#as-201

"Workers prepare to install the first stage of AS-201’s Saturn-IB on Launch Pad 34 at the Cape Kennedy Air Force Station, now the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station."

Date: August 18, 1965

The spacecraft deployed its parachutes as planned and splashed down in the south Atlantic Ocean 200 miles west of Ascension Island and 46 miles from its intended target. Landing occurred 5,264 miles downrange after a largely successful 37-minute flight.

The Command Module (CM-009) was recovered by USS BOXER (CV-21).

Recovery Patch

Date: February 26, 1966

NASA ID: S66-22372, S66-22139, S66-03016, S66-22142, link, S66-22150

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: UA 539.18

Posted on Flickr by Mike Acs: link

The AS-201 mission, which included instrumented Apollo command and service modules and a spacecraft LEM adapter, to check spacecraft launch vehicle mechanical compatibility and to test the spacecraft heat shield in a high-velocity reentry mode.

The objectives of the mission were to:

Demonstrate the Saturn IB launch vehicle propulsion, guidance and electrical systems.

Demonstrate structural compatibility between the launch vehicle and CSM, ensuring the spacecraft's design loads weren't exceeded.

Demonstrate appropriate separation of all vehicle elements.

Demonstrate the CSM's heat shield, service propulsion system (including in-space restart), CM and SM reaction control systems, environmental control of cabin pressure and temperature, partial communications, stability and control, Earth landing system, and electrical power subsystem.

Evaluate the Emergency Detection System in an open-loop configuration.

Demonstrate the CM heat shield ablator at a 200 BTU/ft2/sec heat transfer rate.

Demonstrate support facilities for launch, mission control, and recovery

"A still from onboard camera footage of the S-IVB stage pulling away from the spent S-IB during the AS-201 flight."

"The first stage worked perfectly, lifting the rocket to 57 kilometers (31 nmi), when the S-IVB took over and lifted the spacecraft to 425 kilometers (229 nmi). The CSM separated and continued upwards to 488 kilometers (263 nmi).

The ground track for the suborbital AS-201 flight.

The CSM then fired its own rocket to accelerate the spacecraft towards Earth. The first burn lasted for 184 seconds. It then fired later for ten seconds. This proved that the engine could restart in space, a crucial part of any crewed flight to the Moon./It entered the atmosphere traveling 8,300 meters per second (27,000 ft/s). It splashed down 37 minutes after launch, 72 kilometers (39 nmi) from the planned touch down point, and was on board the aircraft carrier USS BOXER two hours later."

Lift off of the first Saturn IB from Launch Pad 34, on the uncrewed Apollo Saturn 201 (AS-201).

“The Saturn IB rocket opens up a new era in space exploration as it sends an unmanned Apollo spacecraft on a 40-minute, 5,500-mile ballistic ride from Cape Kennedy to the vicinity of Ascension Island in the South Atlantic. Designed to determine if the astronauts can take the tremendous heat generated when their spacecraft returns from the moon and plunges into the Earth’s atmosphere, the test flight, on February 26, was nearly perfect.”

Commemorative mission patch created by Retrorocket Emblem source, source

Date: February 26, 1966

NASA ID: S66-22930, KSC-66PC-20, KSC-66PC-22

Posted on Flickr by Cliff Steenhoff: link

Workers lower the Launch Escape System atop the AS-201 Apollo Command Module (CM-009) at LC-34, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Date: January 24, 1966

Nighttime view of AS-201 Saturn IB (CSM-009/SA-201), the first Saturn IB, prior to its February 26, 1966 launch from Launch Complex 34, KSC, Florida.

Date: February 1996

Workers lift the AS-201 Apollo Spacecraft (CSM-009) to stack it onto the second stage of the Saturn IB at LC-34, Kennedy Space Center, Florida. This was the first stacking of the Saturn IB and it lifted off on February 26, 1966.

Date: December 26, 1965

AS-201 Apollo Command Module (CM-009) under construction at North American Aviation’s plant in Downey, California.

Date: November 13, 1964