The Boeing 707-120 debuts as the world's first successful commercial jet airliner, ushering in the era of accessible mass air travel.

The plane is 107 feet from nose to tail-as big as a commercial jet seating 100 passengers, but with computers and instrument bays occupying most of the interior space and only a few Windows.

The market for launching small satellites is presently only partly served by the Pegasus rocket, which is launched at high altitude by a commercial jet aircraft.