We are celebrating the Mars Launch! On the way to Mars!! How nice. We are blessed to be in the USA! I am sharing the whole party via one post so it is easier to see the party. You also can view the archive of the Jul 28 at 4:30 PM – Jul 30 at 8 AM party:

UPDATED: The Facebook Party’s photo’s Facebook destination changed the “last” time [From my blog’s photo collection], so it had to be restored from the Versatileer 3/26/21 post: Featured Photo Montage: NASA Retro Mission Patch Party on 5/8/21:
“Rebuttal: As much as I enjoyed at the time doing the Facebook Party, there is not a future in it for me. The photos are most important that you, my follower “see” them! America Online (AOL) start doing things like this in the 2000’s, where the service was not very blogger friendly. Facebook has cast its demise on this party’s integrity, There will be some other type of party in the future, and I will probable change the tag name #FacebookParty at that point.”

UPDATED: The Facebook Party’s photo’s Facebook destination changed, so it had to be restored by Versatileer on 3/27/21:
“[LETTERS].jpg”

UPDATED: The Facebook Party became removed because of new Facebook rules, so it had to be restored by Versatileer on 12/9/20:
“This Facebook post is no longer available. It may have been removed or the privacy settings of the post may have changed.”

The intro and pinned post with POLL :

Hello Mars!! In only 20 minutes, the posting party will start: until the #NASA launch of the rover to Mars. Every hour for the next 38 hours, on the :50’s of each hour–I will be posting an hourly photo all the way to the launch time, as I go through my whole collection of Kennedy Space Center NASA mission patches.

🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐
On 7/30/20 at 6:50 am CST, a 2,315-lb. rover is the centerpiece of NASA’s $2.7 billion Mars mission scheduled to lift off from the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. At the end, I will post the whole ensemble of photos on one post in the Photography section/featured photo.
Photos are all ©2020 Versatileer

🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐🌎🚀🪐
Join the fun! Join me #Live on Facebook, in order to celebrate the Mars launch due to happen on 7/30/20! Let’s have fun. Let me know how you feel about the possibility of persons going to Mars…

Posted by Versatileer on Tuesday, July 28, 2020

[POLL]…

Photo Posts (Patches):

Photo 01: Mercury Freedom 7
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Let’s get this party started with the first patch photo:

Mercury Freedom 7
Launch date: May 5, 1961
Landing date: May 5, 1961
Rocket: Redstone MRLV MR-7
Member: Alan Shepard
Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
Recovered by: USS Lake Champlain

Posted by Versatileer on Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Photo 02: Mercury Liberty Bell 7
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Mercury Liberty Bell 7
Apogee: 624,382′ 0″
Member: Gus Grissom
Launch date: July 21, 1961
Recovered by: USS Randolph
Landing date: July 21, 1961
Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft Corporation

Posted by Versatileer on Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Photo 03: Mercury Friendship 7
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Mercury Friendship 7
Launch date: February 20, 1962
Landing date: February 20, 1962
Rocket: Atlas LV-3B 109-D
Spacecraft: Mercury No.13
Member: John Glenn
Location: Launch Complex 14, FL

Posted by Versatileer on Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Photo 04: Mercury Aurora 7
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Mercury Aurora 7
Launch date: May 24, 1962
Member: Scott Carpenter
Spacecraft: Mercury No.18
Landing date: May 24, 1962
Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
Recovered by: USS Intrepid

Posted by Versatileer on Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Photo 05: Mercury-Atlas 8
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Mercury-Atlas 8
Launch date: October 3, 1962
Landing date: October 3, 1962
Member: Wally Schirra
Spacecraft: Mercury No.16
Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
SATCAT no.: 433

Posted by Versatileer on Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Photo 06: Mercury-Atlas 9
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Mercury-Atlas 9
Launch date: May 15, 1963
Rocket: Atlas LV-3B 130-D
Landing date: May 16, 1963
Member: Gordon Cooper
Recovered by: USS Kearsarge
SATCAT no.: 576

Posted by Versatileer on Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Photo 07: Gemini II
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Gemini II
Apogee: 561,352′ 0″
Launch date: January 19, 1965
Spacecraft: Gemini SC2
Landing date: January 19, 1965
Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
Recovered by: USS Lake Champlain

Posted by Versatileer on Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Photo 08: Gemini GT-3
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Gemini GT-3
Launch date: March 23, 1965
Landing date: March 23, 1965
Spacecraft: Gemini SC3
Recovered by: USS Intrepid
SATCAT no.: 1301
Members: Gus Grissom, John Young

Posted by Versatileer on Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Photo 09: Gemini 4
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Gemini 4
EVA duration: 20 minutes
Launch date: June 3, 1965
Landing date: June 7, 1965
Spacecraft: Gemini SC4
Perigee altitude: 165 kilometers (89 nmi)
Members: James McDivitt, Ed White

Posted by Versatileer on Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Photo 10: Gemini 5
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Gemini 5
Distance traveled: 17.20040026 billion′ 0″
Launch date: August 21, 1965
Landing date: August 29, 1965
Spacecraft: Gemini SC5
Recovered by: USS Lake Champlain
Members: Gordon Cooper, Pete Conrad

Posted by Versatileer on Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Photo 11: Gemini 6
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Gemini 6
Period: 1.5 hours
Launch date: December 15, 1965
Landing date: December 16, 1965
Spacecraft: Gemini SC6
SATCAT no.: 1839
Members: Wally Schirra, Thomas P. Stafford

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 12: Gemini 7
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Gemini 7
Launch date: December 4, 1965
Landing date: December 18, 1965
Spacecraft: Gemini SC7
Recovered by: USS Wasp
Perigee altitude: 299 kilometers (161 nautical miles)
Members: Frank Borman, Jim Lovell

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 13: Gemini 8
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Gemini 8
Docking date: March 16, 1966, 22:14 UTC
Launch date: March 16, 1966
Landing date: March 17, 1966
Spacecraft: Gemini SC8
Rocket: Titan II GLV, s/n 62-12563
Members: Neil Armstrong, David Scott

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 14: Gemini 9A
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Gemini 9A
Period: 1.5 hours
Launch date: June 3, 1966
Landing date: June 6, 1966
EVA duration: 2 hours, 7 minutes
Spacecraft: Gemini SC9
Members: Thomas P. Stafford, Gene Cernan

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 15: Gemini 10
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Gemini 10
Launch date: July 18, 1966
Landing date: July 21, 1966
EVA duration: 1 hour, 28 minutes
Spacecraft: Gemini SC10
Docking date: July 19, 1966, 04:15:00 UTC
Members: John Young, Michael Collins

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 16: Gemini 11
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Gemini 11
Launch date: September 12, 1966
Landing date: September 15, 1966
Apogee altitude: 1,368 kilometers (739 nmi)
Perigee altitude: 298 kilometers (161 nmi)
Spacecraft: Gemini SC11
Members: Pete Conrad, Richard F. Gordon Jr.

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 17: Gemini 12
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Gemini 12
Launch date: November 11, 1966
Landing date: November 15, 1966
Spacecraft: Gemini SC12
EVA duration: 5 hours, 30 minutes
Docking date: November 12, 1966, 01:06:00 UTC
Members: Jim Lovell, Buzz Aldrin

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 18: Apollo 11
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Apollo 11
Launch date: July 16, 1969, 8:32 AM GMT-5
Return launch: July 21, 1969, 17:54:00 UTC
Rocket: Saturn V SA-506
EVA duration: 2 hours, 31 minutes, 40 seconds
Orbital departure: July 22, 1969, 04:55:42 UTC
Members: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin

Note: Due to the demand for and rarity of Apollo mission patches, I am still years later missing the Apollo mission!

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 19: Skylab 1
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Skylab 1
Skylab 1 was launched unmanned.
Launch date: May 14, 1973, 5:30 PM
Launch Vehicle: Saturn V
Launch pad‎: ‎Kennedy Space Center‎ ‎LC-39A
Mission status‎: ‎Complete
Orbits per day‎: ‎15.4
Skylab Dates: May 14, 1973 – Jul 11, 1979

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 20: Skylab 2
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

SkyLab 2
Period: 1.6 hours
Launch date: May 25, 1973
Landing date: June 22, 1973
Crew size: 3
Manufacturer: Rockwell International
Members: Pete Conrad, Joseph P. Kerwin, Paul J. Weitz
Skylab Dates: May 14, 1973 – Jul 11, 1979

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 21: Skylab 3
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Skylab 3
Launch date: July 28, 1973
Landing date: September 25, 1973
Undocking date: September 25, 1973, 11:16:42 UTC
Docking date: July 28, 1973, 19:37:00 UTC
Launch site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39
Members: Alan Bean, Owen Garriott, Jack Lousma
Skylab Dates: May 14, 1973 – Jul 11, 1979

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 22: Skylab 4
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Skylab 4
Period: 1.6 hours
Launch date: November 16, 1973
Landing date: February 8, 1974
Launch site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39
Docking date: November 16, 1973, 21:55:00 UTC
Members: Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson, William Pogue
Skylab Dates: May 14, 1973 – Jul 11, 1979

I’m heartbroken that the mission had to fall to earth in 1979. The mission was completed though, so and there was no other losses.

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 23: Columbia STS-1
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Shuttle Columbia
Maiden flight: Launch date: April 12, 1981 (STS-1)
Launch site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-A
Landing date: April 14, 1981 at Edwards Air Force Base, Runway 23
Members: John W. Young and Robert L. Crippen

Last flight‎: ‎(STS-107‎)
Launch date: January 16, 2003
Launch site: Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39-A
Disaster date: February 1, 2003
Members: Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chawla, David M. Brown and Laurel Blair Salton Clark

No. of missions‎: 27 successful, ‎28 total
Crew members‎: ‎160
Miles Traveled: 121,696,993 (28 flights, including STS-107)
Earth Orbits: 4,808 (28 flights, including STS-107)
Time in Space: 300 days, 17:40:22 (28 flights, including STS-107)

The disaster of the STS-107 I remember quite well on an early Saturday afternoon and happened after my visit to NASA in ’97. The event changed the aeronautics program forever. Sadly, persons were trying to profit selling wreckage privately and changed the way eBay posted sales on the site as well. My prayers 🙏 go to all seven crew members and their families. The persons were all proud of their merits and will be remembered forever...

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 24: Challenger STS-6
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Shuttle Challenger
Maiden flight: Launch date: April 4, 1983 (STS-6)
Period: 1.5 hours
Launch site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-A
Landing date: April 9, 1983, Edwards Air Force Base Runway 22
EVA duration: 4 hours, 17 minutes
Crew size: 4
Members: Paul J. Weitz, Karol J. Bobko, Story Musgrave, Donald H. Peterson

No. of missions‎: 9 successful, ‎10 total
Crew members‎: ‎60
Miles Traveled: 23,661,290 (10 flights, including STS-51L)
Earth Orbits: 995 (10 flights, including STS-51L)
Time in Space: 62 days 07:56:22 (10 flights, including STS-51L)

The disaster of the STS-51-will be posted under separate post. My prayers 🙏...

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 25: Challenger STS-7
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Shuttle Challenger STS-7
Period: 1.5 hours
Launch date: June 18, 1983
Landing date: June 24, 1983
Launch site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39
Crew size: 5
Members: Robert Crippen, Frederick Hauck, John M. Fabian, Sally Ride, Norman Thagard

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 26: Challenger STS-8
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Shuttle Challenger STS-8
Period: 1.5 hours
Launch date: August 30, 1983
Landing date: September 5, 1983
Launch site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39
Crew size: 5
Members: Richard H. Truly, Daniel Brandenstein, Guion Bluford, Dale Gardner, William E. Thornton

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 27: Challenger STS-41-B
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Shuttle Challenger STS-41-B (the number system changed after STS-9, so STS-11 became STS-41-B)
Launch date: February 3, 1984
Landing date: February 11, 1984
EVA duration: 12 hours, 12 minutes; First: 5 hours, 55 minutes; Second: 6 hours, 17 minutes
Perigee altitude: 307 kilometres (166 nmi)
Apogee altitude: 317 kilometres (171 nmi)
Members: Vance D. Brand, Robert L. Gibson, Bruce McCandless II, Robert L. Stewart, Ronald McNair

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 28: Challenger STS-41-C
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Shuttle Challenger STS-41-C
Period: 1.5 hours
Launch date: April 6, 1984
Landing date: April 13, 1984
Launch site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39
Spacecraft: Space Shuttle Challenger
Members: Robert Crippen, Dick Scobee, Terry Hart, James van Hoften, George Nelson

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 29: Challenger STS-41-G
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Shuttle Challenger STS-41-G
Period: 1.5 hours
Launch date: October 5, 1984
Landing date: October 13, 1984
Launch site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39
EVA duration: 3 hours, 29 minutes
Members: Robert Crippen, Jon McBride, Kathryn D. Sullivan, Sally Ride, David Leestma, Paul Scully-Power, Marc Garneau

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 30: Challenger STS-51-B
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Shuttle Challenger STS-51-B
Period: 1.5 hours
Launch date: April 29, 1985
Landing date: May 6, 1985
SATCAT no.: 15665
Launch site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39
Members: Robert F. Overmyer, Frederick D. Gregory, Don L. Lind, Norman E. Thagard, William E. Thornton, Lodewijk van den Berg and Taylor G. Wang

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 31: Challenger STS-51-F
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Shuttle Challenger STS-51-F
Period: 1.5 hours
Launch date: July 29, 1985
Landing date: August 6, 1985
SATCAT no.: 15925
Perigee altitude: 312.1 kilometres (193.9 mi)
Members: C. Gordon Fullerton, Roy D. Bridges Jr., Karl G. Henize, F. Story Musgrave, Anthony W. England, Loren W. Acton and John-David F. Bartoe

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 32: Challenger STS-61-A
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Shuttle Challenger STS-61-A
Period: 1.5 hours
Launch date: October 30, 1985
Landing date: November 6, 1985
Launch site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39
Operator: NASA
Members: Henry Hartsfield, Steven R. Nagel, Bonnie J. Dunbar, James F. Buchli, Guion S. Bluford, Reinhard Furrer (West Germany), Ernst Messerschmid (West Germany), and Wubbo Ockels (Netherlands)

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 33: Challenger STS-51-L
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Shuttle Challenger STS-51-L
Launch mass: 268,500 lbs
Launch date: January 28, 1986
Crew size: 7
Orbits completed: Failed to achieve orbit; (96 planned)
Apogee altitude: 295.0 km
Members: Dick Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Gregory Jarvis, Christa McAuliffe

The disaster of the STS-51-L I remember quite while watching it go up on a winter morning, just after getting through celebrating a victory of the Chicago Bears winning the Super Bowl in the same week. I was absolutely shocked at what I saw happen and had to remember that this was not a Hollywood prop. My jaw dropped! I just got through minutes before it happened seeing everyone walk by in the line boarding the rocket and remember a comment from a newscaster talking about Payload Specialist McAulliffe how it was going to be the first American teacher in space. Even the announcers all had a problem getting the report of it across without a lump in their throat. This event changed the future aeronautics program and created a serious backlog for the whole program with years of delays. My prayers 🙏 go to all seven crew members and their families. The persons gave their lives for our country and for the good of mankind, and will be remembered forever…

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 34: Discovery STS-41-D
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Shuttle Discovery
Maiden flight: Launch date: August 30, 1984 (STS-41-D)
Period: 1.5 hours
Launch site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-A
Landing date: September 5, 1984 at Edwards Air Force Base, Runway 17
Crew size: 6
Members: Henry Hartsfield, Michael Coats, Mike Mullane, Steven Hawley, Judith Resnik, Charles D. Walker

No. of missions‎: 39
Crew members‎: ‎252
Miles Traveled: 148,221,675 (39 flights, through STS-133)
Earth Orbits: 5,830 (39 flights, through STS-133)
Time in Space: 365 days (39 flights, through STS-133)

Posted by Versatileer on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Photo 35: Endeavour STS-49
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Shuttle Endeavour
Maiden flight: Launch date: May 7, 1992 (STS-49)
Period: 1.5 hours
Launch site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex LC-39B
Landing date: May 16, 1992 at Edwards Air Force Base, Runway 22
Perigee altitude: 268 kilometres (167 mi)
Crew size: 7
Members: Daniel Brandenstein, Kevin P. Chilton, Richard Hieb, Bruce E. Melnick, Pierre J. Thuot, Kathryn C. Thornton and Thomas D. Akers

No. of missions‎: 25
Crew members‎: 173
Miles Traveled: 122,883,151 (25 flights, through STS-134)
Earth Orbits: 4,671 (25 flights, through STS-134)
Time in Space: 299 days (25 flights, through STS-134)

Posted by Versatileer on Thursday, July 30, 2020

Photo 36: Atlantis STS-51-J
Repost © 2021 Versatileer

Shuttle Atlantis

Maiden flight: Launch date: October 3, 1985 (STS-51-J)

Period: 1.5 hours

Launch site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex LC-39A

Landing date: October 7, 1985 at Edwards Air Force Base, Runway 23

Perigee altitude: 475 kilometres (295 mi)

Apogee altitude: 484 kilometres (301 mi)

Crew size: 5

Members: Karol J. Bobko, Ronald J. Grabe, David C. Hilmers, Robert L. Stewart, William A. Pailes

No. of missions‎: 33

Crew members‎: 207

Miles Traveled: 120,650,907 (32 flights, through STS-132)

Earth Orbits: 4,648 (32 flights, through STS-132)

Time in Space: 293 days, 18;29;37 (32 flights, through STS-132)

The last flight of the Atlantis was the final flight of NASA until this year. It was the STS-135 which flew July 8, 2011 to July 21, 2011.

Posted by Versatileer on Thursday, July 30, 2020

© SpaceX, Inc.

NASA’s image of the current SpaceX flight.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/tag/spacex/

Posted by Versatileer on Thursday, July 30, 2020

A video of the rocket launch: May 30, 2020 4:22 PM CDT – Commercial Crew SpaceX Demonstration Mission 2 (CREWED). May 30, 2020 03:22 PM Kennedy Space Center

Posted by Versatileer on Thursday, July 30, 2020

The live NASA feed of the launch:
This goes #LIVE in :30 minutes! Enjoy…

Posted by Versatileer on Thursday, July 30, 2020

NASA Launch Thursday; July 30, 2020 of the launch at Kennedy Space, Cape Canaveral, Florida (SHARED via YouTube follower @ _ Victaris _)

Posted by Versatileer on Thursday, July 30, 2020

For Fun:

Images ©Versatileer, except the photos with other terms & conditions © as stated. Videos © and/or rights as stated..