August 12 - On this date in space travel...

nPosted on August 12, 2020

Key Points

nAugust 12, 1960:

nNASA’s first successful communications satellite was launched. Called Echo1A, it was a “passive” communications satellite, because this metalized balloon-like spacecraft merely reflected microwave signals – bouncing them from one spot on Earth to another – rather than actively receiving and transmitting signals.

nEcho 1A was nicknamed a satelloon!

nAugust 12, 1977:

nNASA’s first free flight of the Space Shuttle Enterprise.

nWhat does “free flight” mean? It certainly wasn’t without monetary cost! But before the Space Shuttle was launched into space, its ability to taxi down an airstrip and to fly was tested – both on its own and when mated to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA).

nThe first tests were called “captive tests,” and these were when the Space Shuttle was attached to the SCA. The Shuttle wasn’t doing any of the flying on these tests. Only after the Shuttle passed several captive tests did a free flight occur. The Shuttle was mated to SCA for take off and carried up to a fairly high altitude, where it was jettisoned away from the SCA. The crew on the Shuttle supervised a gliding approach to the runway and landed the Shuttle.

nThe Enterprise was the prototype Space Shuttle but was built without engines or a functioning heat shield. It was not capable of space flight, and it was a bit lighter than functional Space Shuttles. So after it passed its free flight tests, actual Space Shuttles had to be tested.