Headquarters USAF asked the Defense Department to approve a space program that would provide an early demonstration of space capability and a developmental test vehicle for larger satellite systems. Three Thor IRBMs could be made available for use in such development programs provided they did not interfere with the IRBM program.

USAF requested the Department of Defense approve a crash space program using the Thor IRBM as the booster. Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Research and Development, R. E. Horner, requested the Department of Defense approve a space program that would furnish an early demonstration of space capability and "provide important development test vehicles leading to larger reconnaissance and scientific satellites." To hasten action three Thor missiles, 114,116 and 118 ". . could be made available in a relatively short period of time with minimum interference to the IRBM program. " These boosters could be used to orbit a recoverable animal satellite prior to 1 July 1958. Thor, it was also suggested, would be a practical vehicle to furnish the Air Force satellites with specific military capabilities. (Memo, Asst SAF (R&D), R. E. Homer, to SOD, 1Z Nov 57, subj: Outer Space Vehicle.)

The second Thor/Agena B to be launched from Vandenberg AFB was the first successful flight of the more advanced Lockheed Agena B upper stage. KH-1; film capsule recovered 2.1 days later. Mission failed. Obtained orbit successfully. Film separated before any camera operation leaving only 1.7 ft of film in capsule. On December 2, the Air Force revealed that exceedingly valuable information had been obtained from human tissues carried by Discoverer 17 (the cover story for the mission). The tissues had been exposed to an unexpectedly heavy dose of radiation for more than 50 hours in flight.

A meeting was held to discuss alternatives for the next two Vostok flights. Alternatives were simultaneous flight of two capsules, each with a female cosmonaut; or one female flight and a male 5 to 7 day flight. The flight would occur no earlier than April 1963.

The group was selected to provide crews for flights of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, a classified military manned space station.. Qualifications: Qualified military pilot; graduate of Aerospace Research Pilot School; serving military officer; US citizen by birth..

Venera 2 was launched towards the planet Venus and carried a TV system and scientific instruments. On February 27, 1966, the spacecraft passed Venus at a distance of 24,000 km and entered a heliocentric orbit. The spacecraft system had ceased to operate before the planet was reached and returned no data.

The Apollo Crew Safety Review Board met to assess land landing of the CSM in the area of the launch site if a flight were aborted just before launch or during the initial phase of a flight. In general the Board was satisfied with overall planned recovery and medical operations. The only specific item to be acted on was some means of purging the interior of the spacecraft to expel any coolant or propellant fumes that might be trapped inside the cabin. The Board was also concerned about the likelihood of residual propellants trapped inside the vehicle even after abort sequence purging, a problem that MSC secured assistance from both the Ames and Lewis Research Centers to solve. At the Board's suggestion, MSC's Crew Systems Division also investigated the use of a helmet liner for the astronauts to prevent head injury upon impact. Finally, the Board recommended continued egress training with fully suited crews, including some night training.

Meeting DF Ustinov (Smirnov, Keldysh Afanasiev, Serbin, Stroganov, Kommissarov, Tsarev, Kerimov and others, on acceleration of N1 after 1973 for MKBS. Meeting at 12:00 - DF Ustinov (Smirnov, Keldysh Afanasiev, Serbin, Stroganov, Kommissarov, Tsarev, Kerimov and others.) ... 2) MKBS - Accelerate after 1973. It is necessary to accelerate the draft resolution on the MKBS and associated activities - EYaRD, reusable transport spacecraft. (Mishin Diaries 2-299)

Rendezvoused and docked with Mir space station on November 15. Delivered the Russian-built 316GK Shuttle-Mir docking module to Mir.Payloads: Shuttle-Mir Mission 2; docking module with two attached solar arrays; IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC); Glow Experiment (GLO-4)/ Photogrammetric Appendage Structural Dynamics Experiment (PASDE) Payload (GPP); Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) II.

Geosynchronous. Kupon is the first communications satellite for the Russian banking system, and the first commercial communications satellite sold by the Lavochkin, who have in the past been more commonly associated with planetary probes and early warning satellites. Kupon, owned by the Russian Federation Central Bank (and possibly Global Information Systems of Moscow), relays financial data for the Bankir network. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 55 deg E in 1997-1998 As of 1 September 2001 located at 86.25 deg E drifting at 0.142 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 78.29E drifting at 0.156E degrees per day.

Battery cycling of the five usable storage units inside the Zarya module was completed this week as controllers prepare for the next round of deep-cycling scheduled to begin late next week. The deep cycling of each battery takes about five days. The batteries store solar energy, which then is converted into electrical power for the Station's systems. Periodically, each battery is cycled to ensure its health and maintain its life. Additional Details: here....

Expedition Three Commander Frank Culbertson and Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov completed the external outfitting of the Pirs Docking Compartment on the International Space Station (ISS) this evening, conducting a 5 hour, 4 minute spacewalk outside the orbital outpost. Additional Details: here....

Flight Time: 2.0 hours Pilot: Binnie Copilot: Siebold. Objectives: Continued engine, ECS and avionics evaluation. Simulated wheel brake failure landing rollout. Results: Conclusion: aircraft can be landed at MHV if a wheel brake fails. More engine irregularities at high altitude. Engines removed and sent to test cell for fuel control calibration and adjustments.

Soyuz TMA-3 was originally to switch lifeboats on the International Space Station. The crew would have returned to earth in the Soyuz TMA-2 already docked to the station. After the Columbia disaster, the remaining shuttles were grounded. The Soyuz was then the only means of keeping the station manned. It was therefore decided that Soyuz TMA-3 would fly with the skeleton crew of Foale and Kaleri.

Hayabusa probe skimmed at an altitude of 55 m over asteroid Itokawa. The Minerva nano-lander was released, but missed the asteroid and floated out into deep space. Hayabusa was then moved to a safe position 5 km from the surface and the control team considered its next move.

The 85 kg Philae lander was ejected from the Rosetta probe 22 km from Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at 08:35 GMT. Philae's thruster was not working, and at 15:33 on contact with 67P's surface at the Agilkia landing site, the harpoons intended to lock it to the surface apparently did not deploy. The lander bounced off the surface gently and settled down in another location at 17:26, for a second briefer bounce that resulted in final touchdown at 17:33, with the lander tilted, with one of its three legs off the surface. The lander is in the shadow of a crater cliff and did not receive enough sunlight to recharge its 2.5-day-life batteries. Science data was received, but then contact was broken.