This week in 1979, the third and final High Energy Astronomy Observatory, HEAO-C, was launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center aboard an Atlas-Centaur rocket. Here, HEAO-C undergoes encapsulation. HEAO-C, known as HEAO-3 after insertion into orbit, continued the program’s mission of probing the electromagnetic spectrum, performing a sky survey of gamma rays and cosmic rays in a manner similar to HEAO-1. Together, the three HEAO missions propelled the emerging field of high energy astrophysics forward. Designed and developed by TRW Inc., the HEAO-3 project was managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The NASA History Program is responsible for generating, disseminating and preserving NASA’s remarkable history and providing a comprehensive understanding of the institutional, cultural, social, political, economic, technological and scientific aspects of NASA’s activities in aeronautics and space. For more pictures like this one and to connect to NASA’s history, visit the Marshall History Program’s webpage. (NASA)