Tag Archives: Kennedy Space Center

5 September 1977

September 5, 2024Space FlightCape Canaveral, Interplanetary Probe, Kennedy Space Center, LC-41, NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Rocket, Space Probe, Titan IIIE-Centaur, Voyager 1Bryan Swopes

The Voyager 1 interplanetary space probe was launched from Launch Complex 41, Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 12:56:00 UTC, 5 September 1977. (NASA)

20 August 1975

August 20, 2024Space FlightChryse Planitia, Kennedy Space Center, Mars, NASA, Rocket, Satellite, Space Flight, Space Probe, Titan IIIE/Centaur, Viking I, Viking Lander, Viking orbiterBryan Swopes

20 August 1975: The Viking 1 space probe was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a Titan IIIE/Centaur rocket. For the next ten months it traveled to Mars, the fourth planet of the Solar System. Once there, it was placed in orbit and began sending telemetry data back to Earth. A Viking Lander descended to the planet’s surface, landing at Chryse Planitia.

This was the first time that a spacecraft had landed on another planet. The orbiter continued to operate over the course of 1,485 orbits. As it ran low on fuel, mission controllers boosted it into a higher orbit to prevent it falling to the planet. Orbiter operations were terminated 17 August 1980. The lander operated for 6 years, 116 days, before the mission was terminated by a faulty transmission which resulted in a loss of contact, 11 November 1982.

Mars photo from Viking 1 lander — The surface of Chryse Planitia, Mars, photographed by the Viking 1 Lander. (NASA)

23 July 1999, 16:31:00 UTC, T minus Zero

July 23, 2024Space FlightAstronaut, Eileen Collins, Eileen M. Collins, Eileen Marie Collins, Kennedy Space Center, Launch Complex 39B, Manned Space Flight, NASA, Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102), Space Shuttle Program, STS-93, Test PilotBryan Swopes

Colonel Eileen Marie Collins, U.S. Air Force, wearing ACES suit. (Annie Leibovitz) — Colonel Eileen Marie Collins, U.S. Air Force, wearing ACES suit. (Annie Leibovitz/NASA Art Program)

23 July 1999: at 12:31 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (16:31:00 UTC), the Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102) lifted off on its 26th mission, STS-93, to place the Chandra X-ray Observatory in orbit. The total mission duration was 4 days, 22 hours, 49 minutes, 37 seconds.

In command was Colonel Eileen Marie Collins, United States Air Force, on her third shuttle flight. This was the first time that a space shuttle mission had been commanded by a woman.

Colonel Collins had previously served as pilot aboard Discovery STS-63 and Atlantis STS-84. She would later command Discovery (STS-114), the “Return To Flight” mission following the loss of Columbia. She logged 38 days, 10 hours of space flight. Eileen Collins retired in 2006.

Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93) launch from Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, 0031 EDT, 23 July 1999. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration KSC-99PP-0951) — Space Shuttle *Columbia* (STS-93) launch from Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, 16:31:00 UTC, 23 July 1999. (NASA)

21 July 2011, 21:54:00 UTC

July 21, 2024Space FlightAstronauts, Atlantis, Cape Canaveral, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Kennedy Space Center, Last Flight, Manned Space Flight, NASA, Space Shuttle, STS-135Bryan Swopes

Atlantis touches down at the Shuttle Landing Facility, 0554 EDT, 21 July 2011. (NASA) — *Atlantis* touches down at the Shuttle Landing Facility, 0554 EDT, 21 July 2011. (NASA)

21 July 2011, 5:54:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, (21:54:00 UTC) Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-135, landed at Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida. Wheel stop was 5:57:54 a.m., EDT.

This 13-day mission had been the thirty-third flight for Atlantis. It had spent a total of 307 days in Earth orbit.

Atlantis (STS-135) landing at he Shuttle Landing Facility. (NASA)

This brought to a close The Era of American Manned Space Flight which began 50 years, 2 months, 15 days, 20 hours, 23 minutes, 41 seconds earlier with the launch of Alan Shepard in Freedom 7, 5 May 1961, 09:34:13 EST.

The benefits of the NASA programs over these decades are immeasurable.

Space Shuttle Atlantis main wheel stop. (NASA) — Space Shuttle *Atlantis* main wheel stop. (NASA)

17 July 1975

July 17, 2024Space FlightAlexei Leonov, Apollo, Apollo Program, Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, Astronaut, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Cosmonaut, Deke Slayton, Docking, Donald K. Slayton, Kennedy Space Center, Last Flight, Manned Space Flight, NASA, Rendezvous, Saturn IB, Soyuz-U, Thomas P. Stafford, Valeri Kubasov, Vance D. BrandBryan Swopes

Apollo CSM-111 in orbit, as seen from Soyuz 19, 17 July 1975. (NASA )

At 12:20 UTC, 15 July 1975, Soyuz 19 launched from Gagarin’s Start at Baikonur Cosmosdrome, Kazakh SSR with Alexei Leonov and Valeri Kubasov, both on their second space flights. The launch vehicle was a Soyuz-U three-stage rocket.

At 19:50 UTC, 15 July 1975, Apollo ASTP lifted off from Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida. The crew was Thomas P. Stafford on his fourth space flight, Vance D. Brand on his first, and Donald K. “Deke” Slayton also on his first. The launch vehicle was a Saturn IB.

At 16:19:09 UTC, 17 July 1975, the two orbiting spacecraft rendezvoused in orbit and docked. Using a Docking Module airlock, the two crews each opened their spacecraft hatches and shook hands. The two ships remained joined for 44 hours, separating once for the Soyuz crew to take its turn to maneuver for docking with the Apollo Command and Service Module.

The Apollo command module from the mission is on display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. The descent module of Soyuz 19 is on display at the RKK Energiya museum in Korolyov, Moscow Oblast, Russia.

This was the final flight of the Apollo spacecraft.

Soyuz 19 in orbit, as seen from Apollo CSM-111, 17 July 1975. (NASA)

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