AF flight 20. Engine fire after launch forced jettisoning of propellants, completed as a glide flight. However Fitz-Gerald reached 12.1 km and reached Mach 1.10 before the engine was shut off, in the process becoming the second person to break the sound barrier.

Fully fueled round used and attained highest altitude to that date. In addition to testing equipment the flight was used to measure upper air temperatures. V-2 reached 102 km, 1170 m/s; WAC 400 km, 2300 m/s. Provided information on ion densities in the F-region of the ionosphere.

Spacecraft No. 9 was delivered to Cape Canaveral for the Mercury-Atlas 5 (MA-5) orbital primate (Enos) mission.

First successful Atlas E flight.

FU176 Technology (recovery) mission.

KH-8 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

Glide. Maximum Speed - 819 kph. Maximum Altitude - 14326 m. Flight Time - 258 sec.

Kutakhov calls Smirnov to give the VVS position on DOS-7K flights. He is told that Mishin has not only Ustinov and Smirnov, but even Brezhnev behind him in support of 30, and then 60 day spaceflight durations aboard DOS. The VVS' position of limiting flights to 20 to 24 days has no chance.

Examined solar radiation, thermospheric structure. SRATS (Solar and Thermospheric Radiation Satellite) is the third Japanese scientific satellite, to study the intereffects of solar radiation and the thermosphere of the earth. National name: Taiyo. Launch time 0525 GMT.

Ionosphere and magnetosphere studies; destroyed on 13 September 1985 (while still functioning) as part of an American ASAT test.

Range check. Launched from Red Lake, Chukuni Range, Ontario, Canada - Latitude: 50.88 N, Longitude:93.47 W.

HEO. Fields and particles, auroral studies; part of International Solar Terrestrial Physics program.

The United States rejected a $450 million Hughes satellite deal with China over fears it could compromise U.S. national security. The APMT satellite was designed to provide mobile telephone links over much of Asia and was 51 percent owned by Chinese interests. This marked the end of Chinese-US commercial collaboration in space, with China thereafter concentrating on deals with European or other developing world partners.

Flight Time: 2.8 hours Pilot: Binnie Copilot: Melvill. Objectives: Evaluate performance of updated engines. Measure effect of new canted wingtips. Test new landing gear doors and upgraded INS hardware. Results: New and different engine irregularities at highest altitudes. Further mods are needed for adequate ECS humidity control. Canted wingtips solved the dihedral effect problem. No flying qualities issues remain.

Information Gathering Satellite Radar-2. Japanese military satellite using a synthetic aperture radar for all-weather, 24-hour, high-resolution surveillance of the earth.

Optical-3 Verification Satellite, an experimental satellite on a six-month mission to test payloads planned for the Optical-3 second-generation Japanese military optical surveillance satellite. The production-type Optical-3 satellite was expected to launch in 2009.