1968: Apollo 6 (NASA)

Apollo 6, launched in April 1968, was the Apollo programme's second and last unmanned test flight of its Saturn V launch vehicle.

Unlike the near perfect flight of Apollo 4, Apollo 6 experienced problems right from the start. Two minutes into the flight, the rocket experienced severe oscillations for about 30 seconds.

In part due to the vibrations, the spacecraft adaptor that attached the CSM and mockup of the Lunar Module to the rocket started to have some structural problems. Airborne cameras recorded several pieces falling off.

After the first stage was jettisoned at the end of its task, the S-II second stage began to experience its own problems. Engine Number Two (of five) had performance problems from 206 to 319 seconds after liftoff and then at 412 seconds shut down altogether. Two seconds later Engine Number Three shut down as well. The onboard computer was able to compensate and the stage burned for 58 seconds more than normal.

Due to the less than nominal launch, the CSM and S-IVB were now in a 178 by 367 km orbit instead of the planned 160 km circular orbit. But after two orbits of checking out the spacecraft and rocket stage the S-IVB failed to restart to simulate the Trans Lunar Injection burn that would send the astronauts to the Moon.

It was decided to use the Service Module engine to raise the spacecraft into a high orbit in order to complete some of the mission objectives. It burned for 442 seconds, longer than it would ever have to on a real Apollo mission and raised the apogee of the orbit to 22,200 km. There was now however not enough fuel to speed up the reentry and the spacecraft entered the atmosphere at a speed of 10 000 m/s instead of the planned 11 270 m/s. This meant it landed 80 km from the planned touch down point.

Credit: NASA
Music: Marcus P. Graf

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• 1968
• nasa
• iaf
• space
• apollo

[stuartthegrant]

You provide great information with your Apollo uploads. 5* vidio...

[michchap]

Thank you for posting this video. Anyone interested in the Apollo 6 missions should visit the Fernbank Science Center in suburban Atlanta. The center has Command Module 020 on permanent display. It is a fascinating exhibit and well worth seeing.

[westjapartyside]

has anybody seen and/or know the name of the video of this footage, there is some crazy stuff on it, i would like to see it again if anyone knows of it? apollo 6 unseen footage?

[dirac33]

The city visible at 1:31 is Dallas-Ft. Worth. The lakes near the top are Grapevine Lake and Lake Dallas. Interstate 35W can be seen running vertically from Ft. Worth to Denton.

[moboutmen]

Apollo VI was a lemon. The "all up" testing method - where the entire vehicle is tested rather than its parts- was the only way the oscillations would have been found. Apollo VII rode atop the much smaller Saturn 1B.

[rossco1966]

Interesting drawing at 1:01. Shows the unbuilt Launch pad 39C. Clearly there are 3 in the drawing.

Originally there were 5 planned, then three, then only two built.

[youvebeenthunderstru]

I think the Apollo 7 crew had some serious balls. Imagine - the Apollo 1 crew dies of a fire on the pad, the Apollo 6 spacecraft suffers from pogo oscillations and yet the 7 crew still goes ahead with it. And performs a nominal mission. And then Apollo 8 of course, goes to the fucking moon! That's faith in your convictions.

[ApolloWasReal]

Most of the Apollo hardware I've seen in museums has been cannibalized. Even LM-2, on display in the Smithsonian in DC, is missing many of its modules in the pictures of its interior that I've seen. The CM from Apollo 9, here in San Diego, was missing its DSKYs and a few other things I didn't immediately recognize.

[wardenphil]

YES - Apollo 6 was the last Block I Spacecraft. The Command Module was Serial Number 020 - The Service Module was 014 (the reason for the mis-match is a long story).

[sja11]

it reentered the atmosphere april 25, 1968

[Larrylando]

LarryL So if the third stage never fired the second time, is that giant thing still in orbit?