1954:
Piloted by Air Force Maj.
Arthur Murray, the Bell X-1B makes its first powered flight from Muroc Air Force Base, Calif.
Oct. 11
1945:
The Wac Corporal rocket launches for the first time. The rocket, which launched from
White Sands Proving Ground in New Mexico, reached an altitude of 70,500 meters.
1958:
Pioneer 1 becomes the first spacecraft launched by NASA. Launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., by a Thor-Able rocket, Pioneer 1 relayed data about the near Earth space environment,
including magnetic fields and cosmic rays. Originally it also was meant to provide similar data about the Moon, but a rocket malfunction sent it away from its intended lunar orbit.
1968:
Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, launches on a Saturn 1 from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., for an 11-day mission in Earth orbit. The mission also featured the first live TV broadcast of humans in space.
2006:
Lockheed Martin completes the sale of its majority share in International Launch Services to Space Transport Inc., for $60 million.
Oct. 12
1964:
The Soviet Union launches Voskhod 1, a modified Vostok orbiter with a three-person crew, from BaikonurCosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
2005:
In China’s second manned spaceflight, a
two-taikonaut crew launches aboard the Chinese Shenzhou 6 for an orbital mission.
Oct. 13
1969:
The Soviet Union’s Soyuz 8 launches. The Soviet Union already had launched Soyuz 6 and Soyuz 7 Oct. 11 and Oct. 12, respectively. This marked the first time three spacecraft were in orbit simultaneously. All three launched from BaikonurCosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
