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September 4, 2017 - Like a Rocket Takes to Water

Like a Rocket Takes to Water  Germany’s V-2 rocket, the world’s first long-range guided missile, was developed too late to change the course of World War II, but it did change the course of space exploration. At the end of the war, the United States and the Soviet Union vied for control over the treasure trove of German rockets and the scientists who designed them. Both countries benefitted from these spoils of war, and seventy years ago today the US launched the first rocket—a captured V-2—from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Since then, rocket launches from sea platforms have become common (most notably by the Sea Launch company), but a new twist occurred in 2016 when, as seen here, the SpaceX company landed the first stage of its reusable Falcon 9 rocket on a floating platform at sea.

Image credit: SpaceX

Weekly Calendar

September 4-10, 2017

Holidays - Sky Events - Space History

 

Moon phase Monday 4

Labor Day

Mercury appears stationary

Moon phase Tuesday 5

Neptune at opposition
Jupiter 3° north of Spica

1964: OGO-1 launched
1977: Voyager 1 launched

Moon phase Wednesday 6

Neptune 0.8° north of Moon
Full Moon 3:03 AM ET

1947: First rocket launch (V-2) from an aircraft carrier
1983: STS-8 Challenger makes first shuttle night landing
2013: LADEE lunar orbiter launched

Moon phase Thursday 7

1995: STS-69 Endeavour launched

Moon phase Friday 8

1966: “Star Trek” premieres
1967: Surveyor 5 launched
2000: STS-106 Atlantis launched
2004: Genesis spacecraft crash-lands on return to Earth
2016: OSIRIS-REx launched

Moon phase Saturday 9

Uranus 4° north of Moon

1789: William Bond born
1892: E. E. Barnard discovers Amalthea
1975: Viking 2 launched
1982: Conestoga 1 launched
1994: STS-64 Discovery launched
2006: STS-115 Atlantis launched

Moon phase Sunday 10

Mercury 0.6° south of Regulus

1857: James Keeler born
1967: Surveyor 5 lands on Moon
1978: Venera 11 launched
2011: GRAIL spacecraft launched

Suggestions for new history dates or better links? Corrections for errors on this page? Please e-mail me.