September 29, 2014 - Records Galore

Records Galore The moment the STS-41G mission lifted off thirty years ago this week, it entered the record books. For the first time in history, seven astronauts were sent into space at one time (this record would stand for just one more year until the STS-61A mission carried eight astronauts into orbit). In addition, the crew of Challenger included two women, Sally Ride and Kathryn Sullivan, another first. During the eight-day mission, Sullivan made further history by becoming the first female American astronaut to walk in space. The crew also had an international element as it included Marc Garneau, the first Canadian in space. Sullivan’s spacewalk and other parts of the STS-41G mission were immortalized in the IMAX film The Dream is Alive. This STS-41G image shows the Himalaya mountains in Tibet.

Image credit: NASA

Weekly Calendar

September 29 - October 5, 2014

Holidays - Sky Events - Space History

Monday 29

Mars 6° south of Moon

1977: Salyut 6 space station launched
1988: STS-26 Discovery launched, first shuttle flight since Challenger disaster
2001: First satellite launch from Alaska
2009: MESSENGER makes its third and final flyby of Mercury

Tuesday 30

1880: Henry Draper takes first photograph of Orion Nebula
1994: STS-68 Endeavour launched
1995: Daily communication with Pioneer 11 ends
2005: Soyuz TMA-7 launched carrying ISS Expedition 12 crew
2009: Soyuz TMA-16 launched carrying ISS Expedition 21/22 crew

Wednesday 1

First Qtr Moon 3:33 PM ET

1897: 40-inch refractor dedicated at Yerkes Observatory
1958: NASA founded
1962: 300-foot radio telescope at Green Bank goes into operation
2010: Chang’e-2 lunar spacecraft launched

Thursday 2

Friday 3

Yom Kippur begins at sunset

1935: Charlie Duke born
1942: First V2 rocket launched
1962: Mercury Sigma 7 launched
1967: X-15A-2 flies at mach 6.7
1985: STS-51J Atlantis launched