First manned rocket automobile tested by Fritz von Opel, Max Valier, and others, at Berlin, Germany. References: 17 .

California Rocket Society tested first hybrid rocket design in United States, using oxygen and carbon. References: 17 .

Bell flight 12. Nosewheel damaged. First powered flight of XS-1 # 1 aircraft. At Muroc Dry Lake, California. References: 49 , 97 .

Launched 15:05 local time. Reached 87.4 km. Carried Temp, composition, solar radiation (Naval Research Lab); biological experiments for Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan.

AF flight 7. Date estimated. References: 49 , 97 .

Sodium cloud, ionization research. Launched at 1005 local time. Reached 106.2 km.

Rocket performance, satellite instrumentation test. Launched at 0931 local time. Reached 204 km.

U.S.-IGY scientific satellite equipment, including a radio transmitter and instruments for measuring temperature, pressure, cosmic rays, and meteoric dust encounters, was tested above earth for the first time, as a rocket containing this equipment was fired by the Navy to a 126-mile altitude. References: 17 .

State Committee for Defence Technology (GKOT) Decree 'On creation of Branch No. 1 of OKB-456' was issued. References: 474 .

President John F, Kennedy designated the Apollo program including essential spacecraft, launch vehicles, and facilities as being in the highest national priority category (DX) for research and development and for achieving operational capability. References: 16 .

Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., John D. Hodge, and William L. Davidson of MSC's light Operations Division met at Langley with a large contingent of that Center's research staff to discuss LaRC's proposed Manned Orbital Research Laboratory (MORL). Langley spokesmen briefed their Houston visitors on the philosophy and proposed program phases leading to an operational MORL. Kraft and his colleagues then emphasized the need for careful study of operational problems involved with the MORL, as well as those associated with the smaller crew ferry and logistics supply vehicles. Specifically, they cited crew selection and training requirements, the need for a continuous recovery capability, communications requirements, and handling procedures for scientific data.

Maximum Speed - 4608 kph. Maximum Altitude - 22680 m. First flight in scientific and advanced research series - carried aerial mapping camera. References: 38 , 49 , 97 .

First silo launch

Operation of a system of long range telephone-telegraph radiocommunication, and transmission of USSR Central Television programmes to the stations of the Orbita network. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 64 .

Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Apollo 13 (AS-508) was launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, KSC, at 2:13 p.m. EST April 11, with astronauts James A. Lovell, Jr., John L. Swigert, Jr., and Fred W. Haise, Jr., aboard. The spacecraft and S-IVB stage entered a parking orbit with a 185.5-kilometer apogee and a 181.5-kilometer perigee. At 3:48 p.m., onboard TV was begun for five and one-half minutes. At 4:54 p.m., an S-IVB burn placed the spacecraft on a translunar trajectory, after which the CSM separated from the S-IVB and LM Aquarius. (The crew had named lunar module 7 Aquarius and CSM 109 Odyssey.) The CSM then hard-docked with the LM. The S-IVB auxiliary propulsion system made an evasive maneuver after CSM/LM ejection from the S-IVB at 6:14 p.m. The docking and ejection maneuvers were televised during a 72-minute period in which interior and exterior views of the spacecraft were also shown.

At 8:13 p.m. EST a 217-second S-IVB auxiliary propulsion system burn aimed the S-IVB for a lunar target point so accurately that another burn was not required. The S-IVB/IU impacted the lunar surface at 8:10 p.m. EST on April 14 at a speed of 259 meters per second. Impact was 137.1 kilometers from the Apollo 12 seismometer. The seismic signal generated by the impact lasted 3 hours 20 minutes and was so strong that a ground command was necessary to reduce seismometer gain and keep the recording on the scale. The suprathermal ion detector experiment, also deployed by the Apollo 12 crew, recorded a jump in the number of ions from zero at the time of impact up to 2,500 shortly thereafter and then back to a zero count. Scientists theorized that ionization had been produced by 6,300 K to 10,300 K (6,000 degrees C to 10,000 degrees C) temperature generated by the impact or that particles had reached an altitude of 60 kilometers from the lunar surface and had been ionized by sunlight.

Meanwhile back in the CSM/LM, the crew had been performing the routine housekeeping duties associated with the period of the translunar coast. At 30:40 ground elapsed time a midcourse correction maneuver took the spacecraft off a free-return trajectory in order to control the arrival time at the moon. Ensuring proper lighting conditions at the landing site. The maneuver placed the spacecraft on the desired trajectory, on which the closest approach to the moon would be 114.9 kilometers.

At 10:08 p.m. EST April 13, the crew reported an undervoltage alarm on the CSM main bus B, rapid loss of pressure in SM oxygen tank No. 2, and dropping current in fuel cells 1 and 3 to a zero reading. The loss of oxygen and primary power in the service module required an immediate abort of the mission. The astronauts powered up the LM, powered down the CSM, and used the LM systems for power and life support. The first maneuver following the abort decision was made with the descent propulsion system to place the spacecraft back in a free-return trajectory around the moon. After the spacecraft swung around the moon, another maneuver reduced the coast time back to earth and moved the landing point from the Indian Ocean to the South Pacific.

About four hours before reentry on April 17, the service module was jettisoned and the crew took photographs and made visual observations of the damaged area. About one hour before splashdown the command module was powered up and the lunar module was jettisoned. Parachutes were deployed as planned, and the Odyssey landed in the mid-Pacific 6.4 kilometers from the recovery ship U.S.S. Iwo Jima at 1:07 p.m. EST April 17. The astronauts were picked up by helicopter and transported to the recovery ship less than an hour after splashdown. Additional Details: Apollo 13. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 16 , 26 , 27 , 33 , 60 .

Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 99 .

Area survey photo reconnaissance satellite; returned film capsule; separated capsule (?). References: 1 , 2 , 6 .

Military navigation satellite. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Covered Oko constellation plane 7 - 163 degree longitude of ascending node. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 100 .

Successfully captured and repaired Solar Max satellite. References: 66 .

Removed bag from docking unit that interfered with Kvant docking. References: 66 .

Military cartographic satellite; returned film capsule. References: 1 , 2 , 6 .

References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 278 .

References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 278 .

References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 278 .

250 orbits. Soviet and French microgravity experiments. Space materials research. References: 1 , 2 , 6 , 69 .

Photo/digital surveillance. References: 1 , 2 , 6 .

Subsequent attempts to release it failed, reducing data return rate by an order of magnitude.

Glonass navigational satellite. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 67 , 274 , 276 .

Glonass navigational satellite. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 67 , 274 .

Glonass navigational satellite. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 67 , 274 , 276 .

The cosmonauts began a series of three EVA's to install the new VDU station orientation engine (delivered by Progress M-38) into the Sofora boom. On this first spacewalk they disconnected the old engine (in use for six years) and pushed it into space.