U.S. upper atmosphere research program initiated with captured German V-2 rockets. A V-2 panel of representatives of various interested agencies was created, and a total of more than 60 V-2's were fired before the supply ran out. The Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University then undertook to develop a medium-altitude rocket, the Aerobee, while the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) directed its efforts to the development of a large high-altitude rocket, first called the Neptune, later the Viking. References: 17 .

AF flight 17. Airspeed calibration. Mach 0.9. References: 49 , 97 .

Air Force established Project MX-1593 (Project Atlas), study phase for an intercontinental missile. Contract was given to Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft on January 23. This was the follow-on to Project MX-774 terminated in 1947. Several test vehicles had been fired using residual funds in 1948 and 1949, after which the Convair MX-774 (Atlas) missile project had been shelved. The company, however, had continued to fund a research program. References: 17 , 278 .

Paul E. Purser and Maxime A. Faget conceived of a solid-fuel launch vehicle design for the research and development phase of a manned satellite vehicle project. This launch vehicle was later designated Little Joe. When Project Mecury began in October 1958, the purposeof the Little Joe phase was to propel a full-scale, full-weight developmental version of the manned spacecraft to some of the flight conditions that would be encountered during exit from the atmosphere on an orbital mission. Also, Little Joe tests were used to perfect the escape maneuver in the event of an aborted mission. References: 483 .

NACA flight 16. Low-altitude, low-mach reaction-control investigation. References: 49 , 97 .

NASA requested the Army Ordnance Missile Command, Huntsville, Alabama, to construct and launch eight Redstone launch vehicles and two Jupiter launch vehicles in support of Project Mercury manned and unmanned flights. References: 483 .

Decree 'On separation of OKB-2 from NII-88' was issued. References: 474 .

Maximum Speed - 5216 kph. Maximum Altitude - 21641 m. References: 38 , 49 , 97 .

The Space Science Board of the National Academy of Sciences issued a report outlining research objectives in lunar and planetary exploration for the 1970s and early 1980s. The report affirmed earlier recommendations by the Space Science Board to NASA that unmanned exploration of Mars should have first priority in the post- Apollo space era. Secondary importance was assigned to detailed investigation of the lunar surface and to unmanned Venus probes. Clearly, the report reflected a predominant mood within the scientific community that scientific research in space take predominance over manned programs whose chief objectives, said the report, were 'other than scientific.' Additional Details: National Academy of Sciences report outlining research objectives in lunar and planetary exploration for the 1970s and early 1980s..

Area survey photo reconnaissance satellite. Unsuccessful mission. Spacecraft failed to separate from Block I stage. Attempt was made to conduct mission without orientation system. APO self destruct system destroyed spacecraft on 126th revolution over Sea of Okhotsk. First generation, low resolution photo surveillance; recovery probably failed. References: 1 , 2 , 6 , 93 .

Transfer of crew between two docked spacecraft; test of technique needed for Soviet lunar landing. References: 66 .

An MSC meeting to realign the Apollo 16-19 lunar orbital science experiments recommended that the Sounding Radar Experiment, S-167, be deleted and the Lunar Electromagnetic Sounder, S-168, should be developed and flown. Scientific-value for the experiments was ranked in the following descending priorities for the various scientific disciplines: geochemistry, particles and fields, imagery and geodesy, surface and subsurface profiles, and atmospheres. References: 16 .

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

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

Radar calibration mission. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Military topography satellite; returned film capsule; also performed mapping, geodesy. References: 1 , 2 , 6 .

Replaced Molniya 3-19. Operation of the long-range telephone and telegraph radio communications system in the USSR; transmission of USSR Central Television programmes to stations in the Orbita network and within the framework of international cooperation. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

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

Military navigation satellite. Replaced Cosmos 1577. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Unmanned supply vessel to Mir; raised Mir's orbit. Transported sundry cargoes to the Mir orbital station. Docked with Salyut 7 on 18 Jan 1987 07:26:50 GMT. Undocked on 23 Feb 1987 11:29:01 GMT. Destroyed in reentry on 25 Feb 1987 16:05:00 GMT. Total free-flight time 4.25 days. Total docked time 36.17 days. References: 1 , 2 , 6 , 275 .

Military navigation satellite. Positioned in plane 1 of constellation. References: 4 , 6 , 107 .

RSLP (MSLS) IFT-1