A study submitted to NASA by Douglas Aircraft Company concluded that a six-man space research station, capable of orbiting for one year, could be orbiting the Earth within five years. The crew, serving on a staggered schedule, would travel to and from the station on modified Gemini or Apollo spacecraft. The station would provide a small degree of artificial gravity by rotating slowly and would include a centrifuge to simulate reentry forces.

Space Test Program flight P73-3 was launched from the Western Test Range, and the payload - Navy Navigation Technology Satellite #1 (NTS-1) - was successfully placed into orbit. Demonstrated navigation technologies leading eventually to Navstar/GPS system. Operated for 5 years.

Geostationary meteorological satellite. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Pacific Ocean at 140 deg E in 1977-1981; over the Pacific Ocean 160 deg E in 1981-1984; over the Pacific Ocean 140 deg E in 1984; over the Pacific Ocean160 deg E in 1984-1989 As of 29 August 2001 located at 10.47 deg W drifting at 3.675 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 112.63E drifting at 3.690W degrees per day.

Magnetospheric research. European Space Agency satellite. Launch time 1043 GMT. Reached initial operational position of 6 deg East on 26 Jul 1978. During the two years of its mission, it will be maintained in position between longitude 0 and 35 deg east in geosynchronous orbit. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Atlantic Ocean at 36 deg E in 1978-1979 over the Atlantic Ocean 6-36 deg E in 1979-1981; over the Atlantic Ocean 24 deg E in 1981; over the Atlantic Ocean 33-37 deg E in 1981-1984 As of 3 September 2001 located at 177.77 deg W drifting at 3.212 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 179.12E drifting at 3.212W degrees per day.

Transmission of color and black-and-white USSR central television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1980 Last known longitude (14 March 1994) 95.12 deg E drifting at 0.122 deg W per day.

Stationed at 349 deg E. Development of the communications and television broadcasting system. Launched in the interests of the Ministry of Communications of the Russian Federation. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 11 deg W in 1992-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 13.53 deg W drifting at 0.004 deg E per day. As of 2007 Feb 21 located at 16.60E drifting at 0.001E degrees per day.

Atlantis Commander Steve Lindsey smoothly docked the space shuttle with the International Space Station late Friday about 240 statute miles above the northeastern coast of South America. With both spacecraft moving at about 17,500 mph, Lindsey moved Atlantis to the station at a relative speed of about a tenth of a foot per second. Docking occurred at 10:08 p.m. CDT. Additional Details: here....

The second stage of the booster deployed a set of six VHF messaging relay satellites for Orbcomm. The second stage carried two ESPA rings (developed for EELV auxilary payloads) each carrying four slots for the 172 kg satellites; the two extra slots were filled with mass dummies which remained attached. The Falcon 9 first stage made a flyback maneuver and deployed landing legs as part of engineering tests for future recovery; the stage was destroyed as it landed on the ocean.