June 17, 2013 - Challenger Says "Cheese"

Challenger Says “Cheese” The space shuttle Challenger began its second space voyage thirty years ago this week with a crew of five astronauts including Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. This unique view of Challenger was the first “self-portrait” of a space shuttle in orbit. It was taken by the free-flying Shuttle Pallet Satellite, which flew in formation with Challenger for several hours before being recaptured by the shuttle’s Remote Manipulator System and stowed in the cargo bay. The robot arm is visible protruding from the top of Challenger’s cargo bay. Also visible in the cargo bay are the two protective cradles for the Palapa B-1 and the Anik C-2 satellites that were released into orbit later in the six-day mission, which ended with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Image credit: NASA

Weekly Calendar

June 17-23, 2013

Holidays - Sky Events - Space History

Monday 17

1985: STS-51G Discovery launched

Tuesday 18

Spica 0.1° south of Moon

1799: William Lassell born
1983: STS-7 Challenger launched; Sally Ride becomes first American woman in space
2009: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) launched

Wednesday 19

Jupiter in conjunction with Sun
Saturn 4° north of Moon

1999: QuikSCAT launched

Thursday 20

Mercury 1.9° south of Venus

1985: NASA announces cola wars will take place on shuttle mission STS-51F
1996: STS-78 Columbia launched

Friday 21

Summer Solstice 1:04 AM ET

1993: STS-57 Endeavour launched
2004: SpaceShipOne launched, first privately-funded human space flight

Saturday 22

Venus 5° south of Pollux

1675: Royal Greenwich Observatory founded
1973: 28-day Skylab 2 mission ends
2000: NASA announces evidence of present-day liquid water on Mars

Sunday 23

Moon at perigee
Full Moon 7:32 AM ET