Apollo
Apollo 4
Apollo 4 was the first flight of the Saturn V, the enormous rocket built to carry astronauts to the Moon. The uncrewed mission tested all three rocket stages together, restarted the third stage in space, fired the Apollo spacecraft's main engine, and sent the Command Module back through Earth's atmosphere at nearly the speed of a spacecraft returning from the Moon.
Launch
November 9, 1967
Duration
8 hours, 36 minutes, 59 seconds
Crew
Uncrewed
Mission record
Apollo archive entry · Successful
Mission Overview
The mission
Apollo 4 was the first flight of the Saturn V, the enormous rocket built to carry astronauts to the Moon. The uncrewed mission tested all three rocket stages together, restarted the third stage in space, fired the Apollo spacecraft's main engine, and sent the Command Module back through Earth's atmosphere at nearly the speed of a spacecraft returning from the Moon.
Mission Details
Program
Apollo
Launch
November 9, 1967
Duration
8 hours, 36 minutes, 59 seconds
Status
Successful
Mission by the Numbers
Mission Statistics
Mission Type
Uncrewed Saturn V and Apollo Spacecraft Test
Launch Vehicle
Saturn V SA-501
Crew
0 astronauts
Status
Successful
Mission Goals
Mission objectives
- 01
Conduct the first complete flight test of the three-stage Saturn V launch vehicle.
- 02
Demonstrate the structural integrity of the fully assembled Saturn V and Apollo spacecraft configuration.
- 03
Evaluate compatibility between the launch vehicle, spacecraft, ground systems, tracking network, and mission-control facilities.
- 04
Test the operation and separation of the Saturn V's S-IC, S-II, and S-IVB stages.
- 05
Demonstrate the first in-space restart of the S-IVB third-stage engine.
- 06
Simulate the translunar injection maneuver required to send future Apollo crews toward the Moon.
- 07
Evaluate the Apollo Service Propulsion System during multiple engine firings.
- 08
Test the Command Module heat shield at a velocity approaching that of a spacecraft returning from the Moon.
- 09
Evaluate the spacecraft's thermal seals and overall reentry performance.
- 10
Measure launch loads, vibrations, structural behavior, and dynamic forces throughout powered flight.
- 11
Test the Saturn V emergency-detection system and launch-vehicle subsystems.
- 12
Evaluate mission-support facilities, launch operations, tracking systems, and recovery procedures.
- 13
Collect photographs of Earth using the Command Module's automatic camera system.
- 14
Gather structural-load and vibration data using a Lunar Module test article carried inside the spacecraft adapter.
Mission Timeline
January 1966
Saturn V Assembly Begins
NASA began assembling the first flight-qualified Saturn V inside the newly completed Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center.
1966–1967
Vehicle Testing and Integration
Engineers assembled, inspected, tested, disassembled, and reassembled portions of the Saturn V while resolving technical problems with the new launch vehicle.
January 27, 1967
Apollo 1 Fire
The Apollo 1 crew died during a ground test, forcing NASA to inspect Apollo 4's spacecraft wiring and reconsider spacecraft safety throughout the program.
August 26, 1967
First Saturn V Rollout
The 363-foot Saturn V traveled from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39A aboard a crawler-transporter.
October 1967
Countdown Demonstration Test
NASA completed a full countdown rehearsal and used the results to correct problems before launch day.
November 9, 1967 · 7:00:01 a.m. EST
Apollo 4 Launches
The first Saturn V lifted off from Launch Complex 39A with approximately 7.5 million pounds of thrust.
Launch + 2 Minutes 15 Seconds
First Stage Shutdown
The five F-1 engines of the S-IC first stage completed their work, and the stage separated from the vehicle.
Launch + Approximately 9 Minutes
Second Stage Separates
The S-II second stage completed its burn and separated, allowing the S-IVB third stage to continue toward orbit.
Launch + Approximately 12 Minutes
Parking Orbit Achieved
The S-IVB placed the Apollo spacecraft into an initial Earth parking orbit approximately 184 by 192 kilometers high.
After Two Revolutions
S-IVB Restarts
The third-stage engine restarted successfully, simulating the translunar injection burn required for future Moon missions.
High-Elliptical Trajectory
Spacecraft Travels Far from Earth
The S-IVB burn sent Apollo 4 into an elongated orbit carrying the spacecraft thousands of miles above Earth.
Service Module Engine Test
First SPS Burn
The Service Propulsion System fired for approximately 16 seconds to raise the spacecraft's apogee.
Return Toward Earth
Second SPS Burn
The Service Propulsion System fired for approximately 271 seconds, accelerating Apollo 4 to a lunar-return reentry velocity.
November 9, 1967
Command Module Reentry
The Command Module separated from the Service Module and entered Earth's atmosphere at approximately 11,140 meters per second.
November 9, 1967 · 3:37:08 p.m. EST
Pacific Splashdown
Apollo 4 splashed down near Hawaii, approximately 16 kilometers from its planned landing point.
November 9, 1967
Spacecraft Recovered
The aircraft carrier USS Bennington recovered the Command Module and returned it for postflight examination.
Postflight Review
Mission Declared Successful
NASA concluded that Apollo 4 had achieved its mission objectives and validated the first complete Saturn V flight.
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