Episode 1911
Apollo 4
Fri, 2022-Jul-29 01:05 UTC
Length - 2:54
Direct Link
Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of the featured Wikipedia article every day.
The featured article for Friday, 29 July 2022 is Apollo 4.
Apollo 4 (November 9, 1967), also known as SA-501, was the first test of the Saturn V launch vehicle, the rocket that would eventually send astronauts to the Moon. The space vehicle was assembled in the Vehicle Assembly Building, and was the first to be launched from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, ascending from Launch Complex 39, where facilities built specially for the Saturn V had been constructed.
Apollo 4 was an "all-up" test, meaning all rocket stages and spacecraft were fully functional on the initial flight, a first for NASA. It was the first time the S-IC first stage and S-II second stage flew. It also demonstrated the S-IVB third stage's first in-flight restart. The mission used a Block I command and service module (CSM) modified to test several key Block II revisions, including its heat shield at simulated lunar-return velocity and angle.
The original launch date was planned for early 1967, but was delayed to November 9, due to a myriad of problems with various elements of the spacecraft, and difficulties during pre-flight testing. Also contributing to the delays was the need for additional inspections following the Apollo 1 fire that killed the first Apollo crew in January 1967. These issues delayed the flight through much of 1967.
The mission splashed down in the Pacific Ocean slightly less than nine hours after launch, having achieved its objectives. NASA deemed the mission a complete success, as it proved the Saturn V worked, which was an important step towards achieving the main objective: landing astronauts on the Moon and bringing them back safely, before the end of the 1960s.
This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:05 UTC on Friday, 29 July 2022.
For the full current version of the article, see Apollo 4 on Wikipedia.
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This has been Kimberly Standard. Thank you for listening to featured Wiki of the Day.
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