1985 – Landing of Space Shuttle Challenger. STS-51-B was the first space shuttle cross-wind landing at Edwards Air Force base.
1918 – Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria, British Columbia, first spectrum of a star was recorded. Only one week after the mirror’s arrival by horse train this `first light’ saw the new Observatory at last come into full operation as the largest telescope in the world.
Birthdays
1966 – Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Skvortsov, cosmonaut, was born in Schelkovo, Moscow Oblast. Selection: 1997 TsPK Cosmonaut Group. EVAs – 2, 12 hours 34 mins. Missions: Soyuz TMA-18 (Expedition 23/24), Soyuz TMA-12M (Expedition 39/40), Soyuz MS-13 (Expedition 60/61)
1955 – Donald Thomas was born in Cleveland, Ohio. NASA selection: NASA Group 13 (1990). Time in space: 43d 8h 13m. Missions: STS-65, STS-70, STS-83, STS-94
1958 – Chiaki Mukai was born in Tatebayashi, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. She became a physician and the joined NASDA/JAXA. Selection 1985 NASDA Group. Time in Space: 23d 15h 39m. Missions: STS-65, STS-95.
1949 – David Cornell ‘Dave’ Leestma born in Muskegon, Michigan. Selection: NASA Group 9 (1980). EVAs-1, Time: 3 hours 29 mins. Time in Space: 22d 4d 32m. Missions STS-41-G, STS-28, STS-45
