May 1981
From The Space Library
“Man In Space” 20th anniversary article by Sir Patrick Moore in the Illustrated London News
The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) reported unofficial records set by Columbia's first flight, pending review for world certification. As the official U.S. certification authority for aerospace records since 1905 and sole U.S. representative of the Federal Aeronautique International (FAI), NAA gave the following figures: duration, 54 hours, 20 minutes, 52 seconds; maximum altitude, 209 kilometers; distance, 1,144,709 kilometers; mass carried into orbit, 95,201 kilograms; payload mass to altitude, 4624 kilograms. NAA said that Columbia was "the world's first and only aerospacecraft... capable of operating in space or in the atmosphere." NAA had awarded the Voyager mission team represented by Dr. Edward C. Stone the Collier Trophy, oldest U.S. aviation award, for space exploration achievement peaking in the close examination of Saturn after a comparable visit to Jupiter the previous years. Established in 1911 and first presented to Glenn Curtiss for development of a seaplane, the Collier Trophy was awarded yearly for achievement demonstrated by actual use. (NAA newsletter, May 1981)
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