CALENDAR: THIS WEEK
Important Anniversaries next week have been the subject of previous Items of the Week. To find them, CHECK THEM OUT (AGAIN) HERE.
Tuesday, October 1, is the 111th anniversary of rocket pioneer filing his first patent for a “rocket apparatus.” For more information on Goddard’s early career, see here, and for information about the White Sands Missile Range, where he conducted most of his work, see here.
Tuesday, October 1, is also the 79th anniversary of the publication of an article on geostationary satellites, by Arthur C. Clarke. For more on the mathematics behind a geostationary orbit, see here.
Wednesday, October 2, is the 416th anniversary of the first demonstration of the telescope.
Thursday, October 3, is the 62nd anniversary of the launch of MA-8, the Mercury capsule bearing Wally Schirra on his first flight in Space. For more on Astronaut Schirra, see here.
Friday, October 4, is the 65th anniversary of the launch of Luna 3 the first spacecraft to image the far side of the Moon, and the 59th anniversary of the launch of Luna 7, a failed lunar soft landing attempt. For more on the USSR’s Moon program, see here.
Sunday, October 6, is the 34nd anniversary of the launch of the Ulysses spacecraft, via STS-41 (Discovery). The goal of the successful mission was to observe the polar regions of the Sun. For more information about it, see here.
Air and Space This Week
September 30, 2024 – October 6, 2024
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THE WEEK at a GLANCE Anniversaries: The 30th anniversary of the launch of STS-68, carrying the SIR-C imaging radar (9/30); the 65th of the premiere of The Twilight Zone (10/2) and the launch of Luna 3, the first to return images of the lunar far side (10/4); the 70th of the premiere of Father Knows Best (10/3); and the 110th of the first aerial combat victory (10/5) Birthdays: Actor George Peppard would have been 95 (10/1); author Truman Capote would have been 100 (9/30); and India’s Mahatma Ghandi would have been 155 (10/2) In the Sky: New Moon occurs at 2:49 PM EDT on Wednesday, October 2 |
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Monday, September 30 Today in Air and Space History 1982: The first helicopter circumnavigation of the world ended successfully at Ft. Worth, TX. Pilots Perot and Coburn flew a modified Bell 206 Long Ranger II named "Spirit of Texas," taking off back on 1 Sep. 1994: Launch of STS-68 Space Shuttle Endeavour, carrying the Space Radar Laboratory, including SIR-C, on its second flight. Other Events this Date: Red Skelton’s TV show premiered (1951), actor James Dean died of car crash injuries (1955), Cheers premiered (1982), the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 200+ points (~10%) in September, 1986, closing this date at 1919.71. Today’s Birthdays: Gum guy William Wrigley (1861), author Truman Capote (1924), singers Johnny Mathis (1935) and Marilyn McCoo (1943) |
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Tuesday, October 1 Today in Air and Space History 1913: Rocketry pioneerRobertGoddard filed his first (of 214) patent(s), for a "rocket apparatus." 1942: Testing of the Bell XP-59A "Airacomet," America's first turbojet fighter, began at Edwards AFB. 1945: Arthur C. Clarke published the concept of geostationary communications relay satellites, in journal Wireless World. Business ensued. 1958: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wasfounded. Other Events this Date: Yosemite National Park established (1890), Pittsburgh beat Boston, and Cy Young, in the very first World Series game (1903), the first Ford Model T was sold ($850, 1908), The Honeymooners debuted (1955), Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show for the first time (1962) Today’s Birthdays: Actors Walter Matthau (1920), James Whitmore (1921), Tom Bosley (1927), George Peppard (1929), Richard Harris (1930), and Julie Andrews (1935) |
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Wednesday, October 2 Today in Air and Space History 1608: Dutch spectacle-maker Hans Lipperhey demonstrated the first telescope to the Dutch Parliament. There is some dispute as to the actual inventor and the exact date of the discovery, but the 2 October demonstration date is pretty well agreed upon. 1962: Launch of the Explorer 14 satellite, designed to study cosmic rays and interplanetary charged particles. Other Events this Date: The Reds took 2 of 3 from the Pirates in baseball’s only triple header ever (1920), Peanuts comic strip debuted (1950), The Twilight Zone premiered (1959), The McCoys’ Hang on Sloopy beat out Barry McGuire’s Eve of Destruction and The Beatles’ Yesterday to become #1 (very briefly, 1965). Of course, I have all three on my iPod! Today’s Birthdays: Mahatma Gandhi (1869), comedians Groucho Marx (1890) and Bud Abbott (1896), American Pie singer Don McLean (1945), and singer Sting (1951) In the Sky: The Moon reaches First Quarter at 2:06 AM EDT |
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Thursday, October 3 Today in Air and Space History 1942: First test flight of the A-4 rocket, precursor to the deadly V-2, at Peenemunde. The rocket flew 120 miles downrange and attained an altitude of ~50 miles. It proved deadly during the War. Afterward, captured V-2’s were used for rocketry research (e.g.Operation Sandy) and scientific observations. 1962: Launch of Mercury-Atlas 8, the third crewed Mercury orbital mission. "Wally" Schirra flew the Sigma 7 for six near-perfect orbits. 1985: Launch of STS-51J Space Shuttle Atlantis, on the second secret DOD Shuttle mission. Other Events this Date: Bobby Thomson hit the “shot heard ‘round the World” (1951); O.J. Simpson was acquitted (1995); Premieres: Father Knows Best (1954), Captain Kangaroo (1955), Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club (1955), the Andy Griffith Show (1960), and the Dick van Dyke Show (1961); Today’s Birthdays: Author Gore Vidal (1925), goalie Glen Hall (1931), STTOS actress Madlyn Rhue (“Space Seed,” 1935), still-twistin’Chubby Checker (1941), and guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn (1954) |
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Friday, October 4 Today in Air and Space History 1957:Launch of Sputnik 1, the very first satellite, by the Soviet Union. The success surprised and scared many Americans, especially since the American satellite program would have difficulties “getting off the ground,” at least in one piece. Fundamental changes in the U.S. educational system resulted. And on the very same day as the Leave it toBeaver premiere, no less. 1959: Launch of Luna 3, the first spacecraft to radio back a photograph of the lunar "far side." 1965: Launch of Luna 7, a Soviet attempt at a lunar soft landing. The spacecraft crashed into the Sea of Storms. Other Events this Date:Leave it to Beaver premiered (1957), Bobby Hebb hit gold with Sunny (1966), singer Janis Joplin died (1970) Today’s Birthdays: Artist Frederic Remington (1861), author Damon Runyon (1884), actor Buster Keaton (1895), and actresses Lori Saunders (Petticoat Junction, 1941) and Susan Sarandon (1946) |
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Saturday, October 5 Today in Air and Space History 1914: First aerial combat victory ever: Voisin Pilot Joseph Franz and gunner Quinalt (or Quinaulty) downed a German observation plane. 1930: British airship R101 crashed in Beauvais, France, killing 48 of the 54 people aboard. It was the largest flying machine ever built, and had dining, sleeping, and recreational facilities for 100. Britain abandoned the commercial use of dirigibles soon afterward. 1984: Launch of STS-41G Space Shuttle Challenger, carrying the LargeFormatCamera and other experiments / satellites. This was the first mission with two female astronauts, Sally Ride (on her second Shuttle mission) and rookie Kathryn Sullivan. Other Events this Date: Groucho’s You Bet Your Life premiered (1950), a Cuban defector landed his Mig-17 at Homestead AFB (1969) Today’s Birthdays: Rocket pioneer Robert Goddard (1882), burger pioneer Ray Kroc (1902), WWII MoH submarine captain Eugene B. Fluckey, (first to experiment with ship-to-shore rocketry, 1913), Password pioneer Allen Ludden (1917), astronaut favorite Bill Dana (1924), Apollo 12 astronaut Richard Gordon (1929), singer Steve Miller (1943), Animal House actress Karen Allen (1951), and hockey great Mario Lemieux (1965) |
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Sunday, October 6 Today in Air and Space History 1977: First flight of the prototype of what would become the Soviet Mig-29 "Fulcrum" fighter. 1990: Launch of STS-41 Space Shuttle Discovery, on a mission to deploy the Ulysses spacecraft, designed to observe the Sun’s polar regions Other Events This Date: Al Jolson’s The Jazz Singer was released (first “talkie,” 1927), Nobelist Anwar Sadat was assassinated (1981) Today’s Birthdays: Singer Jenny Lind (1820), inventor George Westinghouse (1846), and explorer Thor Heyerdahl (1914) |
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“ROUND NUMBER” ANNIVERSARIES IN OCTOBER October 4: 65th anniversary of the launch of Luna 3, the first spacecraft to image the far side of the Moon October 5: 110th anniversary of the first aerial combat victory October 5: The 55th anniversary of a defection of Cuban Mig-17 pilot (and plane) October 11: The 40th anniversary of the first U.S. spacewalk by a woman (Kathleen Sullivan, STS-41G) October 17: The 50th anniversary of the first flight of the YUH-60A helicopter, aka the “Blackhawk.” October 18: The 35th of the launch of the Galileo Jupiter spacecraft, via STS-34 October 19: Al Hibbs, the “Voice of JPL,” would have been 100 this day. For more about him, see here October 25: The 80th anniversary of the culmination of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, see here |
