Apollo 7
Apollo 7 was the first manned launch of the Apollo program.
Walter M. Schirra, Jr. (Commander), Donn F. Eisele
(CSM Pilot), and R. Walter Cunningham (Lunar Module Pilot)
lifted off atop a Saturn 1B on October 11, 1968, at
11:02:45am EST from Pad 34.
The flight was the first spaceflight with a three man crew and the first to
off a live TV downlink.
The primary objectives for Apollo 7 were to demonstrate the CSM/crew
performance; demonstrate the crew/space vehicle/mission support facilities;
and demonstrate CSM rendezvous capability.
About ten minutes after launch, Apollo 7 reached orbit and began a
series of tests. Walter Schirra simulated rendezvous and docking
with the Saturn 1B booster's S-IVB stage. The crew made
eight test firings of the service module engine. The jarring jolt during the
first test took the crew by surprise. Schirra exclaimed "Yabadabadoo" and
Donn Eisele later described the experience as a real boot in the rear
that just plastered them into their seats.
After 10 Days and 20 hours, the Apollo command module splashed down in the
Atlantic southeast of Bermuda.
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