1969day.year
Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 9 to test the lunar module.
NASA launched Apollo 9 to conduct the first in-space test of the lunar module.
On March 3, 1969, NASA's Apollo 9 mission lifted off from Kennedy Space Center carrying astronauts James McDivitt, David Scott, and Rusty Schweickart. The crew performed the first crewed flight of the lunar module, nicknamed Spider, in Earth orbit. Over ten days, the mission tested docking maneuvers, life support systems, and propulsion critical for a future lunar landing. Apollo 9 validated the docking mechanism between the command module Gumdrop and the lunar module Spider. Success on this mission paved the way for the historic Apollo 11 landing later that year.
1969
Apollo program
Apollo 9
lunar module
1980day.year
The USS Nautilus is decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register.
The USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, was formally decommissioned.
On March 3, 1980, USS Nautilus (SSN-571), the pioneering nuclear-powered submarine, was officially decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. Commissioned in 1954, Nautilus revolutionized naval operations with extended underwater endurance and speed. During her career, she completed the first submerged transit of the North Pole and demonstrated the strategic potential of nuclear propulsion. The decommissioning marked the end of an era and paved the way for a new generation of advanced submarines. Nautilus was later preserved as a museum ship in Groton, Connecticut, allowing the public to explore this milestone of naval engineering.
1980
USS Nautilus
decommissioned
Naval Vessel Register
2005day.year
Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly an airplane non-stop around the world solo without refueling.
In 2005, adventurer Steve Fossett completed the first nonstop solo flight around the world without refueling, setting aviation history.
On March 3, 2005, American aviator Steve Fossett took off in his custom-built single-seat aircraft and embarked on a nonstop circumnavigation of the globe. Flying solo and without refueling, he covered more than 22,000 miles over approximately 67 hours of continuous flight. His aircraft, designed to maximize fuel efficiency and endurance, faced extreme weather conditions and navigational challenges over oceans and deserts. Fossett's successful landing marked a milestone in aviation, proving the potential for long-distance solo flights. The achievement earned him international acclaim and multiple world records. His flight expanded the boundaries of solo aviation and inspired future record-seeking pilots.
Steve Fossett