Apollo 5

Apollo 5 was an unmanned test flight as part of the Apollo program. The main objective was to test the lunar module (LM Lunar Module), which has been tested in space for the first time. The internal project name was AS- 204.

Saturn IB launch vehicle was the one that was used during ground test in which the three astronauts of Apollo 1 perished. The rocket remained at the former fire undamaged and could still be used. The LM-1 was controllable and manoeuvrable, but there were no landing legs fitted. Since you, as opposed to manned launches, no escape rocket require the Saturn IB only 55 meters was high.

The launch took place on 22 January 1968 and the rocket worked flawlessly. In a near-Earth orbit, the lunar module was separated from the second stage. Then the engine from the descent stage should bring the LM into a higher orbit. When it was fired, this was not burning the planned 39 seconds, but were shut down prematurely after four seconds from the on-board computer. The error lay in a computer program that stops the engine when not desired parameters are achieved quickly enough. Since the required pressure in the fuel tanks could not be established in these four seconds used to the control program for the tests on the test bench. The other two ignitions then ran successfully. After the separation of the descent stage and the ascent stage completed a successful engine test.

After completion of the mission, the two parts of the lunar module remained some time in Earth orbit and burned up independently in the atmosphere, the ascent stage on January 24, and the descent stage on 12 February 1968.

Apollo 5 before the start

Start the Saturn IB