March 13, 2017 - RFP RSVP

RFP RSVP Forty-five years ago this week, NASA sent out a request for proposals to several major aerospace companies for the development of the reusable space shuttle orbiter. Lockheed, McDonnell Douglas, Grumman, and North American Rockwell (later Boeing) all replied with proposals, and NASA eventually awarded the contract to North American Rockwell. In all, six space shuttles were built, including the atmospheric test vehicle Enterprise. The shuttle fleet was retired in 2011, by which time the five orbiters that went to space (Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour) flew 135 missions. Seen here during the STS-120 mission in October 2007, the shuttle Discovery approaches the International Space Station. The Harmony node is visible in Discovery’s cargo bay.

Image credit: NASA

Weekly Calendar

March 13-19, 2017

Holidays - Sky Events - Space History

Monday 13

1781: William Herschel discovers Uranus
1855: Percival Lowell born
1989: STS-29 Discovery launched

Tuesday 14

Jupiter 2° south of Moon
Pallas in conjunction with Sun

1835: Giovanni Schiaparelli born
1879: Albert Einstein born
1934: Gene Cernan born
1986: Giotto flies by Halley’s Comet
1995: Soyuz TM-21 launched, first Russian mission with American on board
2016: ExoMars launched

Wednesday 15

1713: Nicolas de Lacaille born
1932: Alan Bean born
1975: Helios 1 launched
2009: STS-119 Discovery launched

Thursday 16

1750: Caroline Herschel born
1926: Robert Goddard launches first liquid fuel rocket
1966: Gemini VIII launched
1975: Mariner 10’s 3rd Mercury flyby

Friday 17

St. Patrick’s Day

1930: Jim Irwin born
1958: Vanguard 1 launched, first solar-powered satellite
1972: NASA issues request for proposals for Space Shuttle
2011: MESSENGER becomes first spacecraft to orbit Mercury