AS-101
AS-101 (also designated SA-6) was the sixth flight of the Saturn I launch vehicle, which carried the first boilerplate Apollo spacecraft into low Earth orbit. The test took place on May 28, 1964, lasting for four orbits (about six hours). The spacecraft and its upper stage completed a total of 54 orbits before reentering the atmosphere and crashing in the Pacific Ocean on June 1, 1964.
AS-101 (SA-6) | |
| Mission type | Spacecraft aerodynamics |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1964-025A |
| SATCAT no. | 800 |
| Mission duration | ~5 hours, 53 minutes |
| Orbits completed | 54 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Apollo BP-13 |
| Launch mass | 7,700 kilograms (17,000 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | May 28, 1964, 17:07:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Saturn I SA-6 |
| Launch site | Cape Kennedy LC-37B |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Uncontrolled reentry |
| Last contact | May 28, 1964 after 4 orbits |
| Decay date | June 1, 1964 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 178 kilometers (96 nmi) |
| Apogee altitude | 199 kilometers (107 nmi) |
| Inclination | 31.7 degrees |
| Period | 88.26 minutes |
| Epoch | 30 May 1964 |
The flight experienced a single anomaly: one of the eight first-stage Saturn I engines shut down early, but the guidance system compensated by burning the remaining seven engines longer. AS-101 was followed by four more flights to verify the launch aerodynamics of the Apollo command and service module (CSM) and its launch escape system (LES) tower.
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