U. S. military payload to be launched by a
Russian-made rocket engine. [Russian RD-180 engine] lifting an Atlas 3B launch
vehicle in space.
Dec. 19: Beagle
2, was an ESA Mars Lander that was released from the orbiting Mars
Express. It was to soft-land on Mars December 25, 2003 but no communication was
ever established and it was declared lost.