Mission
AS-201
Mission Objective
Achieved structural integrity and compatibility of launch vehicle, as well as launch loads. Demonstrated separation of first and second stages of Saturn, LES and boost protective cover from the command and service module, or CSM. Demonstrated separation of CSM from instrument unit, spacecraft and lunar module adapter, as well as CM separation from the SM. Verified operations of Saturn propulsion, guidance and control, and electrical subsystems. Partially achieved verification of spacecraft subsystems and heat shield for re-entry from low Earth orbit, due to loss of data during maximum heating. Demonstrated operation of mission support facilities.
Prelaunch Milestones
8/14/65 - S-I stage ondock at Kennedy
8/14/65 - S-IB stage ondock at Kennedy
9/18/65 - S-IVB ondock at Kennedy
10/22/65 - S-IU ondock at Kennedy
10/25/65 - launch vehicle on pad
12/26/65 - spacecraft on pad
2/9/66 - Countdown Demonstration Test
2/20/66 - countdown began
Launch
Feb. 26, 1966; 11:12:01 am EST
Launch Complex 34
Eastern Test Range, Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Saturn IB
Hold for three days due to bad weather conditions and for a break in subcable to downrange station. Hold for 30 minutes on Feb. 26, 1966, to catch up on LOX loading. Hold for 30 minutes to complete liquid-hydrogen loading, which had been delayed by work on a GSE helium regulator problem. Hold for 78 minutes to complete closeout of spacecraft. Hold for 66 minutes because of cutoff caused by failure of helium pressure switch in Saturn IB ready circuit. Hold for 30 minutes, during which flight was canceled and then re-instated, for further information on helium pressure problem.
Spacecraft
CSM-009
Orbit
Altitude: 303 miles (488 km)
-> Orbits: suborbital
Duration: 36 minutes, 59 seconds
Distance: 5,264 miles (8,472 km)
Mission Highlights
Both booster and spacecraft performed adequately. From liftoff to touchdown in the South Atlantic, the mission lasted 37 minutes. The spacecraft was recovered two and a half hours after splashdown. There were several malfunctions, mostly minor, but three were serious. First, after the service propulsion system fired, it operated correctly for only 80 seconds. Then, the pressure fell 30 percent because of helium ingestion into the oxidizer chamber. Second, a fault in the electrical power system caused a loss of steering control, resulting in a rolling re-entry. And, third, flight measurements during re-entry were distorted because of a short circuit.
Landing
Feb. 26, 1966; 11:49 am EST
Splashdown: Atlantic Ocean, 8472 km downrange
Impact Point: 8.18 degrees south, 11.15 degrees west
Recovery Ship: USS Boxer at 2:20 p.m. EST
