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Donald H. Peterson

American - (NASA)

Deceased

Date of Birth: Oct. 22, 1933
Date of Death: May 27, 2018


Donald Herod Peterson was a United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut. Peterson was originally selected for the Air Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) program, but, when that was canceled, he became a NASA astronaut in September 1969. He was a mission specialist on STS-6 on board Challenger. During the mission Peterson performed a spacewalk to test the new airlock and space suits. He logged 120 hours in space. Peterson retired from NASA in 1984.

Space Shuttle Challenger / OV-099 | STS-6

National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of America
Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
April 4, 1983, 6:30 p.m.
Status: Success
Mission:

STS-6 was the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger. It deployed the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite into orbit for NASA, forming an integral part of NASAs in-space 10. It was also the first Space Shuttle mission involving a spacewalk. It was the first mission in which the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) was used.

Low Earth Orbit
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Acting Administrator: James Free

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA have many launch facilities but most are inactive. The most commonly used pad will be LC-39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.


Electron
Deployed
11 hours, 59 minutes ago
Follow My Speed (BlackSky Gen-3 3?)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Note: Payload and customer identities unconfirmed, identification based on mission patch and rocket drop zones analysis. 3rd of the BlackSky Gen-3…


Long March 2
Success
1 day, 20 hours ago
Shijian 30 A-C
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

3 Chinese satellites described as for “Space Environment Measurements” purposes. Actual usage not known.


Falcon 9
Success
2 days ago
Starlink Group 6-94
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
2 days, 11 hours ago
Prometheus Run (VAN)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (Launch Area 0 C) - Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Sub-orbital launch under Rocket Lab’s Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) program. This mission was lead by MDA and deployed a…


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 19 hours ago
Sentinel-6B
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (launched November 2020) and Sentinel-6B make up the Sentinel-6 mission, also known as Jason Continuity of Service (…