3.5 Entering the Age of Space Flight
167
separation of rocket, spacecraft and other units, propulsion systems, guidance and
control systems, electrical systems, start-up and shutdown of the SM’s engines, heat
shield of the CM, and reentry and recovery of the CM. The operations of support
facilities were demonstrated completely. There were several malfunctions, mostly
minor, but three were serious, including the fault of service propulsion system, the
fault of electrical power system and the loss of data during the reentry. Thereafter, the
AS-202 and AS-203 were sequentially launched with the Saturn IB rockets, of which
the former conducted an orbital flight test and the latter did a suborbital flight test.
With the two flights, the combination tests between the rockets and the spacecrafts
had been accomplished. On January 27, 1967, three astronauts by the AS-204 (or
Apollo-1) spacecraft were making a preflight test on the launch pad at the Kennedy
Space Center. On the schedule, they were going to carry out the first crewed flight on
February 21. Unfortunately, three astronauts lost their lives as a fire swept through the
CM. For this reason, the exhaustive investigation of the fire and extensive reworking
of the CM postponed crewed launches until the NASA officials cleared them for
flight. The Saturn IB schedules were suspended for nearly a year, and the rocket
that finally bore the designation AS-204 carried the LM as the payload instead of
the CM. As a result, on November 9, 1967, the unmanned Apollo-4 spacecraft was
first launched into a predetermined earth-orbit by the Saturn V rocket, which fully
verified the performance of the rocket, the coupling characteristics of the rocket with
the spacecraft, the spacecraft’s main propulsion system, the attitude control system,
the mission support system, and the reentry and recovery of the CM. Meanwhile,
the Apollo-4 was also conducted a simulation test of Earth-Moon transfer in the
parking-orbit, and pushed to an orbital altitude of 18,079 km by its main engines. On
January 22, 1968, the Apollo-5 was put into the earth orbit by the Saturn IB rocket,
to verify the operation of the LM and its ascent and descent propulsion systems. At
the altitude of 222 km, the second stage of the rocket separated from the LM, and
the descent test of the LM was carried out. At the altitude of 961 km, the ascent test
of the LM was carried out. On April 4, 1968, the Apollo-6 was launched into the
orbit by using the Saturn V rocket to conduct all scheduled integrated flight tests.
The Apollo-6 was pushed to an orbital altitude of 22,209 km by its main engine, but
during the test, from the telemetry feedback there was a failure that the S-IVB engine
shut down in advance.
In the fourth phase (1968.5−1969.5), four series of the Apollo spacecrafts carrying
with the astronauts were launched sequentially, to conduct the crewed flight tests.
On October 11, 1968, the Apollo-7 with three astronauts Walter M. Schirra, Donn F.
Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham was launched into orbit by the Saturn IB rocket, to
investigate the adaptability for the astronauts to fly for a long time in the spacecraft,
as well as in-orbital maneuver of the CSM, attitude adjustment, and rendezvous
and docking function. After flying for 11 days, the Apollo-7 returned to the ground
safely on October 22. Subsequently, three crewed spacecrafts Apollo-8, Apollo9 and Apollo-10 were successively launched to carry out a series of flight tests,
such as astronaut’s adaptability, spacecraft performance, circumlunar flight, longdistance communication, separation and docking between the LM and CSM, and
environmental detection near the Moon. Among them, three astronauts John W.
167
separation of rocket, spacecraft and other units, propulsion systems, guidance and
control systems, electrical systems, start-up and shutdown of the SM’s engines, heat
shield of the CM, and reentry and recovery of the CM. The operations of support
facilities were demonstrated completely. There were several malfunctions, mostly
minor, but three were serious, including the fault of service propulsion system, the
fault of electrical power system and the loss of data during the reentry. Thereafter, the
AS-202 and AS-203 were sequentially launched with the Saturn IB rockets, of which
the former conducted an orbital flight test and the latter did a suborbital flight test.
With the two flights, the combination tests between the rockets and the spacecrafts
had been accomplished. On January 27, 1967, three astronauts by the AS-204 (or
Apollo-1) spacecraft were making a preflight test on the launch pad at the Kennedy
Space Center. On the schedule, they were going to carry out the first crewed flight on
February 21. Unfortunately, three astronauts lost their lives as a fire swept through the
CM. For this reason, the exhaustive investigation of the fire and extensive reworking
of the CM postponed crewed launches until the NASA officials cleared them for
flight. The Saturn IB schedules were suspended for nearly a year, and the rocket
that finally bore the designation AS-204 carried the LM as the payload instead of
the CM. As a result, on November 9, 1967, the unmanned Apollo-4 spacecraft was
first launched into a predetermined earth-orbit by the Saturn V rocket, which fully
verified the performance of the rocket, the coupling characteristics of the rocket with
the spacecraft, the spacecraft’s main propulsion system, the attitude control system,
the mission support system, and the reentry and recovery of the CM. Meanwhile,
the Apollo-4 was also conducted a simulation test of Earth-Moon transfer in the
parking-orbit, and pushed to an orbital altitude of 18,079 km by its main engines. On
January 22, 1968, the Apollo-5 was put into the earth orbit by the Saturn IB rocket,
to verify the operation of the LM and its ascent and descent propulsion systems. At
the altitude of 222 km, the second stage of the rocket separated from the LM, and
the descent test of the LM was carried out. At the altitude of 961 km, the ascent test
of the LM was carried out. On April 4, 1968, the Apollo-6 was launched into the
orbit by using the Saturn V rocket to conduct all scheduled integrated flight tests.
The Apollo-6 was pushed to an orbital altitude of 22,209 km by its main engine, but
during the test, from the telemetry feedback there was a failure that the S-IVB engine
shut down in advance.
In the fourth phase (1968.5−1969.5), four series of the Apollo spacecrafts carrying
with the astronauts were launched sequentially, to conduct the crewed flight tests.
On October 11, 1968, the Apollo-7 with three astronauts Walter M. Schirra, Donn F.
Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham was launched into orbit by the Saturn IB rocket, to
investigate the adaptability for the astronauts to fly for a long time in the spacecraft,
as well as in-orbital maneuver of the CSM, attitude adjustment, and rendezvous
and docking function. After flying for 11 days, the Apollo-7 returned to the ground
safely on October 22. Subsequently, three crewed spacecrafts Apollo-8, Apollo9 and Apollo-10 were successively launched to carry out a series of flight tests,
such as astronaut’s adaptability, spacecraft performance, circumlunar flight, longdistance communication, separation and docking between the LM and CSM, and
environmental detection near the Moon. Among them, three astronauts John W.