Space History for February 4, 2012

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1841
Born, Clement Ader, French inventor (first to fly a heavier-than-air craft)

Clément Ader (February 4, 1841 - March 5, 1926) was an early aviation enthusiast who constructed a balloon at his own expense during the Franco-German War of 1870-71. In 1876, he quit his job in the Administration of Bridges and Highways to make more money to support his hobby. His early inventions in electrical communications included a microphone and a public address device.

He then focused on the problem of heavier-than-air flying machines, and in 1890 built a steam-powered, bat-winged monoplane. On 9 October 1890, he flew it a distance of 50 m (160 feet) on a friend's estate near Paris. The steam engine was unsuitable for sustained and controlled flight. Nevertheless, Ader's short hop was the first demonstration that a manned heavier-than-air machine could take off from level ground under its own power.

1858
H Goldschmidt discovered asteroid #52 Europa.

1858
The seventh largest asteroid, 52 Europa, was discovered by H. Goldschmidt.

1875
Ludwig Prandtl, German physicist (father of aerodynamics)

1888
A Charlois discovered asteroid #272 Antonia.

1902
Born, Charles Lindbergh, American aviator

Charles Augustus Lindbergh II (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was a pioneering United States aviator famous for the first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

1906
Born, Clyde Tombaugh, astronomer (discovered Pluto, 1930)

1908
J H Metcalf discovered asteroid #1345 Potomac.

1924
B Jekhovsky discovered asteroid #1017 Jacqueline.

1928
Died, Hendrik A Lorentz, physicist (Lorentz transformation, Nobel 1902)

1929
E Delporte discovered asteroid #1664 Felix.

1932
Asteroid #1239 Queteleta was discovered by Eugène Joseph Delporte; and L Volta discovered asteroid #1238 Predappia.

1934
Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth discovered asteroids #2824 Franke, #3219 Komaki, #3370 Kohsai and #3404.

1936
Radium E became the first radioactive substance produced synthetically.

1961 09:36:00 GMT
USSR launched Sputnik 7, the first Soviet attempt at a Venus probe, which did not leave Earth orbit.

Sputnik 7 was the first Soviet attempt at a Venus probe, successfully launched into Earth orbit on 4 February 1961. The launch payload consisted of an Earth orbiting launch platform (Tyazheliy Sputnik 4) and the Venera probe. The fourth stage (a Zond rocket) was supposed to launch the Venera probe towards a landing on Venus after one Earth orbit but ignition failed, probably due to a faulty timer, and the spacecraft remained in Earth orbit. Because of its large size (6483 kg), the mission was originally thought by non-Soviet observers to be a failed manned mission. It later was described as a test of an Earth orbiting platform from which an interplanetary probe could be launched.

1964
The US FAA began a six month test of reactions to sonic booms over Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

1975
Died, Anatoli Arkadyevich Blagonravov, Russian scientist, President of the Academy of Artillery Sciences 1946-1950, leading Soviet work on exploration of the upper atmosphere using sounding rockets

1982
An indoor distance record for a paper airplane (47m) was set at Tacoma, Washington.

1983
A Mrkos discovered asteroid #3324.

1984
Frank Aquilera set a world frisbee distance record (168m) at Las Vegas, Nevada.

1993
The Russian space agency tested an 82' wide space mirror.

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