President John Kennedy announced the Apollo manned lunar program on May 25, 1961,
at a time when the Soviet Union seemed far ahead in Moon exploration. The USSR had
crashed the first spacecraft into the Moon, and had taken the historic first photographs
of the Moon's far side. The U.S. was a total failure at Moon shots -- nine straight attempts
had blown up on the launch pad or malfunctioned in flight.
Launch |
Date |
Crew |
Details |
October 27, 1960 |
SA-1 |
None |
First Saturn launch vehilce test with dummy upper stages. |
April, 25, 1962 |
SA-2 |
None |
Project High Water I |
November 16, 1962 |
SA-3 |
None |
Project High Water II |
April, 285, 1963 |
SA-4 |
None |
Test of the Saturn launch vehicle with a intentional shutdown of an ascent engine. |
November 16, 1963 |
PA-5 |
None |
Pad abort test of the Launch Escape System (LES). |
Jan 29, 1964 |
SA-5 |
None |
Orbital test flight of the Saturn S-IV second stage. |
May 13, 1964 |
A-001 |
None |
Using a Little Joe II, the first aerodynamic tests of the LES were completed.. |
May 28, 1964 |
SA-6 (A-101) |
None |
Orbital test flight of the Saturn/Apollo configuration. |
May 28, 1964 |
SA-7 (A-102) |
None |
Final qualification flight of the Saturn I booster. |
December 8,1964 |
A-002 |
None |
Maximum dynamic presure test of the LES close to guidence limits. |
February 16, 1965 |
SA-9 (A-103) |
None |
Saturn launch vehicle used to place Pegasus Meteoriod Satellite. |
May 19, 1965 |
A-003 |
None |
High altidute abort test with the LES: Launcher broke up. |
May 25, 1965 |
SA-8 (A-104) |
None |
Second launch of a Pegasus Meteoriod Satellite. |
June 29, 1965 |
PA-2 |
None |
LES test during a simulated pad abort. |
July 30, 1965 |
SA-10 (A-105) |
None |
Final launch of a Pegasus Meteor Satellite. |
January 20, 1966 |
A-104 |
None |
Repeat of flight A-003 to test high altidue abort of the LES. |
February 26, 1966 |
AS-201 |
None |
With Command/Service Maodule CSM-009 the Saturn IB booster testes sapcecraft compatability. |
July 5, 1966 |
AS-203 |
None |
Orbital test of the S-IVB second stage. |
August 25, 1966 |
AS-202 |
None |
Suborbital test of the S-IVB which included a heat shield qualification test. |
Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee died in the pad fire that erupted in the 100% oxegen atmosphere of the
Command Module. The ground simulation was not considered dangerous as the launch vehicle was not fueled.
As a result, the Block I type CM was redesigned to include a two gas atmosphere system. After the tragic ground
simulation, AS-204 was renamed as the Apollo 1 mission.
|
November 9, 1967 |
AS-501 Apollo 4 |
None |
Saturn V launch, CSM-017, LTA-10R |
First "all up" test of the complete Apollo Saturn V launch vehicle included a high apogee orbit
to simulate lunar rentry speeds.
|
January, 22, 1968 |
AS-204 Apollo 5 |
None |
S-IB launch, LM-1. |
The eventual launch of AS-204 with a Saturn S-IB booster became known as the Apollo 5
mission (no missions or flights were ever designated Apollo 2 and 3). The flight was used
to test the first production Lunar Excursion Module (LEM).
|
April 4,1968 |
AS-502 Apollo 6 |
None |
Saturn V launch, CM-202, SM-014, LTA-2R. |
Although 2 of first stage F-1engines shutdown prematurely and a third failed to startup
while in orbit, the flight was considered to be a success. The high oxygen filght of Command
Module 020 (CM) lasted for 6 hours 29 minutes. It was recovered in the Pacific by the Okinawa.
|
October 11-22, 1968 |
AS-205 Apollo 7 |
Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele, Walt Cunningham
|
Saturn IB launch, 556,904kg at liftoff, 260 hours 9 minutes flight time, 163 earth orbits, CSM-101. |
|
December 21-27, 1968 |
AS-503 Apollo 8 |
Frank Borman, James Lovell, William Anders
|
Saturn V launch, 2,782,328kg at liftoff, 147 hours 0 minutes flight time, 20 lunar orbits, CSM-103. |
|
October 11-22, 1968 |
AS-504 Apollo 9 |
James McDivitt, David Scott, Russell Schweickart
|
Saturn V launch, 2,901,704kg at lift off, 241 hours 0 minutes flight time, 151 earth orbits, CSM-104, LM-3. |
|
May 18-26, 1969 |
AS-505 Apollo 10 |
Eugene A. Cernan, John W. Young, Thomas P. Stafford
|
Saturn V launch, 2,908,597kg at liftoff, 192 hours 3 minutes flight time, 31 lunar orbits, CSM-106, LM-4. |
|
July 16-24, 1969 |
AS-506 Apollo 11 |
Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, Edwin Aldrin
|
Saturn V launch, 2,902,280kg at lift off, 195 hours 18 minutes flight time, 30 lunar orbits, CSM-107, LM-5. |
|
November 14-24, 1969 |
AS-507 Apollo 12 |
Charles Conrad, Richard Gordon, Alan Bean
|
Saturn V launch, 2,941,496kg at liftoff, 244 hours 36 minutes flight time, 45 lunar orbits, CSM-108, LM-6. |
|
April 11-17, 1970 |
AS-508 Apollo 13 |
James Lovell, John Swigert, Fred Haise
|
Saturn V launch, 2,912,683kg at liftoff, 142 hours 54 minutes flight time, lunar return flightpath, CSM-109, LM-7. |
|
January 31-Febraury 9, 1971 |
AS-509 Apollo 14 |
Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa Ed Mitchell
|
Saturn V launch, 2,912,335kg at liftoff, 216 hours 1 minutes flight time, 34 lunar orbits, CSM-110, LM-8. |
|
July 26-August 07, 1971 |
AS-510 Apollo 15 |
David R. Scott, James B. Irwin, Alfred M. Worden
|
Saturn V launch, 2,906,559kg at lift off, 295 hours 11 minutes flight time, 74 lunar orbits, CSM-112, LM-10. |
|
April 16-27, 1972 |
AS-511 Apollo 16 |
John Young, Ken Mattingly, Charles M. Duke
|
Saturn V launch, 2,921,005kg at liftoff, 265 hours 51 minutes flight time, 64 lunar orbits, CSM-113, LM-11. |
|
December 07-19, 1972 |
AS-513 Apollo 17 |
Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans, Harrison Schmitt
|
SaturnV launch, 2,923,387kg at lift off, 301 hours 51 minutes flight time, 71 lunar orbits, CSM-114, LM-12. |
|
October 11-22, 1968 |
AS-205 Apollo 7 |
Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele, Walt Cunningham
|
Saturn IB launch with a flight of 10 day 20 hours, 163 earth orbits. |
|
|
Pre-Apollo research reaches for the sky with the first Apollo launch in 1960. |
|
Testing the extremes of space, the command capsule is subject to 315C on one side and the other at -178C. |
|
Command module test of escape rockets for launchpad or low altitude emergency. |
|
Large pre-assembled sections of the Saturn V rocket are delivered by water on the Banana River. Here a S-IVB section arrives. |
|
A 365 foot Saturn V emerges from the Vehicle Assembly Building. |
|
Vehicle Assembly Building at Cape Canaveral in Florida with the roll out of Apollo IV. |
|
Apollo 4, pre-launch. The first "all up" test launch of a complete Satrun V. |
|
Lunar Excusion Module under contruction at Grummun. |
|
Apollo 1 crew, left to right, Roger Chaffie, Ed White, Gus Grissom. |
|
Apollo 1 Command Module ground test fire at pad 34. |
|
Lunar Excusion Module under contruction at Grummun. |
|
Apollo 7 Command Module under construction at Rockwell. |
|
Apollo 7 crew, left to right, Donn Eisele, Walter Schirra and Walter Cunningham. |
|
Early morning prelaunch photo of Apollo 7. |
|
Apollo 7 at high altitude shortly before Main Engine Cut Off. |
|
Apollo 7 spent S-IC booster showing were on Apollo 9, the Lunar Module would be. |
|
Once aborve the recovery ship the Apollo 7 Command Module is cleaned up. |
|
Apollo 8 crew, left to right, Frank Broman, Bill Anders and Jim Lovel. |
|
The first lunar mission launch of Apollo 8. |
|
Earthrise as first seen from high orbit around the moon. |
|
Apollo 9 crew, left to right, James McDivitt, David Scott and Russell Schweickart. |
|
Apollo 9 takes filght to test the LM in space first the first time. |
|
CSM of Apollo 9 as seen from the LM in earth orbit. |
|
Lunar excursion Module of Apollo 9 also in earth orbit. |
|
Apollo 9 spacewalk to test the ability to retrive film from the CSM. |
|
Apollo 10 crew, left to right, Eugene Cernan, Thomas Stafford and John Young . |
|
LM of Apollo 10 packed away in the shell of the S-IC booster. |
|
Docking with the LEM in Lunar orbit, Apollo 10 paves the way for Apollo 11. |
|
The moon retreats as Apollo 10 slowly returns home. |
|
Apollo 11 crew, left to right, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Ewdin "Buzz" Aldrin. |
|
After a breakfast of low volume food, three men head for a rendezvous with the moon. |
|
Liftoff of Apollo 11 as seen from the top of the gantry. |
|
Neil Armstrong inside the CSM. |
|
Apollo 11 in lunar orbit as the LM prepares for landing. |
|
Apollo 11 LM on the moon as experiments are deployed. |
|
The plaque on one of the landing struts of LM Eagle. |
|
Most famous picture of the Apollo Program, Aldrin on the moon. |
|
Apollo 11 crew in the Pacific after slash down. |
|
With the crew safely aboard the rescue helecopter, CM Columbia is plucked for the Pacific. |
|
The crew smiles to the world as they prepare for three weeks in quarentine. |
|
The Saturn V of Apollo 12 is rolled out to the launchpad. |
|
Apollo 12 crew, left to right, Pete Conrad, Richard Gordon and Allen Bean. |
|
Inside the CSM cabin of Apollo 12. |
|
Apollo 13 crew, left to right, Fred Haise, Jim Lovel and Ken Mattingly before Ken was replaced by Jack Swigert. |
|
Aboard Apollo 13, the crew improvises a CO2 filter. |
|
The CO2 canister in place and working aboard the Aquarius LM. |
|
As the Apollo 13 jetesons the SM, damage to the spacecraft is serveyed. |
|
Apollo 13's crew returns home after an explosion 56 hours into their flight nearly cost lives. |
|
Apollo 14 crew, left to right, Stuart Rossa, Allan Shepard and Ed Mitchell. |
|
Apollo 14 spectacular night-time launch. |
|
On the moon with Apollo 14. |
|
The first to use the Lunar Rover, Apollo 15 assembly is loaded. |
|
Close up view of how the Lunar Rover is mounted. |
|
Apollo 15 crew, left to right, James Irwin, David Scott and Alfred Worden. |
|
With one of its' side panels removed, Apollo 15 exposes its' Solar Intsrument Module. |
|
Parked outside the LM the Lunar Rover waits for the Apollo 15 crew. |
|
Apollo 16 crew, left to right, Ken Mattingly, John Young and Charlie Duke. |
|
Launch of the second to last moon mission. |
|
Apollo 16 explores from the LEM on the Descartes Highlands. |
|
As seen form the Lunar Rover, the Apollo 16 LEM is launched from the moon. |
|
Apollo 17 crew, form left to right, Harrison Schmitt, Ron Evans and Eugene Cernan. |
|
Harrison Schmitt nd Eugene Cernan trian for mostly geological mission to the moon. |
|
Gene Cernan drives the Lunar Rover about the moon. |
|
Lunar camp of the Geological mission Apollo 17. |
|
The last flag to be placed on the moon by NASA astronaughts. |
|
Apollo-Soyuz crews. The flight on which Deke Slayton finally flew since bening grounded in 1962. |
|
The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ATSP) CSM. |
|
Test of the Apollo-Soyuz docking module. |
|
The Soyus two man capsule from the USSR. |
|
Inside the cabin of the ASTP flight. |
|
Floating in the Pacific, three astronaughts wait to be picked up. |
|
Cape Canaveral launch complex as seen from the air. |
|
Map of Cape Canaveral including all launch sites. A good map, but it's 151k and will take a while to load. |
|
|