On this day... October 20, 1995 Three decades ago, space shuttle Columbia was launched for mission STS-73 carrying a crew of 7 astronauts and the ESA/NASA SpaceLab in the cargo bay. It was the 7th launch attempt for this mission! It looks like mission specialist Michael Lopez-Alegria became the last to wear a NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 145.022-78 "Radial Dial" Alaska Project III chronograph. These radial dial Speedies were delivered to NASA in October 1978 and used during the Space Shuttle program between November 1981 & November 1995. 1996 onwards, NASA/ESA astronauts started to wear the Omega Speedmaster X-33 prototypes during space shuttle missions! (Photo: NASA)











