The Syrian airfield prepare for reception of military aircraft of China
The latest news about fast emergence in borders of Syria of navy of China encouraged Syrians and res[...]
1959
JANUARY 4 In California, the Pacific
Missile Range and Vandenberg Air Force Base becomes operational for missile test firings.
FEBRUARY At Travis Air Force Base, California, the 5th Bombardment Wing deploys its first B-52Gs.
FEBRUARY 1 Control of the Distant Early
Warning (DEW) line passes from the United States Air Force to the Royal Canadian Air Force.
FEBRUARY 6 The Air Force successfully launches its first Titan I intercontinental ballistic missile; this is a two-stage, liquid-fueled projectile with an effective range of 5,500 miles.
FEBRUARY 12 The Strategic Air Command (SAC) becomes an all-jet bomber force once the last remaining B-36 Peacekeeper is retired from active service.
FEBRUARY 17 At Cambridge, Massachusetts, Dr. J. Allen Hynek, associate director of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, advises the Air Force that they should assume scientific approach to recording all UFO sightings and keep the public informed of all existing policies towards them.
FEBRUARY 19 At Holloman Air Force Base, California, a two-stage rocket sled reaches 3,090 miles per hour, or Mach 4.
FEBRUARY 28 At Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, a Thor-Hustler rocket launch system successfully puts the Discoverer I satellite into Earth orbit. This is also the first satellite launched from the West Coast and the first placed in a polar orbit.
MARCH 10 At Edwards Air Force Base, California, the X-15 rocket research aircraft makes its first captive flight while strapped under the wing of an EB – 50 mothership. At this time it is piloted by A. Scott Crossfield.
April 9 This day NASA announces that the 7 Project mercury astronauts have been selected from 110 candidates. Three of them—Captains L. Gordon Cooper, Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, and Donald K. “Deke” Slayton—are Air Force pilots.
April 10 In California, the Northrop YT-38 prototype flies for the first time. It enters service as the T-38 Talon, one of the most successful and most popular jet trainers in aviation history.
April 23 Over the Atlantic Missile Range, a B-52 bomber test fires the first Hound Dog air-to-ground, nuclear – tipped guided missile.
April 28 The Douglas Aircraft Company contracts with the Air Force to construct a three-stage Thor-Vanguard rocketlaunching system named the Delta.
MAY 6 At Cape Canaveral, a successful, 1,500-mile test launch of the Jupiter IRBM results in that rocket system being declared operational.
MAY 12 At Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, the 1298th Air Transport Squadron is the first unit to receive the first of three VC-137A (Boeing 707) executive transport aircraft.
A Thor missile launch carries a GE Mark 2 nose cone to an altitude of 300 miles and 1,500 miles downrange; an onboard camera in the nose photographs the Earth from that vista.
May 15 The first reentry vehicle recovered from an intercontinental-range missile test is put on public display by General Bernard Schriever, head of the Air Research and Development Center.
May 25 The first operational F-106 Delta Dart deploys with the Air Defense Command; this supersonic fighter is designed to replace the older, slower F – 102 Delta Dagger.
June 3 At Colorado Springs, Colorado, 207 members of the first U. S. Air Force Academy class graduate out of an original total of 306 cadets.
June 8 Over the Mojave Desert, California, the X-15 rocket research aircraft piloted by A. Scott Crossfield makes a non-powered test glide after being dropped by a B-52 bomber at 38,000 feet.
June 23 At Tullahoma, Tennessee, the Arnold Engineering Development Center is instructed to prepare operational and design requirements for a major space test facility for military space weapons.
July 1 At Jackass Flats, Nevada, the first experimental nuclear reactor, named Kiwi 1, is tested at full power as part of the nuclear space rocket program.
July 24 Near Antigua, Air Force authorities recover capsule film of a recent nose cone separation sequence.
July 30 In California, the Northrop N – 156F exceeds Mach 1 on its maiden flight. This is the prototype of what becomes the F-5 Freedom Fighter.
AUGUST 7 A pair of F-100 Super Sabres become the first jet aircraft to fly directly over the North Pole.
AUGUST 24 The Air Force test launches an Atlas-C missile, which travels 5,000 miles downrange at an altitude of 700 miles. The nose cone, which contains movie footage of one-sixth the Earth’s surface, is subsequently recovered and analyzed.
AUGUST 29 The Lockheed Corporation contracts with the Air Force to construct a new, high-speed, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft under Project OXCART for the Central Intelligence Agency. This is the origin of the SR-71 Blackbird.
September 1 At Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, all Atlas ICBM operations are assumed by the Strategic Air Command (SAC).
September 9 At Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, the first Atlas missile is launched under SAC auspices. The missile reaches 4,300 miles downrange at speed of
16,0 miles per hour, at which point SAC declares the system operational.
SEPTEMBER 17 Over California, the X – 15 rocket research aircraft is piloted by A. Scott Crossfield as it is dropped from a B-52 bomber and zooms to 53,000 feet at Mach 2.11.
OCTOBER 1 At Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, the Air Force Aerospace Aero – medical Center is created by consolidating a number of medical facilities.
OCTOBER 2 In Washington, D. C., the Defense Department appoints Major General Donald N. Yates, commander of the Air Force Missile Test Center, as its representative for Project mercury support operations.
OCTOBER 6 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, an Atlas ICBM and a Thor IRBM
are both launched to their full flight ranges.
October 13 A B-47 launches a Bold Orion, an air-launched ballistic missile, which then soars to an altitude of 160 miles. At one point it passes to within four miles of the orbiting Explorer 6 satellite.
October 28-December 19 In Asia, the 4520th Aerial Demonstration Squadron—or Thunderbirds—completes a successful tour of several countries. They win a Mackay Trophy for their efforts.
October 31 A Series D Atlas ICBM goes on full alert status, becoming the first U. S. intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the Soviet Union with a nuclear warhead.
November 3 For the first time, a C-133 Cargomaster transport delivers an Atlas ICBM to an operational base. It is the first aircraft designed for this specific mission.
November 16 Captain Joseph W. Kit – tinger jumps from the balloon Excelsior I from a record altitude of 76,400 feet, breaking all previous records.
November 17 In Washington, D. C., the Defense Department assigns the Air Force to accept primary responsibility for the Discoverer, MIDAS, and SAMOS satellite projects after they are transferred from the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA).
December 8 Major General Don R. Ostrander, formerly of ARPA, transfers as director of NASA’s Office of Launch Vehicle Programs. As such he is responsible for all subsequent development and operations.
December 9 A twin-rotored Kaman H-43B helicopter reaches a record altitude of 29,846 feet.
Over Akron, Ohio, an Air Force Goodyear unmanned balloon rises to
100,0 feet, whereupon it takes a radar “picture” of the Earth’s surface from a payload gondola.
December 11 Captain Joseph W. Kit – tinger jumps from the balloon Excelsior II at 74,500 feet, then drops 55,000 feet before opening his parachute. This is also a world’s freefall record.
Brigadier General J. H. Moore, flying an F-105B Thunderchief, sets a new world speed record of 1,126.5 miles per hour over a 100-kilometer course.
DECEMBER 14 Over Edwards Air Force Base, California, an F-105C Starfi – ghter flown by Captain Joseph B. Jordan reaches 103,389 feet, the highest altitude yet achieved by an air-breathing aircraft.
December 15 Over Edwards Air Force Base, California, an F-106A Delta Dart makes a new official speed record of 1,525.95 miles per hour in level flight.
January 30 The Central Intelligence aircraft. This is an early version of the Agency orders 12 Lockheed A-12 high – SR-71 Blackbird. altitude, high-speed reconnaissance
FEBRUARY 9 At Bedford, Massachusetts, the Air Force initiates the National Space Surveillance Control Center (SPACE – TRACK).
FEBRUARY 24 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, a Titan ICBM is launched and reaches 5,000 miles downrange, its longest flight profile to date.
April 1 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, an Air Force Thor-Able rocket booster launches TIROS 1, the first U. S. weather satellite. In time it completes 1,300 Earth orbits and relays back 22,952 pictures.
April 13 Transit 1B is launched into orbit, becoming the first U. S. navigation satellite.
May 1 Over Svedlorsk, Soviet Union, a U-2 spyplane flown by CIA pilot Francis G. Powers is struck by fragments of an SA-2 missile and brought down. He is put on trial and jailed for espionage, until being exchanged for a Soviet agent in 1961.
May 19 The X-15 hypersonic research plane piloted by Major Robert M. White reaches 107,000 feet, its highest altitude yet.
May 20 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, an Atlas missile is test fired and reaches an apogee of 1,000 miles in altitude as it reaches 9,000 miles downrange into the Indian Ocean. This is the longest flight of an Atlas to date.
May 23 In Chile, Operation amigos unfolds as Air Force transports begin massive amounts of humanitarian aid to assist victims of a major earthquake there. Over the next month, 10,000 tons of supplies will be flown in from 4,500 miles away.
May 24 MIDAS II, the first antimissile early warning satellite, is placed into Earth orbit.
June 25 The Aerospace Corporation, a
nonprofit civilian group tasked with managing the engineering, research, and development of missiles and space programs, is created by the Air Force.
June 28 In Washington, D. C., a Langley Medal is posthumously awarded to American rocket pioneer Dr. Robert H. Goddard. This is also the Smithsonian Institution’s highest award.
July 1 Over the Barents Sea, an ERB- 47H of the 55th Reconnaissance Wing is shot down over international waters by MiG-17s. Only the pilot and copilot survive, and they are held as spies until being released the following January.
July 8 At Jackass Flats, Nevada, a nuclear reactor named Kiwi-A Prime is tested at full power as part of the nuclear – powered rocket program Project rover.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Air Force transports begin a four-year effort to evacuate U. S. citizens and fly in UN peacekeeping troops during a period of civil war.
July 14 In Africa, Project safari begins as 100 C-130 and C-124 transports airlift
38.0 UN troops to various locales.
July 17 A series of three Air Force balloons carry three NASA experiments to
130.0 feet. The 12 mice on board are subject to cosmic rays for 12 hours then brought back for examination.
At Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, the 43rd Bombardment Group receives the first operational B-58 Hustler. This delta-winged giant flies at twice the speed of sound and can hit the Soviet Union with nuclear weapons after only one inflight refueling.
AUGUST 10—11 High above Earth, the Air Force Discoverer XIII satellite ejects a 300-pound capsule, which becomes the first man-made object ever recovered from space.
AUGUST 12 Over California, the X-15 rocket research aircraft piloted by Major Robert M. White reaches a record altitude of 136,500 feet.
AUGUST 16 Captain Joseph W. Kittin – gerr rides the Excelsior III balloon to 102,800 feet then jumps, setting the highest-ever parachute record. He falls for 17 miles, approaching the speed of sound during his freefall period.
AUGUST 18 At Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, the satellite Discoverer XIV is thrown into a polar orbit by the Air Force.
AUGUST 19 Over Honolulu, Hawaii, a C-119 flown by Captain Harold F. Mitchell snares the Discoverer XIV reentry capsule at an altitude of 8,000 feet. Consequently, the 6593rd Test Squadron (Special) receives a Mackay Trophy.
AUGUST 26 At Arecibo, Puerto Rico, the Air Force helps direct construction of the world’s largest radar, capable of bouncing signals off the moon and nearby planets.
AUGUST 30 At Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, the 564th Strategic Missile Squadron, consisting of six Atlas ICBMs, is the first operational unit of its kind.
September 10 Across the United States, civil aeronautical operations cease for six hours while Operation skyshield unfolds. This is a defensive operation sponsored by NORAD and involves several hundred Air Force aircraft.
SEPTEMBER 15 At Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, Captain W. D. Habluetzel and Lieutenant J. S. Hargreaves remain in a mock space capsule for 30 days during a simulated journey to the moon and back.
September 21 At Nellis Air Force Base,
Nevada, the first Republic F-105 Thun – derchief, all-weather, nuclear attack aircraft is delivered to the Tactical Air Command (TAC).
OCTOBER 1 At Thule, Greenland, the initial Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) is declared operational. This system is to alert the Strategic Air Command (SAC) of an impending missile attack in enough time to allow a retaliatory response.
OCTOBER 12 Over El Centro, California, a C-130 makes a record parachute drop by delivering 541,470 pounds of cargo by air.
NOVEMBER 12 At Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, the Discoverer XVII satellite is placed into orbit by a restartable rocket motor for the first time.
November 14 The second midair retrieval of an ejected satellite capsule occurs when a C-119 snares the payload for Discoverer XVII as it parachutes in from orbit. The cargo in this instance is the first letter carried into Earth orbit from Air Force Chief of Staff General Thomas D. White to the Secretary of Defense.
November 23 A Thor-Delta rocket carries the TIROS 2 weather satellite into orbit, becoming the 14th successful launching of the year.
December 1 In Pasadena, California, a scale map of the first lunar landing site selected by NASA is delivered to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
December 3 Disaster strikes at Vanden – berg Air Force Base, California, as a nighttime refueling of a Titan I ICBM results in an explosion and fire.
December 10 AC-119 piloted by Cap
tain Gene Jones retrieves the reentry capsule from the Discoverer XVIII satellite; this particular payload carried samples of human tissue to test the effects of solar radiation.
December 14 A B-52G from the 5th Strategic Bombardment Wing, Travis
Air Force Base, California, sets a new world jet distance record by flying 10,079 miles in 19 hours and 44 minutes.
December 16 At Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, the Strategic Air Command launches an Atlas-D with a Mark II nose cone; the projectile flies 4,384 miles downrange to Eniwetok Atoll.
December 19 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, NASA launches a Redstone rocket booster to lift an unmanned Mercury space capsule into low Earth orbit. The device is carried 135 miles up into the atmosphere at a speed of 4,200 miles per hour, and parachutes down into the ocean 235 miles downrange.