Air Force Historical Foundation

1964: Mariner 4 successfully launched from Cape Kennedy on its 324-million-mile “fly-by” trip to Mars. Mariner 4 was the fourth in a series of spacecraft intended for planetary exploration in “fly-by” mode. It was designed to conduct closeup scientific observations of Mars and to transmit these observations to Earth. Mariner 4 performed the first successful flyby of the planet Mars, returning the first close-up pictures of the Martian surface. It captured the first images of another planet ever returned from deep space impacting the scientific community's view of life on Mars. Mariner 4 (Jet Propulsion Lab) continued to operate properly after two years in space. It had flown 1,025,082,830 miles by this date in 1966.

1933: The Army accepted Martin’s first production-model B-10 bomber. It was the first all-metal monoplane bomber with an internal bomb bay, retractable gear, rotating gun turret, and enclosed cockpit. It flew faster than the pursuit aircraft of the day. The XB-10 had full NACA cowlings to decrease drag, a pair of 675 hp Wright R-1820-19 engines, an 8-foot increase in the wingspan from the test version, canopies for the 3-man crew, and an enclosed nose turret. When the XB-10 flew during trials in June, it recorded a speed of 197 mph at 6,000 ft—impressive performance for 1932. The Army ordered 48 B-10s on 17 January 1933. The first 14 aircraft were designated YB-10 and delivered to Wright Field in November 1933. These early models were used near the end of the Army Air Corps Mail Operation in early 1934 and again during the 1934 AAC “Alaska Flight” commanded by Lt Col Hap Arnold.

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1940: The Martin B-26 Marauder flown by company test pilot William “Ken” Ebel, makes its first flight near the Martin Middle River plant in MD. One of the most heralded B-26 aircraft, Flak Bait, is part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection. (NASM Image)

1920: The first Pulitzer air race is won by Lt. Corliss C. Mosley piloting a Verville-Packard 600 over Mitchel Field, NY. Moseley covers 132 miles with an average speed of 156.5 miles per hour. One add'l requirement for competing aircraft was a landing speed less than 75 mph.

21-23 November 1994 During Project SAPPHIRE, two C-5s transport 1,300 pounds of highly enriched uranium to the U.S. from the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan where it will be safeguarded from terrorists and other threats.

1952: A 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron pilot, 1Lt Cecil G. Foster, scored his fifth MiG kill in MiG Alley to add his name to the list of aces. During the Korean War he shot down 9 planes which places him 12th on the list of 38 Korean War aces. He piloted an F-86 Sabre and he flew 200 combat sorties.

1952: While leading a flight of four F-80s against enemy gun positions in Korea, Maj Charles J. Loring deliberately crashed his damaged aircraft into enemy gun emplacements. After his death, Loring was awarded the Medal of Honor and made the namesake of Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine. (Loring’s Final Flight by Gerald Asher, USAF Art Program)

The Inaugural Lifetime Achievement for Space Award 2025 Space Lifetime Achievement Award General Kevin Chilton is a retired four-star General and former commander of the United States Strategic Command. With a career spanning over three decades, General Chilton has left an indelible mark on national security, space operations, and the aerospace community. His leadership extends beyond military service, shaping global strategies in space and nuclear deterrence. As a combat pilot, astronaut, and senior leader, General Chilton exemplifies the qualities that define such an award. As an astronaut, General Chilton conducted vital missions that advanced space exploration and technology, including the deployment of satellites crucial to national defense. His leadership as the commander of U.S. Strategic Command reinforced America’s nuclear and space deterrent strategies at a pivotal time in global security. General Chilton spearheaded the integration of cyber operations with space and missile defense capabilities, shaping U.S. strategy in these emerging domains. He championed a modernized nuclear force posture, advocating for the responsible use and control of nuclear weapons.

IB Holley Award 2025 Roger Launius From 1982 to 1990, Launius held several positions as a civilian historian with the United States Air Force. Between 1990 and 2002, he was the chief historian for NASA. In 2001, he held the Charles A. Lindbergh Chair in Aerospace History at the Smithsonian. From 2002-2006 he was Chair of the Division of Space History at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. From 2006-2013 he was Senior Curator, and from 2013-2016 Launius was Associate Director for Collections and Curatorial Affairs at the same institution. Publications Launius has written more than twenty books and 100 articles on the history of aerospace. Some titles include Historical analogs for the stimulation of space commerce (2014), Space shuttle legacy: how we did it and what we learned (2013), and Exploring the Solar System: The History and Science of Planetary Probes (2012). He has twice won the AIAA History Manuscript Award, for Coming Home: Reentry and Recovery from Space in 2011, and for Space Stations: Base Camps to the Stars in 2003. Roger D. Launius is former chief historian of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and most recently Associate Director for Collections and Curatorial Affairs at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. He is the author, most recently, of NACA to NASA to Now: The Frontiers of Air and Space in the American Century (NASA SP-2022-4419, 2023); Apollo's Legacy: The Space Race in Perspective (Smithsonian Books, 2019); Reaching for the Moon: A Short History of Space Race (Yale University Press, 2019); and The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future (Smithsonian Books, 2018). He is also a recipient of the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and the Exceptional Achievement Medal. He has been a guest commentator on space history for all the major television and news radio networks.