Apollo Program

C

Support Facilities

The success of Apollo also was dependent on a number of facilities on Earth. Foremost among these were the test and qualification facilities for spacecraft, launch vehicles, and the EMU; simulators and trainers to prepare the astronauts for the mission; the launch complex at Cape Canaveral; the worldwide tracking and communications network; and the Mission Control Center in Houston.

III

Apollo Missions

The Lunar Orbit Rendezvous (LOR) technique used for the Apollo missions consisted of launching the spacecraft into a stable orbit around Earth; setting a path toward the Moon; moving the spacecraft into orbit around the Moon; landing the LM on the lunar surface; taking off in the LM from the lunar surface and returning to the Moon’s orbit; rendezvousing and docking with the CSM; and finally, setting a course home to Earth. On return to Earth, the spacecraft was slowed by drag from Earth’s atmosphere and by parachutes (just before splashdown), before landing in the ocean. The transit time to and from the Moon was approximately three days each way. Depending on the specific mission, the time in lunar orbit ranged from less than one day for Apollo 8 to over six days for the final three missions, and the time on the lunar surface ranged from less than one day for Apollo 11 to over three days for Apollo 15, 16, and 17.

A

Apollo Test Missions

A total of 16 unmanned Apollo missions were flown between October 1960 and April 1968. The objective of these missions was to test the Saturn rocket launch system and certain systems of the CSM and the LM. The launch vehicle systems and the CSM abort system were tested in ten missions. Launch vehicle/spacecraft compatibility and the CSM heat shield were tested in four missions. The Saturn launch vehicle for the complete lunar landing configuration was tested by launching CSM and LM test vehicles into very high Earth orbit paths.

B

Apollo 1

On January 27, 1967, the launch crew and flight crew of the first manned Apollo mission were conducting a simulated countdown to test the operations and compatibility of the CSM and the launch vehicle prior to their scheduled launch the following month. The spacecraft was ready for a simulated launch, with hatch locked, power on, and an internal atmosphere of pure oxygen. The crew of Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White, II, and Roger B. Chaffee were in their space suits and performing the normal sequence of prelaunch activities.

---

---

At about 6:30 PM, after over five hours of delays and problems, a spark inside the spacecraft ignited flammable material and instantly engulfed the closed compartment in flames. By the time the hatch was pried away more than five minutes later, the crew had died from asphyxiation.

The precise source of the spark and fire was never determined; neither were any individuals or specific organizations implicated in the fire. Upon retrospect, the actual cause was due to the combination of several conditions: an oxygen-rich atmosphere; flammable interior materials such as paper, the space suits, Velcro, and other flight equipment; a vast array of exposed internal wiring, which presented many potential sources of electrical sparks; and the design and manufacture of the spacecraft.

As a result of the fire, many changes were made to the design, manufacturing, test, and checkout procedures of the vehicles and the management of the entire Apollo program. Many of these changes were tested in the unpiloted Apollo missions 4, 5, and 6. The vast improvements to the CSM, in particular, and the process by which it was prepared for flight, proved highly successful. The CSM performed almost flawlessly during the remainder of the Apollo program (with the exception of Apollo 13).

C

Apollo 7

Apollo 7 was the first manned Earth orbit flight test of the CSM. This ten-day mission was launched on October 11, 1968. On board were Walter M. Schirra, Donn F. Eisle, and R. Walter Cunningham. While orbiting Earth, the crew practiced maneuvers that would be used in a lunar mission. After exiting orbit and reentering the atmosphere, the capsule and crew were safely recovered in the Atlantic Ocean.

	More from Encarta
	•  Presidential Myths Quiz •  Coffee break: Recharge your brain