November 9, 1967....Apollo 4 lifts off from Florida in the first launch of a Saturn V. The mission was important as all stages of the Saturn V & Command/Service Module would be fully functional, a first for NASA, instead of having test flights for individual stages like those done for the Saturn 1 & 1B. It was also the first launch from Launch Complex 39 which was specifically built for the Saturn V. The launch overwhelms & surprises reporters and guests attending the launch as no one expected the immense amount of noise & energy from the power of the Saturn V. Ceiling tiles from buildings 4 miles away fell off and NASA would later build a sound suppression system that pumped thousands of gallons of water onto the flame trench under the pad. Studies conducted by NASA showed that an explosion of the Saturn V at the pad or in the initial stages of launch would be catastrophic and had many worried since a rocket this large & powerful had never been launched before, but Apollo 4 successfully lifts off into orbit and all stages functioned perfectly to get the spacecraft into orbit. Once in orbit the S-IVB reignites, a second burn of the S-IVB would be needed for a trip to the Moon, to put the Command Module at a high speed re-entry angle and intentionally places the S-IVB at an angle that it would re-enter the atmosphere & burn up. After the CSM separates from the S-IVB the Service Modules engine is fired to further adjusted the CMs re-entry. The Command Module successfully re-enters the atmosphere at nearly 25,000 miles per hour simulating a lunar return speed. The unmanned mission lasts 8½ hours, reaches an altitude of 9,700 nautical miles and the CM lands in the Pacific Ocean just over 8 miles off target and is picked up by the USS Bennington. Apollo 4s Command Module is currently at NASAs John C. Stennis Space Center.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 19:51:55 +0000
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